What comic devices does Shakespeare use in the opening scene of Much Ado About Nothing to create humour and a light hearted atmosphere?
James Meredith ‘What comic devices does Shakespeare use in the opening scene of Much Ado About Nothing to create humour and a light hearted atmosphere?’ Throughout Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare uses many comic devices to bring about humour and a light hearted atmosphere, such as misunderstanding, bawdiness and wit. Act 1, Scene 1 opens with a messenger telling Leonato of Don Pedro’s return from conflict and his approach to the town of Messina where Leonato takes residence with his household and which is also surrounded by country, which in turn is an aspect of comedy which seems to take a more profound comedic effect later in the play. The use of status and power is a comedic effect as it causes the audience to laugh at the lower class as they believe they themselves are above the servants and the messengers in terms of status. Wit and wordplay are aspects of comedy, which Shakespeare tends to use successively throughout the play and we see evidence of this early in Scene 1 of the first Act when Beatrice remarks, “…is Signor Mountanto returned from the wars, or no?” with reference to Signor Benedick of Padua. Mountanto is a fencing term for an upward thrust, and so Beatrice mocks Benedick by calling him ‘Mr fancy fighter’. This use of names is a comic feature, which is used by Shakespeare to describe the behaviour and aspects of a certain
Shakespeare employs a wide range of literary techniques to define the characters of Beatrice and Benedick and to illustrate their evolving attitudes and relationship in the context of love.
The play Much Ado About Nothing is attributed to the eminent playwright William Shakespeare and is generally assumed to have been written in later years of the sixteenth century. This light-hearted comedy is set in Messina, a bustling port in Sicily, during the Elizabethan Era, a time when strict social conventions governed the way men and women were expected to act. Throughout this play, Shakespeare employs a wide range of literary techniques to define the characters of Beatrice and Benedick and to illustrate their evolving attitudes and relationship in the context of love. The effective manipulation of wit, metaphor and soliloquy allow Shakespeare to portray Beatrice as a strong-willed and outspoken noblewoman who challenges the gender stereotype of the time. Through the liberal use of simile, hyperbole and soliloquy, Shakespeare deftly constructs the protagonist Benedick as a witty, self-assured nobleman who initially scorns the idea of love but whose attitudes are challenged as the play progresses. Shakespeare's use of wit is essential in depicting Beatrice as noblewomen who challenges the social conventions of her time and to express her cynicism towards men in general and Benedick in particular. During her word spar with Benedick in the opening scene, after Benedick accuses her of being "Lady Disdain" (1.1.88) Beatrice retorts" Is it possible that Lady Disdain
Act III Scene ii Consider the dramatic significance of this episode in the play
Act III, Scene ii, from line 72 'My Lord and brother, God save you!' to the end of the scene. Consider the dramatic significance of this episode in the play. (750 words) As an audience, we can foresee the sinister turn of events which will be marked by the appearance of Don John in the latter part of this scene. Having earlier witnessed the deceitful and slanderous plot conjured up between he and Borachio during their discussion, implementation of the plan seems imminent. And yet the descent from the comedy of Benedick trying to pass off his love-sickness as toothache to the threatened tragedy of Hero's slander is perhaps far more rapid than we might have anticipated. The earlier jovial mockery of Benedick by Don Pedro, Leonato and Claudio provides a striking contrast with the underlying malice of the deliberately ambiguous and disparaging remarks from Don John. Yet such ambiguity seduces Claudio and Don Pedro in a remarkably similar way to the double meanings and innuendo which deceived Benedick earlier on. Don John demonstrates an ability to manipulate his language in a successful bid to influence and target the weaknesses of his audience; that is, Claudio and Don Pedro. He has a shrewd understanding of the court and his insinuations about Hero play upon the tensions within it relating to honour and status. Don John opens with a customary courteous greeting before baiting
How effectively is the theme of deception introduced in the first two acts of Much Ado About Nothing?
How effectively is the theme of deception introduced in the first two acts of Much Ado About Nothing? Much Ado About Nothing is a Shakespearean comedy about love, jealousy, trickery, convention, female virtue, male honour, patriarchy and deception. This essay will be discussing how the theme of deception is introduced and how it is portrayed in the first two acts through means of disguises, language, secrets, eavesdropping, and misunderstandings. However while lots of the deception is meant as humorous and with good intentions, some of it turns into malevolent and dark and almost ruins the relationships between characters in the play. The first deception introduced in Much Ado is planned by Don Pedro and concerns Claudio's sudden love for Leonato's daughter, Hero. Claudio tells Don Pedro that when they were going to war he "looked upon her with a soldiers eye, that liked, but had a rougher task in hand" but now that they are back he has noticed "how fair young Hero is". After hearing this, Don Pedro plans a 'love campaign' with Claudio where Don Pedro "will assume thy part in some disguise and tell fair Hero I am Claudio, and in her bosom I'll unclasp my heart". Even though this plan is meant to have a good outcome and a happy ending it implies that Claudio is a coward when it comes to love and Don Pedro does not mind tricking someone to help his friend. However this plan is
Explain how act 1 scene 1 prepares the audience for the actions that follow.
Explain how act 1 scene 1 prepares the audience for the actions that follow. Act 1 scene 1 main purpose is to introduce the themes in the play, preparing the reader for the conflict between the contrasting outlooks of the characters. In the first scene we see the friendship groups between the characters also showing the potential 'lovers' from this initial description, Finding out who is friends with who can also give us explanations to who is going to defend each other and who may want to maliciously trick each other. Shakespeare also shows opposing traits between many characters, even between family members. Hero is polite, quiet, respectful, and gentle, whereas Beatrice is feisty, cynical, witty, and sharp. Similarly there is a contrast between Don John who has evil and deceptive intentions, and his opposite, Don Pedro, who is a loyal and noble person. Don John 'the bastard' and his vile comrades contrast with Don Pedro the noble prince and his heroic friends. The difference in the brothers' standing in society is mirrored in their personalities. In the first scene, we see an apparent reconciliation between Don John and Don Pedro but the jealous and malicious instincts of Don John can not hide themselves for too long "I can not hide what I am", he confesses "I am a plain dealing villain". It is ironic how frank Don John is about his character, as many of the
In Much Ado about Nothing(TM) Shakespeare presents relationships between men and women which are so unequal it makes it difficult for a modern day audience to respond favourably to the play(TM) How far do you ag
''In Much Ado about Nothing' Shakespeare presents relationships between men and women which are so unequal it makes it difficult for a modern day audience to respond favourably to the play' How far do you agree with this quote? Shakespeare's 'Much Ado about Nothing', written in 1598, depicts relationships between men and women within a context so patriarchal, it is arguable that a 21st century audience may find the relationships difficult to relate to. However, Shakespeare presents and explores a diverse range of relationships between men and women: between father and daughter (Leonato and Hero) and between lovers (Hero and Claudio, Beatrice and Benedick). These demonstrate examples of both equal and unequal relationships. The equal match of Benedick and Beatrice engages the audience because Shakespeare presents their courtship as a "merry war of wit". In contrast, the inequalities between Hero and her father and Hero and her lover, are exposed to show the audience the destructive consequences of a patriarchal society. To outweigh the potentially tragic nature of the play, Shakespeare is careful to use humour, through the characters, the language and the subplots. The audience knows the truth and is entertained by the twists and turns of the plot and by the use of disguise, deception and trickery. Whilst some of the relationships show overt inequalities, the central
How Do The Lives of The Female Characters In "Much Ado About Nothing" Reflect Those Of Women In Elizabethan England?
How Do The Lives of The Female Characters In "Much Ado About Nothing" Reflect Those Of Women In Elizabethan England? It is hard to imagine that there could or ever have been restrictions on the choice of one's spouse become a reality, more so far for women than men. Women's rights, especially when it came to choosing a mate, were minimal during the Elizabethan period. Marriages for women tended to be arranged or not allowed before, during and after the 16th century. One might wonder what rights women did have, concerning marriage and how could they be seen in the play, "Much Ado About Nothing" by William Shakespeare. In Elizabethan England, women were only seen as marriageable if they kept their virginity. During the time in which Shakespeare wrote the play, the typical women of the Elizabethan would have been similar to Hero. This is due to the fact that in the 1600's women were expected to be co-operative, modest, virginal and placid. Beatrice on the other hand would be seen as a great example of non traditional women in the Elizabethan period. She may have been seen as disobedient, cheeky and rebellious during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1st. Nowadays however, due to the change in women's rights at the turn of the 20th century, wee see Beatrice as a more of an acceptable women. One might prefer Beatrice's character for many reasons, one being that she is bold and set
In "Much Ado about Nothing", Shakespeare presents us with a conventional and unconventional heroine in Hero and Beatrice. Which do you prefer?
In "Much Ado about Nothing", Shakespeare presents us with a conventional and unconventional heroine in Hero and Beatrice. Which do you prefer? In "Much Ado About Nothing", Shakespeare presents us with both the (Elizabethan) conventional and (the more modern) unconventional heroine in Hero and Beatrice, using a variety of effective literary methods, to demonstrate the extreme differences in character. A central theme in "Much Ado about Nothing" is that of the literary tradition of a heroine within the social conventions surrounding women. The literary tradition of the time (and indeed, in many cases, up to the present day) bestows the conventional heroine with beauty, modesty and etiquette, submissive and obedient to men's will. Literary convention also presents the heroine with a variety of obstacles which, through no fault of her own, she is forced to overcome. Ultimately, she prevails and the Shakespearean tale typically ends with a joyful marriage ceremony, often an alliance between two families. However, modern literary tradition breeds the unconventional heroine, an independent, assertive and articulate young woman, overcoming prejudice and injustice. In "Much Ado About Nothing", Shakespeare presents us with both the Elizabethan conventional and (the more modern) unconventional heroine in Hero and Beatrice, using a variety of effective literary methods, to demonstrate
What do we learn about the society of Messina in the play 'Much Ado About Nothing'?
What do we learn about the society of Messina in the play 'Much Ado About Nothing'? We define society as somewhere where we live, our surroundings, something in which we live, or as the oxford dictionary would say A group of humans broadly distinguished from other groups by mutual interests, participation in characteristic relationships, shared institutions, and a common culture. There are many things that play a part in our society, such as education and leisure pursuits, and this is no different to the Elizabethan times and Messina. Messina is the town in which the play 'Much Ado About Nothing' is set. There are many different points in the play that tell us of the many different parts of society in Messina and what the town is like as a whole. However it strikes me as rather odd as to why Shakespeare set this play in a town many people at the time would not have known about. He could have just as easily set it in the hustle and bustle of London, but instead chose Messina. For one Shakespeare chose Messina because of the ease he could use 'noting'. He could include it in his play and the audience would know it suited Messina, this is because like London, Messina is a very busy town, and in towns like that news spreads fast, another reason is that because many in Messina are not as well off as others, people will want to know things that they can use against
In view of what we know of Beatrice and Benedick from Act I and Act II, Scene I, how realistic is Don Pedro's aim to bring them together?
In view of what we know of Beatrice and Benedick from Act I and Act II, Scene I, how realistic is Don Pedro's aim to bring them together? Beatrice and Benedick are the two major characters in 'Much Ado About Nothing' that provide comic relief. Their 'merry wars' of words and phrases as described by Leonato, are frequently throughout the play examples of Shakespeare's magnificent ability to bring about amusement in his plays. In Act I and Act II scene I, Beatrice and Benedick are reunited after Benedick and the other soldiers return from war. Beatrice almost instantly jumps into a frenzy of lyrically punishing Benedick, who after a war of men begins a war of words. From the beginning of the play even before Beatrice and Benedick begin their battle of wit, it is evident to the audience that she has some kind of strong feelings for him, whether they are feelings of hate or of lust or of something in between or that they. Thought their insults are biting, their ability to maintain such clever, interconnected sparring seems to illustrate the existence of a strong bond between them. This is shown when the messenger arrives to bring the news that the war is won and the heroes are soon to return. The conversation focuses on Count Claudio and his bravery, 'the figure of a lamb, the feats of a lion,' however Beatrice almost instantly changes the subject by asking the messenger if