Don John. He does a fine job of it, too.
Hero
As you know if you have ever seen the play, Claudio was supposed to be married to Hero, Beatrice's cousin, but when asked whether he would take this woman to be his wife, he said something along the lines of "That whôre! Not on your life!" and walked out, leaving Hero collapsing in shame and grief. She was reported dead not long after. Naturally this made Beatrice somewhat angry at Claudio, which is why she wanted him killed.
Don John got Borachio to make love to his girlfriend in Hero's bedroom calling her Hero all the while. Meanwhile Don John got Don Pedro and Hero's fiancé Claudio to stand under the window to overhear all this lovemaking and moaning of Hero's name. Naturally, Claudio could come to only one conclusion. It's hard to figure out why Borachio's girlfriend would go along with this, though. Or indeed why she doesn't speak up at the wedding.
Claudio should reconsider marrying Hero because their relationship is built on superficial judgments and misunderstandings. His quickness to believe rumors about her infidelity highlights a lack of trust and communication, essential foundations for a healthy marriage. Additionally, the societal pressures and expectations surrounding their engagement may overshadow their genuine feelings, suggesting that they may not be truly compatible. Ultimately, marrying Hero without addressing these issues could lead to an unstable and unfulfilling partnership.
The character that offers to help Claudio win Hero and Leonato's favor is Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon. He does this by concocting a plan to pretend that he is Claudio at a masked ball to romantically pursue Hero.
he learns the truth about hero
plead Claudio's case to Hero and Leonato.
he learns the truth about hero
Claudio thinks she loves him.
I think that leonato's instruction to hero is to say yes to claudio if he asks to marry her and this shows that the traditional attitudes were to get married at a young age and to get money.
Leonato offers Hero's hand in marriage.
plead Claudio's case to Hero and Leonato
When Hero is publicly traduced by Don Pedro and Claudio, her friends and relatives react differently. Beatrice helps conspire to fake Hero's death, so she will not have to live with the shame. She also encourages Benedick to "Kill Claudio" and he accordingly challenges him to a duel. Leonato challenges Don Pedro. Once Claudio and Don Pedro are faced with the evidence that they have wrongfully accused Hero, Leonato forgives him but charges him with a penance. He also asks Claudio to marry his "niece" but, with the connivance of Beatrice and the other women, it is Hero who shows up at the altar.
Don Pedro and Claudio both publicly accused Hero, who is Leonato's daughter and Antonio's niece, of being loose and sleeping around. They did this in the meanest and cruellest way imaginable, right in the middle of her wedding to Claudio, after which Claudio refused to go through with the wedding.
Leonato needed time to prove that Hero was indeed innocent, and probably also wanted to make sure Claudio felt sorry for slandering her. This was to make sure that his to be son-in-law was worthy to have his daughter.
Hero Don John Don Pedro Dogberry Friar Francis Leonato Ursula Verges Conrade Beatrice Balthasar Antonio Benadick Borachio Claudio Margaret