Much ado about nothing: The importance of the choice of wordsThe choice of words used by the characters in act 5, scene 1, of the play, Much Ado About Nothing, clearly presents the characters' emotions and constructs their characters for the audience. Unlike his confrontation with Claudio and Don Pedro earlier in the scene, where he is reduced to begging them to listen to him ("My lord, my lord!"; Act 5, scene 1; l. 106), the speeches of Leonato are marked with majesty and assurance, for he has been strengthened by the knowledge that his righteous indignation is justified. He is stern and dominates the scene, barking orders "Who's the bad guy?" » (l. 260), “Bring you these guys.” (l. 333), and using conversation to trap, as Claudio and Don Pedro did during the aborted marriage: Are you the slave who with your breath killed my innocent child?.No, not so, wicked! You believe yourself. Here stand two honorable men; a third escaped, who participated. I thank you, princes, for the death of my daughter. His true purpose is manifested to the audience in the way he addresses the prince. and Claudio: this time he does not openly insult them, but uses more subtle language: “Record [the hero's death] with your high and worthy deeds. “It was done courageously, if you think about it.” (l. 270-271) - because he intends to commit one last deception, so that Claudio marries Hero, his strategy must therefore be to play on their guilt, and not to antagonize them: ".since you can't be my son-in-law, still be my nephew. And thus my vengeance dies” (l. 288-289, 293). He seems to see himself as the rightful patriarch, restoring order - "This ugly man will have to be brought face to face with Margaret, who, I believe, was all over the place." this evil, committed by your brother. (l. 298-301) - and his speeches have an air of majesty and dignity (all are in verse), as well as an air of activity, illustrated in the orders he gives, lines 280-294: Possess the people of Messina hereAs she died innocent; and if your love can work on a sad invention, hang an epitaph on his grave, and sing it to his bones, sing it this evening. Tomorrow morning, come to my house. The emotion at the beginning of the scene seems to have passed - this meeting can be seen as a personal revenge on Leonato's part, restoring his authority and his reputation: his fatherly concern for Hero's reputation is no longer necessary, his name is no longer necessary. is just an instrument to shame princes..