Much Ado About Dogberry Essay, Research Paper

In Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, there are many different

subplots all taking place at the same time. There are several love

stories, trickeries, and deceptions. Of all of them, though, one conflict

stands above the rest — the slandering of Hero. Don John and his men set

up a plan so that Claudio will think Hero is unfaithful and therefore,

will not marry her. The plan works, but in the end, there is one man

responsible for everything getting straightened out — and that man is

Dogberry.

Dogberry is the constable of Messina. He is a rather eccentric

man, and is among the lower class of people in the town. He is very

filthy and talks in a sort of gibberish so that no one can understand him.

The other townspeople do not respect him, but just use him for his

information and then dismiss him. I think he deserves more respect simply

because he represents the law, not to mention he is greatly needed source

of information.

One night, Borachio is talking about the scheme they pulled off to

ruin the marriage of Hero and Claudio. Dogberry’s men overhear Borachio

and arrest him. Meanwhile, Claudio and Don Pedro had wrecked Hero

physically and emotionally in front of the entire town and accused her of

being an unfaithful tramp. Dogberry questions Borachio and discovers that

he and Don John are the guilty parties. Dogberry goes and reports this

news to Leonato, but Leonato blows him off and tells him to go away.

Dogberry goes through the legal process and proves Borachio

guilty. He then brings him before Leonato and saves Hero’s name. Leonato

again treats Dogberry in a condescending manner and just uses him for his

information. Dogberry gets no thanks or appreciation even though he is

the true hero of the play. Without him, there would be no evidence to

prove Hero’s innocence and she would have been condemned for life.

Dogberry is the protector of Messina, but even though he serves

the upper-class, they treat him poorly. He is very different from most

people, but that should not make a difference. He should get even more

respect than the common man because he is a hero. He does not care,

though, he still goes about his job being the unsung hero.

It is interesting that such a small character can play such a

major role in the plot and outcome of a story. Dogberry goes unnoticed by

the reader as well as the other characters in the play. No one really

recognizes Dogberry as the hero of the story right away . . . but he

definitely is.