How is the theme of love portrayed through the character Hero in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing ?

Each character in the couples gives us a different
perspective concerning the theme of love. For example, the characterizations of Beatrice
and Benedick both relay the theme concerning love that the absence of excessive pride is
necessary in order for love to exist. However, the character Hero gives us a perspective
that is completely different from the other characters. Only Hero tells us that the
character traits of humility, consideration, and even forgiveness are necessary traits
in order for love to thrive.

We see Hero's trait of humility being
portrayed through her modesty. All characters who meet her agree that she is a very
virtuous and modest maiden. Even Claudio thinks her to be modest when he first meets
her, which we see when he asks Benedick if he agrees that she is modest and calls her
the "sweetest lady that ever [he] looked on" (I.i.140, 160). We even see Hero confirm
her own modesty when she is asked to participate in tricking Beatrice and Benedick into
falling in love and she replies, "I will do any modest office, my lord, to help my
cousin to a good husband" (II.i.329-330). We even see her humble, maidenly modesty shine
through the morning of her wedding day when she chastises Margaret for making a sexual
joke (III.iv.22-25).

Hero's love and consideration for others
especially shines though in her treatment of her cousin. When Hero is attempting to
ensnare her cousin Beatrice in the trap to fall in love with Benedick, Hero takes enough
precaution to speak only truthfully about Beatrice, honestly pointing out what she
perceives to be Beatrice's character flaws, such as excessive pride and a critical,
contemptuous spirit. Hero's motive in doing so is to give her cousin guidance that
Beatrice would otherwise have denied if Hero had attempted to ever say these things to
Beatrice's face. As Hero points out, had she ever tried to correct Beatrice face to
face, Beatrice would have merely made a joke of the matter and laughed Hero to death
(III.i.77-78). Hence, we see that Hero has agreed to try and ensnare her cousin in this
love trap because she loves her cousin and wants to see her character flaws improve for
Beatrice's own benefit, showing us that we see through Hero the theme that consideration
is an essential element in love.

We also see that forgiveness is an
essential element of love through the love theme portrayed with Hero's forgiving nature.
Even though Hero had very just reasons for never forgiving Claudio for his slander, she
forgives him enough to go through with the wedding a second time. We especially see
Hero's complete forgiveness when she declares herself to be born anew as his new wife
while the previous Hero "died defiled" (V.iv.65).

Hence, we see
through Hero's modest, virtuous, considerate, and forgiving nature that Hero not only
portrays the theme of love, she shows us what Shakespeare is trying to say with the
theme, that these attributes are essential for love to continue and
prosper.