Another motif in the play concerns eavesdropping. To eavesdrop means to listen in on the secret conversations of others. Eavesdropping can be either good or bad. It may help solve a problem, or it may lead to bigger problems. The eavesdropping in this play contributes to the carnivalesque atmosphere. On some occasions the listener only hears part of the conversation or misinterprets what he has heard. This leads to misunderstanding, confusion, and chaos.
In this scene Antonio, the older brother of Leonato (Hero's father), tells Leonato that his servant had overheard Don Pedro speaking to Count Claudio. The servant, though, had not heard all of the conversation; and he thinks that Don Pedro himself wants to marry Hero. Leonato would, naturally, be overjoyed that a Prince would want to marry his daughter; but he is cautious. He asks Antonio, "Hath the fellow any wit that told you this?" (line 14). Leonato is asking if the servant is smart enough to have overheard the conversation correctly. Antonio assures him that the servant is indeed quite "sharp." Leonato, though, continues to be cautious.
The problem caused by eavesdropping here is a minor one, and the problem is soon resolved a couple of scenes later. But this scene does establish the concept that eavesdropping can lead to misunderstanding and chaos; and, later, other cases of eavesdropping will result in making even the most rational characters of the play irrational or, perhaps, a little crazy.