Don Pedro lightheartedly proposes to Beatrice before she realizes her love for Benedick through Don Pedro, Leonato, and Claudio’s deception; thus, displaying a possible motive to meddle in her relationship with others after she turns him down. This rejection could allow Don Pedro to use his trust and honor in the community to take control of the life of the woman he loves. His indirect planting of “Beatrice’s feelings for Benedick” may stem from the hope of backlash, similar to Shakespeare’s theme that deception breeds more. Don Pedro’s secret goal could be to disgust Benedick and embarrass Beatrice enough to seek comfort in Don Pedro. Although Don Pedro’s secret love for Beatrice may be speculation, Shakespeare’s inclusion of his proposal is symbolic of how rejection results in the misuse of honor. The characters that express the greatest sense of ethos, wisdom, and support tend to create verisimilitude surrounding their motivations. While Don Pedro plays the father figure in Much Ado About Nothing, he uses this extra status to meddle in others’ business and enable situations of deceit. As Shakespeare would say, be wary of the “starved snakes” in the world. For not every helping hand truly intends