Lesson 4, Thought question 4: Pick Your Poison.

Claudio's reaction to finding out that Hero was innocent was a bit strange. He said that while Dogberry was telling what was what, that he had "...drunk poison whiles he uttered it." The imagery of poison in Shakespeare usually symbolizes death or deception, sometimes both. Borachio used it when hatching the evil scheme with Don John. Both times poison symbolism was used in the play it symbolized death, the near death of Claudio and Hero's marriage, and the death of Don John's deception.                        

Lesson 3 Thought question 3: Beauty

Some say that beauty is skin deep, and Claudio appears to share this option. "For thee I'll lock up all the gates of love, and on my eyelids shall conjecture hang, to turn all beauty into thoughts of harm, and never shall it more be gracious." What he is saying here is this, because of what he thinks Hero did to him he will evermore look upon beauty and see a deadly trap, nevermore to bring pleasure, nevermore to fall in love.     

Lesson 2 Thought question 7: Ill Words of Poison

"One doth not know how much an ill word may empoison liking." Hero may have been talking about the love between Benedick and Beatrice, but she was unknowingly foreshadowing events that would concern her closely. Such as Don John showing Claudio and Don Pedro Hero supposed unfaithfulness, leading up to Claudio ruining the wedding.

Lesson 1 Thought question 3: "The Benedick"

In act 1 scene 1 Beatrice heard that Claudio had become friends with Benedick she called Benedick "the Benedick" as if he were some sort of disease. She said that he was easy to catch, but one could spend a fortune and still not get rid of him. This is ironic because very soon in the play, she will be "infected" by his strange disease.