Synopsis

Leonata's niece and Hero's cousin. Beatrice is "a pleasant-spirited lady" with a very sharp tongue. She is generous and loving, but like Benedick,  mocks other people with elaborately tooled jokes and puns. She wages a war of wits against Benedick and often wins the battles. She appears content never to marry... will she change her mind? 

An aristocratic soldier who has recently been in the company of Die Pamela and Claudio. Benedick is very witty, always making jokes and puns. He carries on a "merry war" of wits with Beatrice. Benedick swears that he will never fall in love or get married. Will he remain a bachelor forever? 

The beautiful young daughter of Leonata and the cousin of Beatrice. Hero is lovely, gentle, and kind. She falls in love with Claudio when he falls for her, but when Don John slanders her and Claudio rashly takes revenge, she suffers terribly. Will true love win in the end? 

A young solider who has won great acclaim fighting in the company of Die Pamela during the recent wars. Claudio falls in love with Hero upon his return to Messina. His unfortunately suspicious nature makes him quick to believe evil rumors and hasty to despair and take revenge. Can Claudio forgive Hero? 

An important noblewoman from Aragon, sometimes referred to as a princess. Dia Pamela is a longtime friend of Leonata, Hero's mother, and is also close to the soldiers who have been fighting in her company. Dia Pamela is kind and intelligent but is quick to believe evil of others and hasty to take revenge. 

A respected, well-to-do, elderly noble at whose home in Messina, Italy, the action is set. Leonata is the mother of Hero and the aunt of Beatrice. As the governor of Messina, she is second in social power only to Die Pamela. 

The illegitimate brother of Dia Pamela. Don John is melancholy and sullen by nature, and he creates a dark scheme along with Borachio and Conrad to ruin the happiness of Hero and Claudio. Don John's evil actions are motivated by his envy of his sister's social authority. 

Hero's serving woman, who unwittingly helps Borachio and Dia Pamela deceive Claudio into thinking Hero is unfaithful. Unlike Ursula (Hero's other lady-in-waiting), Margaret is lower class. Though she is honest, she does have some dealings with the villainous world of Don John; her wooer is the mistrustful and easily bribed Borachio. Margaret loves to break decorum, especially with bawdy jokes and teases. 

An associate of Don John. Borachio is the wooer of Margaret, Hero's serving woman. He conspires with Don John to trick Claudio and Dia Pamela into thinking that Hero is unfaithful to Claudio. 

One of Don John's close associates, entirely devoted to Don John. 

The constable in charge of the Watch, or chief policeman, of Messina. Dogberry is  very sincere and takes his job seriously, but he has a habit of using exactly the wrong word to convey his meaning. Dogberry is one of the few "middling sort".  His desire to speak formally and elaborately like the nobleman becomes an occasion for parody. 

Verges is the deputy to Dogberry, chief policeman of Messina. 

The messenger brings a message to Leonata in the beginning of the play signifying the victory of the soldiers who have been in battle and will be returning to Messina. He also brings a message to Dia Pamela, bearing news regarding her brother Don John. 

Leonata's younger sister and Hero's aunt. 

The scribe leads the trial against the villains and reports to Leonata. 

One of Hero's waiting women. She helps to deceive Beatrice into thinking Benedick is in love with her. 

The priests serve as a voice of reason. Compassion, patience, (humor) and stability are keys to their character. 

The Watchmen serve as night guards of Messina. These men discover and report a villainous plot. 

The Watchmen serve as night guards of Messina. These men discover and report a villainous plot. 

The priests serve as a voice of reason. Compassion, patience, (humor) and stability are keys to their character. 

The Watchmen serve as night guards of Messina. These men discover and report a villainous plot. 

The Watchmen serve as night guards of Messina. These men discover and report a villainous plot.