In Claudio’s dialogue Shakespeare has used different types of imagery such as similes, metaphors and oxymoron’s that effectively emphasize Claudio’s feelings of anger. One example of a metaphor is when Claudio says “Give not this rotten orange <Hero> to your friend!” By comparing her to a rotten orange, Claudio suggests that Hero no longer appears to him as a beautiful, perfect ripe orange, but a spoiled, rotten orange. This metaphor is effective in this situation as it fits in perfectly with Claudio’s accusations of Hero’s alleged infidelity and also makes Claudio sounds very convincing.
Another incident through which this scene becomes dramatically significant is through the highly unorthodox outburst of Leonato, Hero’s father. Claudio’s unforeseen outcry stuns Leonato, and he tries to comply by feebly attempting to disregard the fact that Claudio may have “made defeat of her <Hero’s> virginity”. However, his attempt is cast away as Claudio immediately denies this, and it becomes clearer to Leonato what Claudio is trying to say. Leonato then attempts to seek assistance and defence from his other guest, Don Pedro, but is coldly rejected for “…linking my dear friend <Claudio> to a common stale.”
Claudio’s shocking accusations and Don Pedro’s hostility are the final straws for Leonato, who becomes well and truly convinced of his daughter’s infidelity. He becomes enraged saying, “Hath no man’s dagger here a point for me?” and lashes out uncontrollably, viciously condemning his daughter to death- “Do not live, Hero, do not ope thine eyes….let her die…”
An Elizabethan audience would understand Leonato’s rage, and would be sympathetic to him- in contrast to a contemporary audience - as desperation and humiliation washes over him as “This shame derives itself from unknown loins…” through “ her <Hero’s> foul, tainted flesh”.
The importance of reputation and status was, and still is significant today with most people as it is with Leonato. He feels that Hero has stained his family’s name and honour as her alleged immodest behaviour reflects onto him and his family. The fact that she is also the sole heir to Leonato’s assets further aggravates him, almost leading him to the point of violence.
Shakespeare has inserted some effective metaphors in Leonato’s dialogues. One example is when Leonato cries, “O she is fallen into a pit of ink that the wide sea hath drops too few to wash her clean again…” saying that Hero is so guilty that nothing can clean/take away this tremendous amount of guilt. This metaphor is very useful in this situation as conveys Leonato’s shame and desperation to the audience on how his daughter’s immense ‘un-washable’ guilt has disgraced and embarrassed him.
Another specific point in terms of dramatic significance is Benedick’s sudden change of attitude to women. At the beginning of the play the audience perceives Benedick to be outspoken and highly critical towards women (i.e. Beatrice). He scorned Claudio for falling in love with Hero- “…he in love with who? … with Hero, Leonato’s short daughter.”
However, due to his unspoken love of Beatrice and an obvious change in allegiance, he stands strong in defending and supporting the grief-stricken Hero alongside Beatrice after his ‘friends’ Claudio, Don Pedro and Don John exit the scene.
The audience also observes that unlike Claudio, Benedick is strong in belief and character, and is quick to realise that Hero may have been wrongly accused and that “the practice of it lives in John the Bastard, whose spirits toil in the frame of villainies.” Truly, Benedick is correct in his assumption as Don John is behind everything. He had sought revenge on Claudio as “That young start-up hath all the glory of my overthrow.” (Don John had previously revolted against Don Pedro, and was defeated). He had devised this scheme to frustrate and impede Claudio from his happiness, and had successfully done so.
Friar Francis also plays and important part in this scene. He stands alongside Hero, and believes that there has been “some strange misprision <misunderstanding> between the princes” as he knows that she is innocent as he recognises the goodness in her face that fiercely asserts her against the accusations. He tries to persuade Leonato into believing in her innocence and asks Leonato to “Pause a while, and let my counsel sway you in this case.” He advises Leonato with a plan to announce Hero’s untimely death, although she is still alive. He believes that once Claudio learns of Hero’s death, that it will “… on her behalf change slander to remorse” and that he would then mourn and wish he had not accused her; his love.
This unusual strategy planned by a priest is ironic due to the fact that priests are religious people associated with God, and could never be associated with lies and deception. Once again the theme of deception is emphasized to show its importance in the play.
Beatrice also plays a part of dramatical significance in the play. She, like Benedick is witty in her responses and also appears to ‘despise’ men (i.e. Benedick).
When Hero faints with shock, Beatrice immediately rushes to her side, “Hero, why Hero!” and defends Hero alongside Benedick, truly a believer of her cousin’s innocence- “O, on my soul my cousin is belied!”
When all the other characters have exited the scene, Beatrice remains weeping in the church. Benedick attempts to console her- “Lady Beatrice, have you wept all this while?” to which she replies “Yea, and I will weep a while longer.”
Through this emotional moment Beatrice and Benedick finally declare their love for each other. They had before once been in love but the relationship fell apart. Benedick then asks her, “Come, bid me to do anything for thee.” To which she tests his faith and love for her by replying “Kill Claudio.” Benedick is shocked, and refuses, to which Beatrice erupts into a tirade of words of anger and bitterness against her wronged cousin, wishing that “O God that I were a man! I would eat his heart out in the marketplace.” Such a response from a woman would be shocking to an Elizabethan audience in Shakespearean times, as it would be most immodest and very unconventional for a woman to behave in this manner.
Beatrice continues by criticising mankind, saying that “manhood is melted into curtsies…” accusing Benedick of being feminine. She finally concludes saying “I cannot be a man with wishing, therefore I will die a woman with grieving,” to which Benedick yields and agrees to challenge Claudio- an extremely common way of settling a dispute in Shakespeare’s days, to which an Elizabethan audience would find perfectly normal and acceptable, in contrast to our contemporary ways of which we would find this kind of behaviour shocking and irrational.
The theatrical aspects of this scene would need to be carefully reviewed in order to convey the happy yet solemn and bitter moods unleashed in the scene. In this case, almost everything from the scenery to actors’ clothing/costumes would be made to reflect these moods to the audience and indicate the atmosphere of the scene. The scene set in the olden days in a stage set of the beautiful, green, countryside in a courtyard with sparkling fountains would be more effective than a modern day production in a city as it would effectively make the scene more authentic and believable.
Costumes would be simple with a touch of formality, and ideally a suitable colour to portray the supposed light, tension-free atmosphere, at the same time being ironic as the marriage certainly does not turn out to be joyful.
At the very beginning of the scene, a ceremonious opening would be reinforced and set, to make an effective contrast between a joyful moment (the supposed marriage) and a bitter moment (the accusations). The characters facial expressions would show their happiness and excitement at the prospect of a marriage, only to be replaced by shock and horror at the unforeseen events that unfold.
The characters of Claudio and Hero would have to be acted out most carefully, depicting the right reactions and expressions in order to successfully convey the mixture of feelings and emotions in the scene.
Claudio’s actor should move around quite a lot and viciously spit out his accusations in anger. These could be combined with vigorous hand/arm movements towards Hero, to emphasize his words and to show his frustration and fury.
The actress acting Hero should be emotionally distraught. Facial expressions are also important and should be synchronised with Claudio’s movements and accusations to show the audience how devastated she is.
Performances of plays in Shakespeare’s days had to be done and completed during the afternoons before it became too dark to see as there were no technicalities such as lighting available in those days. The performances were straightforward and modest, where males usually played the female roles- a convention accepted by Elizabethan audiences.
In conclusion, Act 4 Scene 1 is dramatically significant in terms of the whole play due to the potentially violent and extremely emotional scenes and reactions, where a hidden face is revealed from each character not only through their individual complications, but also through Shakespeare’s powerful use of language. In contrast to the cleverly written witty prose in previous acts and scenes, Shakespeare uses strong words and imagery to altogether create the feel of a different atmosphere and moment, making it a dramatically diverse and important scene in terms of the whole play.
