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Leonato is the well-respected and elderly governor of Messina. He is also Hero’s father and Beatrice’s uncle, and the entirety of Much Ado About Nothing is set at his estate. Leonato is initially characterized as a jovial and generous man who welcomes Don Pedro and his soldiers into his home and invites them to stay for as long as they want. He is quick with a laugh and excitedly joins in Don Pedro’s plot to bring Beatrice and Benedick together. He actually proves to be one of the most valuable members of the team because Benedick does not believe that such a wise and well-respected man could be capable of “knavery,” and therefore believes everything that Leonato says about Beatrice being in love with him (2.3.126).
However, as the play progresses, it becomes apparent that Leonato’s easygoing demeanor cracks as soon as his pride is threatened. In the climax of the play, Claudio rejects Hero at the altar, insulting her and accusing her of being unfaithful. Leonato is humiliated by Claudio’s accusations and wishes that he himself were dead so that he would not have to suffer the shame of an unchaste daughter (4.1.114). He goes on to say that he wishes for Hero to die as well so that she will no longer be “tainted” by her actions (4.1.151). Though Hero is innocent and repeatedly tries to tell her father so, Leonato is too rattled from such a public spectacle to listen. Much Ado About Nothing is largely about honor, and the ways in which honor can be won and lost, in a patriarchal society. Leonato’s instant rejection of his daughter illustrates the extent to which the female characters lack agency and are seen as merely tools by which the male characters are able to assert their own power and authority.
Leonato’s reaction to Hero’s slandering also serves as a means of setting Benedick apart from the rest of the men in the play. Both Leonato and Benedick are shocked to hear Claudio’s charges, but Benedick remains in the church with Beatrice while Leonato leaves with Don Pedro and Claudio. That Leonato instantly turns against his own daughter while Benedick is willing to listen to, and trust, Beatrice’s assessment, even if it means challenging his closest friend to a duel, confirms where his loyalties lie. The rest of the men, Leonato included, are unwilling even to consider the possibility that their judgment may be faulty.
