Hero's Wedding Morning: Chaos And Confusion

On the morning of her wedding to Claudio, Hero wakes up early with a strange sense of foreboding. She asks God to give me joy to wear [my wedding dress], for my heart is exceeding heavy. Her gentlewomen, Ursula and Margaret, prepare her for the wedding, and Margaret teases Hero about her choice of wedding attire and the presence of Claudio in her bed. Beatrice arrives, feeling unwell, and Margaret teases her about being sick with love. As the men arrive to take Hero to the church, Ursula returns to tell them the news.

However, the wedding does not go as planned. Hero is falsely accused of being unfaithful to Claudio, and the happy occasion turns into chaos. The friar, believing in Hero's innocence, devises a plan to restore her reputation and marriage. Hero's existence is concealed, and her father, Leonato, tells everyone she has died of shock and grief. Eventually, Hero's name is cleared, and she is reunited with Claudio, leading to a joyous conclusion for the couple.

Hero has a strange foreboding of disaster

On the morning of her wedding to Claudio, Hero wakes up early with a strange foreboding of disaster. She tells her servant Ursula to wake Beatrice, who arrives and says she is not feeling well. Margaret, in high spirits, teases Beatrice about her changed personality, suggesting that she now desires a husband.

Hero's uneasiness is unexplained, but it sets off warning bells. She asks God to "give me joy to wear [my wedding dress], for my heart is exceeding heavy". Her sense of foreboding is a foreshadowing of something bad to come.

Soon, Claudio arrives with his friends, and they all set off together for the church. Hero's fears seem to be confirmed when, just as they are about to enter the church, Dogberry and Verges catch up with Leonato and try to talk to him. They explain that they have caught two criminals and want to interrogate them in front of him, but they are so long-winded and foolish that they fail to convey the urgency of the matter. Leonato tells them to question the men themselves and goes into the church.

Hero's fears are realised when, during the wedding ceremony, Claudio breaks into an outraged speech. He tells Leonato that he will not marry Hero, accusing her of being unchaste and unfaithful.

Margaret teases Hero about her wedding night

On the morning of her wedding to Claudio, Hero wakes up early and sends her servant, Ursula, to wake Beatrice. Meanwhile, Hero's maid, Margaret, argues playfully with Hero about what she ought to wear for her wedding. Hero is excited, but she also has a strange foreboding of disaster.

When Beatrice arrives, Margaret teases her about her changed personality, suggesting that she now desires a husband. Beatrice expresses annoyance, but Margaret is sure that she is right and continues to tease Beatrice about Benedick—in a manner subtle enough that Beatrice cannot accuse Margaret of knowing anything for certain.

Margaret also teases Hero about Claudio and his soon-to-be presence in her bed. She makes suggestive comments about the weight of a man, and Hero scolds her lightly.

Soon, Claudio arrives with his friends, and they all set off together for the church.

Hero is accused of being unfaithful

On the morning of her wedding to Claudio, Hero wakes up early, feeling strangely uneasy for reasons she cannot name. She has a foreboding sense of disaster. She asks God to "give me joy to wear [my wedding dress], for my heart is exceeding heavy". Her maid, Margaret, argues playfully with Hero about what she ought to wear for her wedding. Margaret also teases Hero about Claudio and his soon-to-be presence in her bed.

Hero sends her servant, Ursula, to wake her cousin Beatrice. When Beatrice arrives, she says that she is not feeling well. Margaret teases her, saying that she is sick with love. Ursula returns to tell them that the men have come to take Hero to the church.

At the church, Claudio, misled by Don John, accuses Hero of being unfaithful. He tells Leonato that he sends Hero back to him, for though she seems outwardly pure, her outward features belie her inward corruption. He claims that the night before, he, Don Pedro, and Don John watched Hero with another man at her window. Don Pedro supports Claudio's accusations, and they accuse Hero of sexual looseness.

Hero, shocked and overwhelmed, sinks to the ground, unconscious. When she regains consciousness, she insists that she is a virgin and has been entirely faithful to Claudio. She has no idea what her accusers are talking about.

The friar suggests that Hero fake her death to give the truth time to come to light and for her accusers to change their opinions of her. Leonato agrees to go along with the plan, and Hero is taken away.

Hero is humiliated and berated by several men

On the morning of her wedding to Claudio, Hero wakes up early, feeling strangely uneasy for reasons she cannot name. She has a foreboding sense of disaster. She asks God to "give me joy to wear [my wedding dress], for my heart is exceeding heavy". Her maid, Margaret, argues with her affectionately about what she should wear and teases her about Claudio and his soon-to-be presence in her bed.

Hero's cousin, Beatrice, arrives and is teased by Margaret, who is in high spirits. She says that Beatrice is sick with love, and only Benedick can cure her. Soon, Claudio arrives with his friends and a large wedding party, and they set off together for the church.

However, the wedding does not go as planned. Hero is publicly accused of being unfaithful to Claudio by several men, including Claudio himself, Don Pedro, and Don John. In front of everyone gathered in the church, Claudio breaks into an outraged speech, declaring that Hero is outwardly pure but inwardly corrupt and unchaste. He claims that the night before, he, Don Pedro, and Don John saw Hero talking with a vile man at her window and that this man confessed to having sexual encounters with her many times before.

Hero is humiliated and berated by these men in front of the entire wedding party. Claudio speaks with deliberate theatricality to inflict as much pain as possible. He does not allow Hero the chance to defend herself, interpreting her reactions of shock and humiliation as evidence of her guilt. Don Pedro and Don John support Claudio's accusations, and together, they paint Hero as sexually loose.

Hero's father, Leonato, is devastated by the accusations and cries out in despair, even asking for a dagger to commit suicide. Hero, overwhelmed by shame, sinks to the ground, unconscious. Benedick and Beatrice rush to her aid, while Claudio, Don Pedro, and Don John leave the church without a backward glance. Leonato, weeping, tells Benedick and Beatrice to let Hero die, believing that death would be better than living with shame.

Hero's public humiliation and berating by these men have severe consequences for her. In this society, her livelihood and marriageability depend on her perceived chastity. The accusations against her are not only emotionally devastating but also pose a threat to her future prospects and social standing.

Hero's reputation is restored

On the morning of her wedding to Claudio, Hero wakes up early with a sense of unease and foreboding. She asks God to "give me joy to wear [my wedding dress], for my heart is exceeding heavy". Her gentlewomen, including Ursula and Margaret, help her prepare, teasing her about her soon-to-be husband. When Beatrice arrives, she is uncharacteristically subdued, and Margaret teases her about being in love.

However, the joyous atmosphere of the morning is short-lived. At the wedding, Claudio publicly accuses Hero of being unfaithful and having an affair with another man. With the support of Don Pedro, he slanders her character and ruins her reputation in front of the entire congregation. Devastated, Hero faints, and her father, Leonato, cries out in despair, wishing for death.

The friar, believing in Hero's innocence, intervenes and devises a plan to restore her reputation. He suggests that they conceal Hero's existence and spread the news of her death. He predicts that when Claudio and Don Pedro realise their mistake, their anger will turn to regret, and they will remember Hero's virtue.

The plan works, and Hero's reputation is eventually restored. Claudio and Don Pedro are filled with remorse and long to make amends. Hero's innocence is proven, and she is figuratively reborn, washing away the taint of the accusation. The play concludes with a joyous double wedding, as Hero marries Claudio, and Beatrice, Hero's cousin, marries Benedick.

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