Both plots hinge on deception: the benign gulling of Benedick and Beatrice, and the malicious deception of Claudio. Shakespeare asks whether deception can ever be used for good.
Hero's public shaming and Leonato's response shows how fragile women's reputations were in this society. A woman's 'nothing' (the play's pun: Much Ado About Nothing / noting / nothing) is easily destroyed by men.
Benedick and Beatrice discover that their 'hatred' was always a disguise for love. The play suggests that genuinely compatible people may resist acknowledging their feelings.
Hero has almost no power over her own fate. Her father, her suitor and the villain all make decisions about her life without consulting her.
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