Much Ado About NothingMuch Ado About Nothing, comedy in five acts by William Shakespeare, written probably in 159899 and printed in a quarto edition from the authors own manuscript in 1600. The play takes an ancient themethat of a woman falsely accused of unfaithfulnessto brilliant comedic heights. Shakespeare used as his main source for the Claudio Hero plot a story from Matteo Bandellos Novelle (155473); he also may have consulted Ludovico Ariostos Orlando furioso and