`Much Ado About Nothing' by William Shakespeare was first performed at the turn of the 16th century. For four hundred years it has been loved as a comic account and exploration of the subjectivity of love. It is as light-hearted as the title would suggest. `Nothing' was an Elizabethan euphemism for the female genitalia. It was also pronounced during this period as `Noting', referring to the spying and eavesdropping that occurs so frequently in the play.

The opening passage of Act IV, Scene 1 encapsulates both the dramatic climax of the plot and an insightful demonstration of the play's most important characters and themes.

Talk of love made an appearance within the very first scene of `Much Ado About Nothing'. Claudio, returning victorious from battle, wonders how he might win the `jewel' that is Hero. The chapel, in which they are now to be wed...