How does listening in on other's conversations cause problems for characters in Much Ado about Nothing?

Answer 1

There is a lot of eavesdropping in the play with mixed results. The eavesdropping under Hero's window causes big problems for Hero and Claudio by making Claudio and Don Pedro think that Hero was in bed with another man. On the other hand, the watch find out the truth by eavesdropping on Borachio, which solves problems for everyone except Borachio and Don John. And it is by eavesdropping that Beatrice and Benedick are persuaded of the truth of their love for each other, which solves their problem.

Answer 2

There is a lot of eavesdropping in the play with mixed results. The eavesdropping under Hero's window causes big problems for Hero and Claudio by making Claudio and Don Pedro think that Hero was in bed with another man. On the other hand, the watch find out the truth by eavesdropping on Borachio, which solves problems for everyone except Borachio and Don John. And it is by eavesdropping that Beatrice and Benedick are persuaded of the truth of their love for each other, which solves their problem.

Answer 3

We have four cases of eavesdropping in the play: Benedick and Beatrice eavesdrop on their friends and relatives who are intentionally planting the idea in each of their heads that they love each other. Don John, Don Pedro and Claudio eavesdrop on the occupants of Hero's room the night before her wedding. Members of the watch eavesdrop on Borachio as he brags to Conrade about fooling Don Pedro and Claudio. In cases 1 and 2, the eavesdropping actually solves the problem Beatrice and Benedick face with being unable to get past their habitual antagonism for each other, derived, we are led to believe, by a past history. In case 3, the eavesdropping causes problems for everyone except Don John and his buddies who intended just that result. In case 4, the eavesdropping again solves problems by undoing most of the harm done by the previous act of eavesdropping. Case 4 is unique in that neither of the persons being eavesdropped on are aware of the fact, nor are they using the eavesdropping to deceive the eavesdropper. All in all, listening in on others' conversations does more good than harm to the characters in the play.