"Discuss the themes of 'noting' and 'deception' in Much Ado About Nothing"

Much Ado About Nothing "Discuss the themes of 'noting' and 'deception' in Much Ado About Nothing" The play 'Much Ado About Nothing' was written by Williams Shakespeare in the late 1600's and over four centuries later it is still a significantly popular play and has widespread appeal. The play explores many themes including love, treachery, friendship, society and traditions. These five themes mentioned are still very much relevant in a lot of people's lives today. You'll find that a lot of television programmes, movies, magazines and novels are structured around at least one or more of these themes, if not all at the same time. The title 'Much Ado About Nothing' gives you the impression that the play involves characters making a huge deal about nothing significant and worrying over irrelevancies. The structure of 'Much Ado About Nothing' is composed of three hoaxes, four withheld secrets, and three metamorphoses so reality that might actually be true. The reason being the play simply but cunningly tails the relationships of four main characters within the play, Beatrice, Benedick, Claudio and Hero. Although the structure of the play is based on the deception of Claudio in order to bring his love for fair Hero to an end, the highlight of the play is provided by the deception of Beatrice and Benedick with the objective of making them recognize or acknowledge their true

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Much Ado about Noting

Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies that revolves the themes of deception and miscommunication. The play features a dual plot of courtship, one of which focuses on the wooing of beautiful Hero by young Claudio. However, this courtship is halted temporarily by the scheming of Don Pedro's bastard brother, Don John. While Don John is often seen as the source of all disruptions, it is Claudio's weaknesses and susceptible mind that ultimately make him the villain in Much Ado About Nothing. Although Don John comes from a world of privilege, as a bastard son, he can not enjoy the security of that world. Since the beginning of the play, Don John is portrayed as a detached character, a man "not of many words." (1.1.141) Although he is Don Pedro's brother, he does not seem to fit in with his brother or his friends. Since he "cannot hide what I [He] am[is]" (1.113) in society, he resents the world and its social convention. When he hears of an intended marriage from Borachio, he immediately asks whether the marriage "serve[s] for any model to build mischief on," (1.1.44-45) showing his resentment of the legitimacy of the marriage between Claudio and Hero. Don Pedro's conspiracy to stop Claudio and Hero's marriage by telling false stories is merely pathetic, whereas the ease with which Claudio is convinced is frightening. A character with a very

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Shakespeare's 'Much AdoAbout Nothing' uses conventions of 'Noting' and develops character and plot. Comment on how important a Shakespearian theatre audience would find this aspect of the play.

Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing' uses conventions of 'Noting' and develops character and plot. Comment on how important a Shakespearian theatre audience would find this aspect of the play. Noting, or observing, is central to many of the ideas in 'Much Ado About Nothing'. The word nothing was pronounced as noting in Elizabethan times, and it seems reasonable to presume that the pun was intended by Shakespeare to signal the importance of observation, spying and eavesdropping in the play. As a plot device, these occurrences strengthen the action and create humour and tension. The risks of noting incorrectly are portrayed and this naturally links plots together, along with a second major theme, illusion and reality. These two themes could often be described as the same, such as at the masked ball. Plot development and comedy in 'Much Ado About Nothing' rely heavily on the use of noting. The play appears to have a simple plot; the romantic couple, Claudio and Hero, are denied marital joy by the evil Don John while the sub-plot, Beatrice's and Benedick's resisted but growing love, provides us with some humour until order and happiness are re-established in Messina. However, Shakespeare cleverly employs the many forms of noting (observation and misunderstanding) to move the dramatic action forward. The main plot and the sub-plots are tied together with this device. To

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  • Level: GCSE
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Note Notes, Forsooth, And Nothing: Themes in Much Ado About Nothing

Note Notes, Forsooth, And Nothing: Themes in Much Ado About Nothing At first glance, the reader is not likely to notice the immediate clue which presents itself in the title of William Shakespeare's comedy, Much Ado About Nothing. If one, however, would follow the example of a Shakespearean player in Elizabethan times and pronounce the word "nothing" as "noting," he would be introduced to a pun that is very significant because the ideas of noting, or observation, and nothing, are important themes in this story. Noting is something which motivates the characters to take actions which greatly affect the plot, and it is an idea which reflects the theme of reality versus appearance, in which reality is nothing and appearance is due to noting. First of all, it is the characters' noting which drives them to take actions which influence the plot. The earliest example of this is when Claudio falls in love with Hero. The relationship between these two characters plays a major role in the story, and it originates with Claudio noticing Hero - "Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of Signor Leonato?" (Act 1:1, l. 158-59) Claudio then asks the Prince to woo her for him. The important chain of events which follows - the pastime of formulating a romance between Beatrice and Benedick, the scheme of Don John, the "death of Hero" - is all on account of Claudio's falling in love with Hero,

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Much Ado about Noting

Title Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy dealing with ideas of conventional love and the institution of marriage. The play revolves around the events leading up to the marriage of Claudio and Hero. As the plot unfolds, Claudio's disposition towards Hero changes drastically from love to loathing. The essence of Claudio's love for Hero seems to be lacking in his actions and speeches. It may be noted that Claudio's name is derived from Claudius meaning crippled. 1 Although Much Ado is considered to be a romantic comedy, it comes close to being a dark comedy due to Claudio's failure as a lover. At the beginning of the play Don Pedro, prince of Aragon and his officers Claudio and Benedick return from war and are invited to a masquerade at the house of Leonato, governor of Messina. Upon his return, Claudio immediately falls in love with Leonato's daughter, Hero. In a private talk with Benedick and Don Pedro, Claudio praises Hero claiming, "she is the sweetest lady that ever I looked on." (I, I, 181) While this new love for Hero appears suspicious, Claudio reassures his love stating, "I looked upon her with a soldier's eye...But now I am returned and that war-thoughts have left their places vacant, in their rooms." (I, I, 288) Though Claudio appears honest with his words, it is then discovered that Claudio is also interested in her wealth when he asks if Leonato has

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Much Ado about Noting

Claudio the Courter William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is often seen as one of Shakespeare's most comical plays but while it is comic it also has some disturbing elements. It is often seen as a 'tragicomedy' rather than a pure comedy because it raises the possibility of a tragic ending. Although the play ends in a comedy, its disturbing elements still leave a mark with the reader, a mark which has led to criticism against the character of Claudio. Throughout the play, the disturbing elements increase in number and degree as Claudio's character is unravelled. Whenever Much Ado About Nothing is seen as a disturbing play, Claudio is generally seen as the reason why. As the play begins, Claudio is seen as a returning war hero as well as an honest lover but he later turns into a shrewd fortune hunter. He is introduced as the "right noble Claudio" by a Messenger as he enters "in the company" of the Prince, Don Pedro, as they return from a victorious war. (6) He then speaks to Benedick about his love towards Hero, the governor Leonato's daughter. He notes her as a "jewel" as well as the "sweetest lady [he] hath ever seen."(11) After that he professes his love for her to Don Pedro. But this is followed by his first question, "Hath Leonato any son?" to which Don Pedro correctly replies "No child but Hero; she's his only heir."(13) Claudio followed by asking then asksDon

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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The Title In Much Ado About Nothing

The Title In Much Ado About Nothing Much Ado About Nothing exemplifies a kind of deliberately puzzling title that seems to have been popular in the late 1590s. Indeed, the play is about nothing; it merely follows the relationships of Claudio and Hero, and in the end, the play culminates in the two other main characters falling in love, which, because it was an event that was quite predictable, proves to be much ado about nothing. The pronunciation of the word "nothing" would, in the late 16th Century, have been "noting," and so the title also apparently suggests a pun on the word, "noting," and on the use of the word "note" as an expression of music. In II.2 (l.54), Balthasar is encouraged to sing, but declines, saying, "note this before my notes; there's not a note of mine that's worth the noting." However, Don Pedro retorts, "<sum>Note notes, forsooth, and nothing," playing on Balthasar's words, and also demanding that he pay attention to his music and nothing else. In addition, much of the play is dedicated to people "noting" (or observing) the actions of others (such as the trick played on Beatrice and Benedick by Leonato, Hero and Claudio); they often observe and overhear one another, and consequently make a great deal out of very little. At the beginning of the play, Claudio and Hero eventually come to admire one another, and Benedick and Beatrice play off each

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  • Level: GCSE
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Much Ado About Nothing

Much ado About Nothing Act 2, scene 3 is one of the most important scenes in the play "Much Ado About Nothing". How far do you agree with this statement? Act 2 scene 3 is the most important scene in the play because this is where Benedick changes from being "horribly" against love to being in love. This shows how easy Benedick can fall into a trap. At the end of the scene Beatrice also falls into the same trap. In this scene is it proven that men are "deceivers" but not only that women are "deceivers" too. This is shown when Ursula and Hero talk about Benedick and Beatrice. In Benedick first soliloquy he wonders "how much another man is a fool, when he dedicates his behaviours to love" basically he considers that person a fool who falls in love. He portrays men, who fall in love, as the ones who have "turned orthography". In this case he takes the example of Claudio. Claudio falls in love with Hero deliberately as takes a glimpse of her. So Benedick say what a fool he is. He says before he fell in love he was with no music "... but the drum and the fife". The drum and the fife signify the music of war. So essentially he is describing him as a hard soldier. "Now had he rather hear the tabor and the pipe." The tabor and the pipe signify the music of peace and love. Therefore, later he describes him as an idiot. On the other hand in his last soliloquy he himself becomes that

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Much Ado about Nothing

Near the end of the play Antonio says he is glad "all things sort so well". To what extent do you consider the play to have a happy ending? Much Ado about Nothing is a romantic comedy written by William Shakespeare. Although nobody knows exactly when Shakespeare wrote the play, it is thought that the play was written in 1596 to 1599. The main characters in the play are Leonato, Hero, Beatrice, Benedick, Claudio and of course Don John the Bastard. Much Ado about Nothing is still one of Shakespeare's best-known plays after 400 years. The title 'Much Ado about Nothing' has a very deep meaning. 'Much Ado' means a lot of fuss, therefore a lot of fuss about nothing. Also however 'nothing' is a pun on the word 'noting' as the whole play is based on what people note when they listen in on other's conversations. Also the word 'noting' is another word meaning sexual connotation this adds to the comedy in the play. The play is all about relationships and couples, and you meet two very different couples. One couple fall in love almost at first sight and appear perfectly suited to each other. However, the man named Claudio appears to be quite shallow and believes his wife-to-be, Hero, has cheated on him. He leaves her, but is tricked into marrying her later on after he has heard proof of her innocence. Another couple has a very different relationship; they mock each other by small

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing

Explore how Shakespeare dramatizes the way people deceive and are deceived in Much Ado About Nothing. Does any of this present difficulties for a modern audience. "Much Ado about Nothing" is not about nothing despite it's somewhat suggestive title. The play is in fact a compilation of deceit, portraying the complications of love, and deception on behalf of love, all of which entails the characters to become very much entangled in a web of facades and false talk. Shakespeare also fills his play with complex metaphors, many involving the taming of wild animals, which does dramatize the play somewhat (largely representing the manic love shared between his frantic characters and their inter-twinned love lives). In Shakespeare's time "nothing" was generally pronounced as "noting," therefore making the title of the play... "Much Ado about Noting." Unsurprisingly as a result, Shakespeare abuses this homonym at every opportunity. "Nothing" could mean "nothing;" "nothing" could denote "noting" or listening in/eavesdropping. "Nothing" was also a colloquial term for part of a woman, which was "nothing" compared to what a man had. So, the play orbits around instances of deception and eavesdropping coupled with complicated metaphors for sexual politics (and less complicated ones for sexual relations) between men and women, as was much common at the time. The basic action of the play

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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