Much Ado About Nothing
Danielle Hay Much Ado About Nothing I am going to describe the techniques used by Shakespeare in 'Much Ado About Nothing'. I am focusing on language, themes, characters, plots and sub plots as well as the play as a whole. I will also be focusing on how the modern day as well as the Elizabethan audience would respond to this play write. Shakespeare is known as one of the worlds best play writers, he has written tragedies, histories, sonnets and comedies. Writing comedies was by far his best talent of all. He used many techniques in writing his comedies, which can be seen in many of his other plays. The basic structure of this play is that love creates conflict in society. In this play there are occasions of delight and distress as well as sarcasm and seriousness. The play is also about contrasts between people. Shakespeare started Much Ado About Nothing in the middle of a conversation, which throws us right into the story, and we pick up what is going on as we read on. Leonato: I learn in this letter that Don Pedro of Arragon comes this night to Messina.' Messenger: 'He is very near by this, he was not three leagues off when I left him.' Leonato: 'How many gentlemen have you lost in this action.' Messenger; 'Few of any sort, but non of name.' The play begins with the happy return of Don Pedro and his friends from war; they are to be
Much Ado About Nothing
How does Shakespeare present difficulties in relationships in "Much Ado About Nothing"? Shakespeare's play "Much Ado About Nothing" conveys the typical attributes of an English comedy although it is set in Messina, Italy. He manages to present the many difficult aspects of love and romance, as well as portraying the patriarchal society, whilst still keeping the light heartedness that comedy's of that era showed. The play is based around Count Claudio, Hero, Beatrice and Benedick and the problems they face as they embark on their journey of love and self discovery. The Masked Ball and Wedding scene are key points in "Much Ado About Nothing" as they show the couples at their best and worse. Beatrice manages to convey her feelings towards men quite early on in the Masked Ball scene; "I could not endure a husband with a beard on his face! I had rather lie in the woollen." This shows how Beatrice would rather suffer discomfort than be married. She does not believe there is any man alive that is suitable for her. Benedick also makes his feelings for women clear right at the beginning of the play. He re-enforces this point directing it towards Beatrice in the same scene after she insults him "He is the Prince's jester, a very dull fool..." Benedick claims that Beatrice has "misused me past the endurance of a block!" and this shows how angry and upset he is even though he has a
Much Ado About Nothing:
Discuss The Character And Role Of Beatrice In "Much Ado About Nothing". What Do You Feel She Adds To The Play For The Audience? The play "Much Ado About Nothing" is set in Sicily, Italy. Shakespeare uses the character Beatrice to contribute to central themes such as Love and Comedy. This central character helps Shakespeare to write about the attitutdes towards women in the late 16th century. Shakespeare present his two leading ladies, Hero and Beatrice, in very different ways. Hero illustrates the perfect 16th Century woman, whereas Beatrice is the complete opposite of this. Shakespear refers to ladies as posessions, available to be bought and cold, Hero is seen as a posession to both her father, and her suitor, "...could the world buy such a jewel?" Claudio clearly feels strongly for Hero and his admition of these feelings prompts Benedick's reply "...yea, and a box to put it in..." adding to the imagery of women being posissions and to the comedy of the scene. Shakespeare uses Beatrice's position in the household as a reason for her more outrageous behaviour - she lives with her Uncle, and doesn't feel the pull of resposibility towards her parents that Hero feels. This causes many differences in the behaviour of Beatrice and |Hero; Beatrice can be herself, "warring" with men and is critical of many male values, Hero on the other hand is the perfect 16th Centurye woman -
Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing- How Does Shakespeare Present Difficulties In Relationships In Much Ado About Nothing? 'Much Ado About Nothing' was written in 1600 by William Shakespeare. The play is set in Messina, Sicily however it shows typical English comedy characteristics for that time. I find this unusual because not many people travelled far from home. Relationships are shown in various ways throughout the play using themes such as love, romance and patriarchal society. The main relationships which are portrayed are between Hero and Claudio and Beatrice and Benedick. Act two scene one is the masked ball. Conversations take place between a number of couples; this makes the scene seem lively and gives a sense of movement. The character Beatrice is attracted to Benedick. However Shakespeare confuses the audience by having Beatrice pass insults to Benedick, "masking" her real feelings. Beatrice says to Benedick "why he is the Prince's jester, a very dull fool; only his gift is in devising impossible slanders". Beatrice is teasing Benedick so that her real feelings towards him are concealed. Don John appears to deliberately try to cause problems in the relationship between Hero and Claudio by claiming "how canst thou cross this marriage?" Don John is showing his distaste for the marriage his brother arranged. This is because Don John is jealous of his brother's higher status
Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing Essay Question Juliet Dunsinberre argues that 'Shakespeare saw men and women as equals in a world which declared them unequal.' How far do you agree with this statement in relation to Much Ado About Nothing? In your answer, you should refer to the context in which Shakespeare wrote and consider how a modern audience might react. Introduction In Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare portrays a common society in which a common role model of male and female ways of behaviour exists, and contrasts it with a deviant role model. It is Beatrice and Benedick who "misbehave". Beatrice´s behaviour and Benedick´s reactions are odd because they constantly work against society´s decorum. Shakespeare portrayed the common and the deviant behaviour in a way which is reflected in the characters´ engaging in dialogue. Men and women engage in dialogue differently and this can be seen in the composition of the staged dialogues as well as in the stage directions, which indicate body language. In the following essay I will discuss and analyse how Shakespeare develops themes of equality/inequality between men and women in this play by discussing how these themes are developed in key scenes and through contrasting characters, and also by using textual evidence to justify my viewpoints, and showing how context affects interpretation. Patriarchy and Courtly Love are
Explore Shakespeare's presentation of Hero and Beatrice in 'Much Ado About Nothing'
Explore Shakespeare's presentation of Hero and Beatrice in 'Much Ado About Nothing' Hero and Beatrice are the two main female characters in Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" and they tell us a lot about how Shakespeare saw women in the context of the sixteenth century upper classes. In looking at the presentation of the characters it is important to examine their entrance into the play and what first impressions the audience gets of their personality and appearance. Although they are both present in the very first scene of the play it is Beatrice who speaks the most and makes her presence known. Her very first line is also worth noting as when she says "I pray you, is Signor Mountanto returned from the wars or no?" She is making a joke about Benedick and is therefore showing that she is both a playful character and also not afraid to think of herself as equal with men. This would have been a strange sight to a typical Elizabethan audience as women in that era were supposed to be quiet and subordinate characters, not speaking out against men. Beatrice is also showing that she is a witty and intelligent character as she uses the word Mountanto to describe Benedick. This is a term used in fencing to describe an upward thrust, so it could be both a sexual innuendo or linked to the war which has just ended. In contrast to this creative outburst, Hero's first line is
Write a critical appreciation of Robert Frost's 'The Wood Pile', noting to what extent it seems typical of Frost's poetic interests and techniques.
Write a critical appreciation of Robert Frost's 'The Wood Pile', noting to what extent it seems typical of Frost's poetic interests and techniques. "The wood pile" is an ambiguous, enigmatic poem whose meaning cannot be immediately discerned by the reader. Even in the first line of the poem, "out walking in the frozen swamp one grey day", the environment seems to be cold and bleak, adding to this sense of divisive atmosphere. It can even be said the poem might be anticipated to be hard to read with this complex environment. The next few lines start already to show the perplexity of the narrator as he decides on whether to go on or turn back. He first thought that he will "turn back from here". And on the next line he immediately changes his mind to "go further - and we shall see". We, as the reader, wonder why he has this sudden change on mind. Is he finding something, or perhaps trying to escape? As the narrative himself ventures on into the unknown, we as the reader are also implacably drawn in to follow him in his journey. As the writer trudges on in the snow, and continue to see the almost identical landscape of trees, something caught his eye - "a small bird". On one level, it can be seen that the narrator is leveling criticism on the bird for being arrogant, paranoid as well as egoistic because it said "no word to tell me who he was" and "was careful/To put a tree
Comment on the two following scenes: Much Ado About Nothing Act II Scene iii and Love's Labour's Lost Act IV Scene iii.
Comment on the two following scenes: Much Ado About Nothing Act II Scene iii and Love's Labour's Lost Act IV Scene iii. The title Much Ado About Nothing perhaps superficially intimates a great amount of irrelevant, unnecessary fuss, however deeper consideration indicates it has a profound resonance. The major 'Ado' or complication within the plot springs from Claudio's denunciation of Hero and moreover, the minor 'Ado' derives from the deception which unites Beatrice and Benedick. Act II Scene iii is significant in this minor narrative because it acts as a catalyst for the expression of perhaps an already latent attraction between the latter two characters. Furthermore, the Elizabethan pronunciation of 'Nothing' as 'Noting' denotes that the themes of eavesdropping and overhearing are central to the play's importance. Similarly, they can be applied to Act IV Scene iii of the play Love's Labour's Lost although their importance is by contrast, not pivotal to the play's narrative. Thus in this essay the significance of deception, eavesdropping and the discovery of the truth shall be investigated within both scenes in order to analyze their functions within the plots and their overall importance to the corresponding plays. The character of Benedick, within Much Ado About Nothing openly scorns and disdains the notion of love. His misogynistic beliefs are emphasized in his opening
How Shakespeare portrays Hero and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing.
How Shakespeare portrays Hero and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare's famous comedies and so naturally it accords with the romantic comedies structure. The central plot revolves around two pairs of young lovers. Although the necessary outcome of the play is marriage and celebration, there must be a dramatic threat along the way. The main plot focuses on two parts Hero and Claudio on the one hand and Beatrice and Benedick on the other. And it is through the way which Shakespeare portrays the two female characters that we see how society was really like in the Elizabethan period. The name Hero would be very familiar to the Shakespearian audience, as Hero is synonymous with romantic heroine. And so therefore Shakespeare's Hero has a very straightforward role and is one the very few characters in the play that does not change at all. Since the name Hero gives the impression of a kind, polite and dutiful daughter, we can immediately tell that she is the kind of woman who represents the model requirements of an unmarried daughter in her society. Beatrice on the other hand is very different to Hero. Even though she is Hero's cousin, her character is the completely opposite to Hero's. Unlike Hero, she is independent and witty. She does not like the idea of a husband or anyone else having full control over her, however as the play
Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing Coursework In 'Much Ado About Nothing' Shakespeare manages to transform Benedick from a bachelor to being in love with Beatrice. Shakespeare does extremely well to make this change of character seem believable as it such a big one. Shakespeare does this by using key scenes to gradually reveal the true relationship between the two. This transformation is especially interesting as at the beginning of the play he argues with Beatrice and declares he will always be a bachelor. In Act I Scene I when the visitors arrive in Messina, Benedick appears to be an arrogant, patronising womaniser. In this scene Benedick has a merry war with Beatrice and from lines like 'In our last conflict four of his five wits went halting off' and "You always end with a jade's trick, I know you of old" from Beatrice it seems like the two have previously met and there is some history between them. In this war of words we see the arrogance of Benedick when he says to Beatrice "I am Lord of all ladies, only you excepted". From this opening scene we can see Benedick's character and it is obvious he is not scared to speak his mind or give an honest opinion, no matter how harsh it may be. An example of this is when Claudio asks Benedict if he finds Hero attractive and Benedick replies "I can see yet without spectacles, and I see no such matter". We also see from this merry war that
