Much Ado About Nothing – from Act 5 Scene 1, lines 52 to 79
In this extract, Leonato challenges Claudio to a duel.
CLAUDIO
Who wrongs him?
LEONATO
Marry, thou dost wrong me, thou dissembler, thou!
– Nay, never lay thy hand upon thy sword:
I fear thee not.
CLAUDIO
Marry, beshrew my hand 55
If it should give your age such cause of fear.
In faith, my hand meant nothing to my sword.
LEONATO
Tush, tush, man, never fleer and jest at me!
I speak not like a dotard nor a fool,
As under privilege of age to brag 60
What I have done being young, or what would do
Were I not old. Know, Claudio, to thy head,
Thou hast so wronged mine innocent child and me
That I am forced to lay my reverence by,
And with grey hairs and bruise of many days 65
Do challenge thee to trial of a man.
I say thou hast belied mine innocent child.
Thy slander hath gone through and through her heart,
And she lies buried with her ancestors –
O, in a tomb where never scandal slept, 70
Save this of hers, framed by thy villainy!
CLAUDIO
My villainy?
LEONATO
Thine, Claudio; thine, I say.
DON PEDRO
You say not right, old man.
LEONATO
My lord, my lord,
I’ll prove it on his body if he dare,
Despite his nice fence and his active practice, 75
His May of youth and bloom of lustihood.
CLAUDIO
Away! I will not have to do with you.
LEONATO
Canst thou so daff me? Thou hast killed my child.
If thou kill’st me, boy, thou shalt kill a man.

In this extract, Leonato describes how he wants justice for his daughter and to
make Claudio suffer for what he has done.
Explain the importance of justice elsewhere in the play.
In your answer, you must consider:

• who seeks justice within the play
• how these characters achieve justice.
  You must refer to the context of the play in your answer.

Justice is a prominent theme in William Shakespeare’s play “Much Ado About Nothing.” Throughout the play, various characters seek justice in response to perceived wrongs, and their approaches to achieving justice shed light on their personalities and motivations. One character who passionately seeks justice is Leonato, as seen in Act 5 Scene 1, lines 52 to 79, where he challenges Claudio to a duel for wronging his daughter Hero. This essay will explore the importance of justice in “Much Ado About Nothing,” focusing on who seeks justice and how they attempt to achieve it, while also considering the contextual background of the play.

One of the main characters who seeks justice in the play is Leonato, the governor of Messina and Hero’s father. In the extract, Leonato is depicted as a grieving and enraged father who accuses Claudio of wronging him and his innocent daughter. He confronts Claudio with anger and indignation, using strong language to condemn him as a “dissembler” and a villain who has slandered Hero’s name (lines 53-54).