Much ado about nothing by William Shakespeare
Well, lots of people actually, including Beatrice and Benedick. What's strange is that Margaret, who should know what really happened, does not speak up to contradict what Claudio and Don Pedro are saying.
It depends what you consider to be the main plotline. One plotline concerns Hero and Claudio, the other concerns Beatrice and Benedick. The Hero/Claudio plotline is about Claudio being tricked into believing Hero to be unfaithful to him and embarassing her at their wedding, causing her apparent death. The Beatrice/Benedick plotline is about both of them being tricked into believing that the other is in love with them. The Hero/Claudio plotline takes more time on stage, but the Beatrice/Benedick one is the more popular one, and these are the roles taken by the star actor and actress. That's why it's hard to say which is principal and which is subsidiary.
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.
The thing is, Benedick and Beatrice cannot meet each other without getting into a fight. But everyone sees that even though they fight all the time, what they are really fighting is the fact that they are terrifically attracted to each other. However, their pride will not let them admit it (does this sound like Jane Austen at all?). How could Benedick tell Beatrice that he loves her when he can expect to get a cutting sharp-tongued remark in reply? The same applies to Beatrice: How can she says that she really cares for Benedick when he keeps railing on about how he hates her? To solve this problem, the men will allow Benedick to overhear their conversation in which they will bemoan the fact that Beatrice is suffering in silence for her love of Benedick, who is treating her mean. Benedick will be encouraged to admit his love when he hears this. Meanwhile the women (Hero and Ursula) will do exactly the same thing to Beatrice. It works and it's hilarious.
his thoughts were taken up with war.
Hero Don John Don Pedro Dogberry Friar Francis Leonato Ursula Verges Conrade Beatrice Balthasar Antonio Benadick Borachio Claudio Margaret
Hero and Ursula tell Beatrice that Benedick loves her and is pining for her. They also mention that Benedick looks pale and lovesick because of his feelings for Beatrice. This revelation is what changes Beatrice's mind about Benedick and makes her realize that he may have genuine feelings for her.
Hero has died.
benedick is in love with beatrice.
Because really, the love was not even true. They were just trying to get Beatrice and Benedick to love each other. By purposely letting Beatrice overhear Hero talking her maid or whoever it was, they wanted Beatrice to think that Benedick loved her so that Beatrice would love him. The men let Benedick overhear their conversation about how Beatrice loved Benedick (even though she really didn't at that time) so that Benedick would thinkthat Beatrice loved him so he would love her. Yes, complicated, I know. : )
Hero and Ursula praise Benedick because they are trying to manipulate him into falling in love with Beatrice. By speaking highly of Benedick and suggesting that he is secretly in love with Beatrice, they hope to stir up feelings of jealousy and curiosity in him that will lead to him realizing his own feelings for her.
Resist him at all costs
Hero decides not to tell Beatrice about Benedick's love because she wants to protect the budding romance and the surprise of their relationship. She understands that revealing Benedick's feelings might disrupt the playful banter and tension between Beatrice and Benedick. Additionally, Hero believes that allowing them to discover their feelings organically will enhance their connection, making it more genuine and meaningful.
Claudio had publicly humiliated his fiancée Hero by accusing her at their wedding of sleeping around and then walking out. Hero's cousin is Beatrice, who is Benedick's beloved. When Benedick says he will do whatever Beatrice asks of him, Beatrice answers crisply "Kill Claudio" because as far as she is concerned he is a liar, a slanderer and a creep of the first water. Somewhat reluctantly (Claudio is after all his close friend) Benedick agrees.
To compel claudio's true feelings (Apex)
They convince her that Benedick is in love with her, by having a conversation to that effect where she can overhear, while pretending that they don't know that she is overhearing it.
Beatrice's request is "Kill Claudio." Benedick challenges him to a duel, but it never comes to that, because Claudio admits he did wrong to slander Hero and is sentenced to punishment for doing so.