Leonato, governor of sunny Messina in Sicily, warmly welcomes Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon, to his home. Don Pedro has arrived in the city accompanied by his retinue after the victorious conclusion of the war. The retinue includes the prince's friends, young officers: Claudio from Florence and Signor Benedick from Padua. The romantic Claudio immediately falls in love with the beautiful Hero, Leonato's daughter, and the prince offers to help the lover. At night, at a masquerade ball, he reveals Claudio's feelings to the girl on his behalf and agrees with her father on the wedding...