Summary: Much Ado About Nothing (Act 1, 2 and 3)

Act 1:
The Messenger was telling Leonato, Innogen, Hero and Beatrice of Arragon's victory in the war. Beatrice then asked about Signior Benedict of Padua, who took part in this war. She then started to make a mockery of him.
Don Pedro, Balthasar, Benedick and John the bastard entered. Beatrice and Benedict immediately started insulting each other back and forth, they both had almost the same opinions about love.
Claudio and Don Pedro left together having a conversation, unaware that Borachio was eavesdropping. Claudio told Don Pedro of his feelings toward Hero. There was a masked party planned for that evening, Don Pedro said that he would pretend to be Claudio and reveal his love to Hero and at the end of the night she would belong to Claudio.
Borachio then went to Antonio and told him of what he heard. Antonio then told Leonatoof the plan made by Don Pedro and Claudio. Leonato told him that he will worry about that when it happens but he will warn his daughter so she would be prepared. Borachio then told Don John of the plan and he in turn vowed to ruin it all.

Act 2:
Leonato, Beatrice and Antonio were having a conversation about love. Leonato told his niece Beatrice that he would love to see her with a husband, she commented on how unlikely that would be. After, he reminded Hero of what her answer should be if Claudio aproached her.
Later that night at the masked party, everyone took Claudio to be Benedict and Benedict to be Claudio. Don John told Benedict (whivh was Claudio) to try to dissuade Claudio from Hero because he is noe equal for her.
Claudio thought that Don Pedro was wooing Hero for himself and he was highly upset. Don Pedro then told him that he has wooed Hero in his (Claudio) name and all he had to do now was to name the day of their marriage. Don Pedro, Claudio and Hero then vowedto make Benedick and Beatrice fall in love with each other.
Borachio told Don john of the intended marriage between Count Claudio and Hero.He then got upset and vowed to ruin this marriage by any means necessary. They then made a plan and Don John told Borachi that he will be paid one thousand ducats for ruining the marriage.
Hero told Claudio and Leonato of Beatrice's love for Benedick. They then told Benedick and to his own surprise, he too was in love with her.

Act 3:
Hero hatched a plan to help Beatrice fall for Benedick. She sent Ursula to tell Beatrice that herself (Ursula) overheard Hero and Margaret talking about how good of a man Benedick was.This plan was executed brilliantly and Beatrice fell for it. They were praising Benedick hightly and Beatrice believed everything they said.
Claudio, Don Pedro and Leonato did to Benedick what Hero, Ursula and Benedick did to Beatrice. They spoke back and forth about Beatrice love for him, however they did not call her name.
Don John  started to execute his plan by going to Claudio and Don Pedro saying that Hero was being disloyal, he told them to follow to him to her window at midnight for proof. Claudio said that if she was being disloyal to him, he would shame her at their wedding, Don Pedro said that he also would koin in shaming her.
Borachio carried out his and Don John's plans to ruin Claudio and Hero's wedding. Don John went to Hero's window and was interacting with Margaret, Claudio and Benedick thought that it was Heroat the window and vowed to shame her at the wedding at the following day. Borachio told one of Leonato's watchmen of the encounter.
At the end of this Act, the fair Hero was preparing to be wed to Count Claudio, unaware of what was going to happen next.