An Analysis of Much Ado About Nothing Written between 1598 and 1600 at the height of Shakespeare's ability to write comic plays, Much Ado About Nothing is one of the most witty Shakespeare works. In this play, Shakespeare's drama satirizes love and human courtesy between two couples who take very different paths to achieve the same goal: creating a connection between inner and outer beauty. Much Ado About Nothing shows different ways in which people are attracted to each other and how their realization and definition of "love" connects to their perception of inner and outer beauty. The play is set in Messina, Italy, a small province overlooking the Strait of Messina in north-eastern Sicily, on the estate of Messina's governor, Leonato. Towards the end of the play Bene*censored* proposes marriage to Beatrice and kisses her in front of him. Claudio and Hero's wedding proves that they have come a long way, with a little help from their friends. Claudio sees Hero's inner beauty when he learns of his innocence, but Shakespeare makes it seem much less dramatic than that of Bene*censored* and Beatrice. It could be said that Claudius fell in love at first sight, and then glimpsed her inner beauty when her innocence was revealed, but his love for her wealth also cannot be overlooked. After learning of Hero's innocence, he agrees to marry one of Leonato's nieces and says he would also like an Ethiopian for a wife. This could be interpreted as Claudio's desire to marry into a fortune, pursuing his love wealth overshadowed by beauty. Both couples see inner and outer beauty by the end of the play, although they both end up learning virtually opposite lessons in love (Brown 118). When we don't trust our thoughts and ideas, we are hesitant and do not translate them into action, so the initial spark dies and we are blind to what could have been.