Dogberry in "Much Ado About Nothing"

In "Much Ado About Nothing," Shakespeare presents a kind of drawing-room comedy, where people's efforts to demonstrate the social graces of the day create all sorts of problems. Beatrice has a sharp tongue but gets away with it because her words are formed in the style of the day. Her cousin Hero, however, is greatly harmed by other people's talk, with her character badly maligned. The story really is much ado about nothing, because the events never would have happened if people had kept true civility behind their words. This misuse of words is emphasized in the play in the character of Dogberry.

Since the play is a demonstration of social norms, including those regarding manner of speaking, gone awry, Dogberry plays an important role. Dogberry's name gives the viewer a clue about his nature, because it evokes an image of dog excrement. Dogberry...
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