Battle of the sexes
Parent-child relationships
Love and sex
Spinsters and maids
Social customs
Marriage
Gender roles
Deception
Honor (male and female)
Comedy or Tragicomedy?
Don Pedro, Prince of Arragon
Benedick, A young lord of Padua (in love with Beatrice)
Claudio, A young lord of Florence (in love with Hero)
Balthasar, Attendant on Don Pedro
Don John, The prince's bastard brother
Borachio, Follower of Don Juan
Conrade, Follower of Don Juan
Leonato, Governor of Messina
Antonio, Leonato's brother
Beatrice, Niece to Leonato (in love with Benedick)
Hero, Daughter to Leonato (in love with Claudio)
Margaret, Gentlewoman attending on Hero
Ursula, Gentlewoman attending on Hero