Much Ado About Nothing Pt. I

Much Ado About Nothing Act 1

Don John's villainy, although he states he is "plain villain", goes deeper than him simply possessing a malicious nature. He is the illegitimate son of a nobleman, also father of Don Pedro. Because of this position he is in, he will never be his father's real heir, nor be able to enjoy the privileges that Don Pedro can enjoy. All he can do all day is behave well, and live in his brother's shadow. He believes he has been put in a cage and in a muzzle, and therefore, cannot live freely or as successfully as his brother. This peek into Don John's past, allows the reader to understand more fully why is he is so prone to wish chaos amongst his brother and Claudio. I cannot say that I excuse the villains throughout Shakespeare's plays, but Don John possibly more than any other, is a character I at least sympathize with a bit. Whether it was optimism, joy, or patience, Don John's perception of life was skewed because of his situation and to be honest, if Don Pedro would've been in his shoes, he probably would have had the same malicious thoughts. I can imagine it is hard to have to be strong for such a long time without getting much more than the basics out of life whilst seeing others living joyously and abundantly with others who celebrate your success. Then again, it could have been worse. Don John's father and brother could've ignored him and not brought him along at all. It is those facts that then bring me back to sympathize with all other characters.