In Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare clearly isolates different characters as either good or bad. Don Pedro and Claudio are both meant to represent the "good guys" in the play. On the other hand, Don John, Don Pedro's bastard brother, is the "bad guy." The fact that Shakespeare shows Don Jon as the antagonist is not surprising. In fact many of his plays portray bastards as negative characters. However, Shakespeare does not make his characters either completely good or completely bad. All of the characters have both good characteristics and negative characteristics.
Don Pedro is one of the main characters in the play. At first glance his character appears to be nothing but positive. He is well liked by the others in the play. As a matter of fact he seems to be very highly regarded by his peers. Leonato, the Governor of Messina, takes Don Pedro into his house with open arms. If a person deeply looks into the play, however, he or she can see that Shakespeare may be showing some negative characteristics in Don Pedro. Early in the pay Don Pedro can come across arrogant. Later on in the play Don Pedro shows that he is quick to anger and not trusting to others. When Don Pedro believes he has seen Hero with another man, he quickly jumps to conclusions. At the wedding he said, "What should I speak?/ I stand dishonored that have gone about/ To link my dear friend to a common state." This statement was made at the wedding of Claudio and Hero.
The remark made by Don Pedro at the wedding exposes the negative aspects the he possesses. It would be a more positive decision if Don Pedro would have made the statements in private. However, he decided it was fitting to make the comments in front of everyone at the wedding. Some one that has any respect for others would never deliver such comments to humiliate people in public. A person saying such things would first of all have to be cocky. Confidence would be needed to stand in front of people and accuse those close to him of improper actions.
