Analyse Don John's relationship with the other characters and his pivotal role in the play.

Don John is the conniving and duplicitous villain of Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing. He is Don Pedro's half-brother and a bastard, which, in the Shakespearean sense, means he was born illegitimately. Because of this familial connection, Don John's relationship with Don Pedro is his most complex and most important. As a bastard son, Don John is looked down on and isolated, while Don Pedro is viewed as a noble prince. It is Don John's desire to hurt Don Pedro that causes him to launch his scheme against Claudio and Hero, knowing that Claudio is Don Pedro's favorite. While Hero and Claudio are the two who are the most hurt by Don John's actions, his relationships with both of them are less developed and they are mainly collateral damage. He goes through them to get to his brother.
Don John has accomplices in the form of Conrade and Borachio. These characters could be described as Don John's henchmen and they help him to carry out his scheme.