In which Shakespeare comedy does Don John hatch a plot to defame a woman?

In which Shakespeare comedy does Don John hatch a plot to defame a woman?

• A. Much Ado About Nothing
• B. Twelfth Night
• C. As You Like It
• D. The Merchant of Venice

Answer: (A)

Don John’s scheming to ruin a woman’s reputation is a hallmark of Much Ado About Nothing. In this comedy, he engineers a plan to make Claudio and others believe Hero has been unfaithful on the eve of their wedding, using Borachio and Margaret to stage a scene that looks like Hero’s infidelity. The defaming plot drives the central conflict, setting up the dramatic confrontation at the ceremony and the subsequent unraveling of the deception, which then leads to Hero’s vindication and the eventual reconciliation of the couples. The other plays mentioned don’t hinge on a scheme to ruin a woman’s reputation by false evidence: Twelfth Night is built around mistaken identity and romantic mix-ups, As You Like It follows adventures and romantic entanglements in the forest, and The Merchant of Venice centers on money, contracts, and mercy rather than a plot to defame a woman.