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Why spend 60 seconds watching a video when we can sum up Much Ado About Nothing in five measly words, right? Here they are: Don’t believe everything you hear. But why be content with five measly words when Jenny’s got 60 more seconds on rumors and gossip, right? Trust us—you’ll want to watch this one after all.

Video Transcription:

If you’ve been watching all along, you know that the characters in Much Ado about Nothing spend a lot of time taking note—sometimes with dangerous results. We’ll talk about why you should take note of all their taking note … right after this.

If I could sum up Much Ado about Nothing in one convenient little warning, this would be it: Don’t believe everything you hear.

Check this out. If Claudio hadn’t fallen for Borachio’s ruse with Margaret, Claudio never would have falsely accused Hero of being unfaithful.

And if Hero’s father, Leonato, hadn’t believed Claudio’s public condemnation of Hero, Hero never would have suffered her father’s wrath—and the shame that could have stained her whole family.

Do you see where I’m going with this? Yeah. I’m talking about gossip. Ugly rumors. Things that you hear about people in school that sound juicy and tantalizing … but probably don’t have any truth behind them. In other words, don’t believe everything you hear.

Look, this isn’t just a lecture about not gossiping. Shakespeare’s play is about so much more than that.

Think of it this way. In Much Ado, taking note of everything you hear—without thinking it through for yourself—leads to despair and death. But thoughtfulness? That’s what brings about a happy ending—for everyone.