<P> A theme in Shakespeare is cuckoldry or the infidelity of a wife . Several of the characters seem to be obsessed by the idea that a man has no way to know if his wife is faithful and therefore women can take full advantage of that fact . Don John plays upon Claudio's pride and fear of cuckoldry, which leads to the disastrous first wedding . Many of the males easily believe that Hero is impure and even her father readily condemns her with very little proof . This motif runs through the play, often in references to horns, a symbol of cuckoldry . </P> <P> In contrast, Balthasar's song "Sigh No More" tells women to accept men's infidelity and continue to live joyfully . Some interpretations say that Balthasar sings poorly, undercutting the message . This is supported by Benedick's cynical comments about the song, where he compares it to a howling dog . However, in the 1993 Branagh film Balthasar sings beautifully, the song is also given a prominent role in both the opening and finale and the message appears to be embraced by the women in the film . </P> <P> In Much Ado About Nothing, there are many examples of deception and self - deception . The games and tricks played on people often have the best intentions--to make people fall in love, to help someone get what they want, or to lead someone to realize their mistake . However, not all are meant well, such as when Don John convinces Claudio that Don Pedro wants Hero for himself, or when Borachio meets' Hero' (who is actually Margaret, pretending to be Hero) in Hero's bedroom window . These modes of deceit play into a complementary theme of emotional manipulation and the ease with which the characters' sentiments are redirected and their propensities exploited as a means to an end . The characters' feelings for each other are played as vehicles to reach an ultimate goal of engagement rather than seen as an end in themselves . </P> <P> People are constantly pretending to be others or being mistaken for other people . An example of this is Margaret who is mistaken for Hero, which leads to Hero's public disgrace at her wedding with Claudio . However, during a masked ball in which everyone must wear a mask, Beatrice rants about Benedick to a masked man who turns out to be Benedick himself but she acts unaware of this at the time . During the same celebration, Don Pedro, masked, pretends to be Claudio and courts Hero for him . After Hero is announced "dead," Leonato orders Claudio to marry his "niece," who is actually Hero in disguise . </P>

Who pretends to be hero in much ado about nothing