Much Ado About Nothing is a comedic play by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599, as Shakespeare was approaching the middle of his career. The play was included in the First Folio, published in 1623. Much Ado About Nothing is generally considered one of Shakespeare's best comedies, because it combines elements of robust hilarity with more serious meditations on honor, shame, and court politics.By means of "noting" (which, in Shakespeare's day, sounded the same as "nothing," and which is gossip, rumour, and overhearing), Benedick and Beatrice are tricked into confessing their love for each other, and Claudio is tricked into rejecting Hero at the altar on the erroneous belief that she has been unfaithful. At the end, Benedick and Beatrice join forces to set things right, and the others join in a dance celebrating the marriages of the two couples.

本作の真髄は「誤解」と「観察」の危うい均衡にあります。題名のNothingが当時の発音でNoting（噂・注視）に通じる通り、人間がいかに不確かな情報で愛や名誉を翻弄される脆い存在であるかを、シェイクスピアは鋭く描きました。毒舌を交わし合う男女の「愉快な戦争」は理性を超えた愛の真理を突きつけ、現代ラブコメディの原点として今なお鮮烈な輝きを放っています。 ケネス・ブラナー監督版等の映像作品は祝祭的な躍動感で物語を補完しますが、原作の醍醐味は修辞学を駆使した台詞の応酬にこそ宿ります。映像が滑稽さを可視化する一方、テキストは言葉が刃となる瞬間の緊張感を鋭く抉り出します。活字に刻まれた知略と映像の生命力。その重層的な相乗効果を味わうことで、この「空騒ぎ」は真に完成するのです。