Much Ado About Nothing

Antonio is Leonato’s brother and Hero’s uncle. He is described as an “old man,” so perhaps a little older than the middle-aged Leonato, who still seems full of life. He seems to share many of his brother’s conservative views towards marriage and women – he tells Hero “I trust you will be ruled by your father,” while they wait for the masque ball to begin. After the aborted wedding scene, Antonio acts as Leonato’s close friend and confidante in his grief, counselling him that “if you go on thus, you will kill yourself.”

Interestingly, the typically peaceable Antonio is less forgiving of Claudio and Don Pedro than his brother – he calls them “scambling, out-facing, fashion-monging boys,” suggesting that their youth has led them to make poor choices. While Leonato seems shocked by his brother’s outburst, nothing comes of it. As an elderly man, Antonio cannot challenge either young man to a duel and must wait for the Friar’s plan to come to fruition.