Claudio – “If my passion change not shortly, God forbid it should be otherwise.”
Don Pedro – “Amen, if you love her, for the lady is very well worthy.” (Lines 162-164 Act I Scene I)
Don John’s character isn’t very big in the beginning. His first lines are:
“I thank you, I am not of many words, but I thank you.” (Line 116 Act I Scene I)
He is a very tragic character because he is a bastard and he is “evil”. Also, I believe from the play, that he is jealous of Don Pedro, his brother. Don Pedro is Prince of Arragon whereas Don John is only known as Don Pedro’s bastard brother. When Don John tells Claudio about how he had “heard” Don Pedro swear his affection of Hero, he uses Borachio, Don John’s sidekick, to help convince Claudio that this was true:
Claudio – “How know you he loves her?”
Don John – “I heard him swear his affection.”
Borachio – “So did I too, and he swore he would marry her tonight.” (Lines 124-126 Act II Scene I)
This was used to try to befriend Claudio from Don Pedro.
Later on, in Act II Scene II, Don John tells Borachio of his plot to stop Hero and Claudio from marrying. They use language that gives an image of disease. He uses this to help him to be more evil.
At the masked ball, Beatrice talks to a masked stranger, who is actually Benedick. There is dramatic irony in this scene, as the audience knows that the masked man is Benedick but Beatrice doesn’t know this. She talks to the stranger about Benedick. But there is a slight indicator that Beatrice does know it is Benedick because it seems she teases him by asking if he knows Signor Benedick but the stranger is certain he does not know a Signor Benedick:
Benedick –“What’s he?”
Beatrice –“I am sure you know him well enough.”
Benedick –“Not I, believe me”
…
Beatrice –“Why he is the prince’s jester, a very dull fool, only his gift is, in devising impossible slanders…”
Benedick –“When I know the gentlemen, I’ll tell him what you say.” (Lines 98-108 Act II Scene I)
At the beginning of the Act II Scene III, the tricking of Benedick, Benedick is already in the orchard and he is soliloquising, saying a long part about how he would never marry:
Benedick –“I will not be sworn but love may transform me to an oyster, but I’ll take my oath on it, till he have made an oyster of me, he shall never make me such a fool.” (Lines 19-21 Act II Scene III)
But after his tricking, he then does another little speech that totally contradicts himself. He has taken back most of what he said before:
Benedick –“…I have railed so long against marriage…When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married…I do spy some marks of love in her.” (Lines 193-200 Act II Scene III)
This makes the audience laugh that he can be so gullible and selfish to change everything he said to suit what he thought were facts. But in fact it was all lies, a plan to get Beatrice and Benedick together. Don Pedro, Leonato and Claudio see Benedick hid his self from view:
Don Pedro – “See you where Benedick hath hid himself?” (Line 32 Act II Scene III)
As they know that Benedick is listening in, they play a little game with him:
Don Pedro – “Come hither, Leonato, what was it you told me of today, that your niece Beatrice was in love with Signor Benedick?”
Leonato – “By my troth, my lord, I cannot tell what to think of it, but that she loves him with an enraged affection, it is past the infinite of though.” (By this, Leonato is saying, “it is unbelievable, but true”)
…
Don Pedro – “May be she doth but counterfeit.” (Pretend)
…
Leonato – “Oh God! Counterfeit? There was never counterfeit of passion, came so near the life of passion as she discovers it.” (Lines 81-95 Act II Scene III)
They carried on with how Beatrice loved Benedick. There is dramatic irony in this scene also, as Benedick doesn’t know that Don Pedro and co. know that he’s there. The audience has seen from the beginning that they are tricking Benedick. This deception is not only comical because it is bringing happiness to someone, but also, it is false happiness even though Benedick doesn’t realise it. It is a bit of an evil thing to do to someone so that’s tragic too.
The Watch doesn’t tend to use words in the right context. When they use big words, they don’t even know they are wrong in the sentences the say:
Dogberry – “…for the watch to babble and talk, is most tolerable and not to be endured.” (Line 31 Act III Scene III)
When he says tolerable, he means intolerable.
Dogberry – “This is the end of the charge: you, constable, are to present the prince’s own person…” (Lines 61-62 Act III Scene III)
When he says present, he means represent.
Dogberry – “…for the wedding being there tomorrow, there is a great coil tonight: adieu, be vigitant I beseech you.” (Lines 76-77 Act III Scene III)
He means vigilant not vigitant.
Watchman 2 – “…we have here recovered the most dangerous piece of lechery.” (Line 136 Act III Scene III)
He means discovered not recovered and treachery not lechery.
Conrade – “…we’ll obey you.” (Line 146 Act III Scene III)
Meaning order not obey you.
Dogberry – “…have indeed comprehended two aspitious persons…” (Lines 34-35 Act III Scene V)
Meaning complimented not comprehended and auspicious not aspitious.
When they try to tell Leonato about Don John and Borachio’s plot, but Leonato doesn’t listen to them, as they are the village idiots so he might as well think they are either talking rubbish or making trouble. But if Leonato had listened properly, then the next part of Don John’s plot would be prevented. When Leonato tells them they are tedious, Dogberry and Verges take it as a complement as they don’t understand.
At the wedding, the day after Claudio was misled to think that Hero was impure, Friar Francis performs the vows as normal and Hero answers truthfully. But when Claudio is asked, he twists the answers to show his anger:
Friar Francis – “You come hither, to marry this lady?”
Claudio – “No.”
Leonato then tries to answer for Claudio by rewording what Claudio meant. Claudio then tells the congregation about how Hero was unfaithful. He gives Hero back to Leonato:
Claudio– “There, Leonato, take her back again, give not this rotten orange to your friend...”
Using his angry language makes the audience frustrated because they know exactly what is going on but can’t tell the characters this.
The ending is predominately a happy one as Beatrice and Benedick realise they are in love with each other and Claudio and Hero get married. But, what tries to over shadow the happiness is the fact that a messenger comes with news that Don John has been captured and is being brought back to Messina. But this does not dampen anyone’s spirits. Benedick orders people not to think of him. But it is already a bit late to no think of him. And Claudio I don’t think can be forgiven, and I don’t think Hero should have forgiven him either. He is too gullible so there’s no knowing if another plot could push him over the edge again and believe that someone else has done something they haven’t. The play actually ends with a dance so it is a happy, comical ending rather than a tragic ending. The ending was not satisfying as it seemed to just come to a quick ending. If the ending had explained a bit more about certain things in the play, it wouldn’t be as confusing.
Conclusion
The play can be categorised as comical because the constant themes of love, marriage and happiness are very strong and sometimes overpowering. But, also, the tragic themes can overpower the comical themes. Don John’s plot is going on at the same time as the Beatrice and Benedick saga. The audience gets more involved and can get frustrated by the constant change of events and the constant change from comedy to tragedy throughout the play. If the play just had one theme and one genre then the audience would get very easily bored and could switch off. But being continually entertained and involved keeps the audience interested and awake.
Shakespeare’s methods of keeping the audience’s attention do seem to work well, and the drama in the play is typical for a Shakespeare play.
Lauren Pettit 11MD
