Hero is one of the key characters in Much Ado About Nothing, yet she has very few lines compared to the others. In many ways, we do not actually hear from her about her own feelings on the events of the story.
What effect does this have on how we connect with Hero, and view her character?
- Choose a key moment in Hero’s journey in the play, where she does not get to speak or says very few words.
- Write Hero a soliloquy in which she shares with the audience her true feelings, and her version of events.
- In writing Hero’s soliloquy, think about what her voice might sound like when no one else is around. Would she be more open, would she speak in a less guarded, less polite way? Or do you think this is true Hero’s voice?
- Perform your soliloquy for your class.
- After you have heard your classmate’s soliloquies, discuss the following questions:
Did you feel that we saw another side to Hero that wasn’t explored in the play? - Did anything surprise you about what Hero said, or how she spoke?
- Was this Hero more powerful or more confident than the Hero we saw in Shakespeare’s original?
Extension task
Rewrite the final scene where Claudio and Hero are reunited. What would you change about that scene if you had the chance to reimagine it, and why?
