Discuss And Explain: In what ways could Act 4, Scene 1 be said to be dramatically significant?

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Maisa Ahmad 10G                      GCSE English- ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ Assignment

Discuss And Explain: In what ways could Act 4, Scene 1 be said to be dramatically significant?

Act 4 in the romantic comedy ‘Much ado about nothing’ is of great dramatic significance to the whole play, as it is in Scene 1 where Shakespeare brings out the different sides of the characters to illustrate the complexities of love and relationships. Act 4 Scene 1 is clustered with different incidents and in this essay, I will go through each event and describe its importance to the play as a whole. I will do this by showing how (with the use of language) Shakespeare expresses the feelings of his characters and uses theatrical stage actions to emphasize their emotions.

The Scene begins with Claudio’s accusation of Hero, who so far, throughout the play has been seen as an honest and honourable woman. However Claudio accuses Hero that she is not what he thought of her ‘But you are more intemperate in your blood, Than Venus or those pampered animals that rage in savage sensuality. This is shocking and Shakespeare prepares its audience for a scene which represents a turning point for his characters lives through these remarkable personality changes, as Claudio has never acted like that towards Hero earlier in the play. However Claudia’s is a gullible and innocent character. A reason for this previously in the play, Claudio is mislead by Don John. Don John tells him and swears that Don Pedro has enticed Hero, not for Claudia but himself:
”…I heard him swear his affection...”

Borachio who had heard Don Pedro whilst he was smoking in the “…musty rooms...” also backs Don Pedro:
””…So did I, too, and he swore he would marry her tonight…”

 Claudio immediately believes Don Jon without even thinking about it and this at first gives us the impression that he is a feeble character. His feeble and weak character is shown even more in this scene because as soon as Don John tells him that Hero has betrayed him, he again does not think. He should have thought and he remembered that Don John had deceived him before about Don Pedro wooing for Hero.

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Claudio’s character changes from confessing love to Hero, “...Lady, as you are mine, I am yours. I give myself for you…” to making violent allegations at her and refusing to marry her in public. In Claudio’s speech, Shakespeare uses an oxymoron, “…But fair thee well, most foul, most fair…” and this shows the two excessive attitudes that Claudio has of Hero. In addition Shakespeare uses many similes and metaphor in this scene, “You seem to me as Dian in her orb…” This illustrates that he used to believe and look at her as she was chaste goddess meaning that ...

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