An Evil Understood Many of William Shakespeare's plays focus on the presence of a character's public appearance in the eyes of spectators and observation, and the problems that arise from misunderstandings. Although dark at times, Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy that exemplifies this theme. Since spectatorship is an action that characters engage in, it becomes a challenge to keep up with the motivations and truthful appearances of identities throughout the show. Due to Claudio's ability to be easily manipulated, his motivations behind Hero's rejection are masked by Don John's evil attempt to destroy him and his marriage. In Much Ado About Nothing, Claudio is seen as a victim of the audience and Don John as the perpetrator. Although Don John engages minimally throughout the opera, he portrays the misunderstood evil that drives the drama "over nothing." Shakespeare's writing underlies a larger point to make about the precarious nature of engagement as a spectator: it can easily go wrong. The nature of a character's intentions can easily be lost as they guess what is happening, drawing false conclusions. As shown throughout the play, this uncertain nature of the viewer is what leads to the importance of the characters' decisions. We see this firsthand as Don John and his scheming nature attempt to trick Claudio into believing that Hero is unfaithful through an "investigation" planned the night before their wedding. “The word is too beautiful to paint its wickedness. But come with me this evening, you will see the window of his room come in, even the night before his wedding day” (3.2.5). As mentioned above, Shakespeare's writing throughout the play focuses on the overall concept of misunderstanding. In this... middle of paper... dramatic results through his deceptions and schemes, Shakespeare's use of comedy allows this "influential" character to fail and lose himself in the end. Much Ado About Nothing is about an obsession with female sexuality, and although it is difficult to read a character like Don Giovanni, we can assume that his purpose in the play is a mockery of the male role. In this case, Don John is driven to hatred by jealousy over his brothers' successes and bitterness over Claudio's happiness with his future wife Hero. Don John's motivations remain mysterious and unknown just like his presence in the play. At the end of the play, Don John's evil actions are recognized and he escapes. Ultimately, the success of an audience-driven plot depends not on how the villain portrays a situation or how the victim reacts, but on how those being watched act...