Much Ado About Nothing: Act 4

The tone of Hero's words is painful, because her groom, her father, the Prince, and his brother are all questioning her honor. But there could be a humorous visual pun on beset which also means "decorate or cover lavishly, as with gems." Hero says these lines in a wedding dress that was earlier described as being worth more than a duchess's gown that is "lac'd with silver, set with pearls."

Leonato makes infamy seem more concrete with the words smirch and mire. He also develops the infamy by 1) assuming that bad blood leads to dishonorable acts ("Could she here deny the story that is printed in her blood?"); 2) connecting his daughter's dishonor to himself; 3) wishing that Hero were not of his blood.

The more common definition of "a ghostly appearing figure" is also suggested here: after Claudio says his farewell and Leonato asks for a dagger, Hero faints. Many assume she has died, and the Friar comes up with a plan in which she becomes an apparition.

The structure of the sentence makes rancor seem like a synonym for accusation and slander. But by the time Beatrice gets to the word, she has already spat out other synonyms, including scorn and dishonor. "Unmitigated rancor" ("deep and bitter anger, ill will, resentment") is used by Beatrice to describe Claudio's behavior, but the audience sees that it actually describes her feelings about the injustice done to her cousin, which makes her want to kill Claudio.