Don Pedro and his band of bachelors represent the elites in their society, earning their status through warfare while retaining the ascribed statuses of royalty. Their rank in society is evident through the language used by Leonato as they approach his estate, stating, "Never came trouble to my house in the likeness of your grace... but when you depart from me, sorrow abides and happiness takes his leave." (1.1.67-69) I find the use of "your grace" to be particularly telling, showing Leonato's deference to the Prince of Aragon. After settling in for their stay and discovering Claudio's infatuation with Hero, Don Pedro uses his clout to insist upon wooing Leonato's daughter himself. His intentions seem consistently pure, but his ascribed status in society provides him with the means to get his way (which he seems quite adept at getting). As if on a flight of fancy, Don Pedro manipulates Benedick into finally falling in love with Beatrice orchestrating this clever ruse by letting Benedick overhear a mock conversation between himself and Leonato. Benedick defers completely to his prince, so when he hears Don Pedro's claims of Beatrice's love for him, he doesn't hesitate to believe him. Once again, though his intent is to bring happiness to his subjects, he does so without their permission and seemingly on a princely whim, treating ordinary people as no more than pieces on a chessboard.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. Much Ado About Nothing. Ed. Jonathan Bate. William Shakespeare Complete Works. Ed. Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen. 1st ed. Modern Library, 2007. 260. Print.
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