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
The Title In Much Ado About Nothing
The Title In Much Ado About Nothing Much Ado About Nothing exemplifies a kind of deliberately puzzling title that seems to have been popular in the late 1590s. Indeed, the play is about nothing; it merely follows the relationships of Claudio and Hero, and in the end, the play culminates in the two other main characters falling in love, which, because it was an event that was quite predictable, proves to be much ado about nothing. The pronunciation of the word "nothing" would, in the late 16th Century, have been "noting," and so the title also apparently suggests a pun on the word, "noting," and on the use of the word "note" as an expression of music. In II.2 (l.54), Balthasar is encouraged to sing, but declines, saying, "note this before my notes; there's not a note of mine that's worth the noting." However, Don Pedro retorts, "<sum>Note notes, forsooth, and nothing," playing on Balthasar's words, and also demanding that he pay attention to his music and nothing else. In addition, much of the play is dedicated to people "noting" (or observing) the actions of others (such as the trick played on Beatrice and Benedick by Leonato, Hero and Claudio); they often observe and overhear one another, and consequently make a great deal out of very little. At the beginning of the play, Claudio and Hero eventually come to admire one another, and Benedick and Beatrice play off each
How does Shakespeare challenge the conventional role of women within the patriarchal society of Much Ado About Nothing.
How does Shakespeare challenge the conventional role of women within the patriarchal society of 'Much Ado About Nothing'. 'Much Ado About Nothing' is set in a patriarchal society in the late 16th century. In a patriarchal society, men are the dominating sex and women are the oppressed ones. The title of the play also plays a part in showing how things are overly based on sexual relationships between men and women. The play takes place over a course of three days. As so much happens during these three days, the events take place rapidly and can create confusion and misunderstanding. 'Much Ado About Nothing' is a play of wit, deception and slander. It is full of darkness just as much as it is full of light. For Beatrice, a pre-occupation with death arises from her entrapment within a court whose practices she does not admire. She constantly tries to oppose the views of her society with which she doesn't agree. The treatment of gender issues in 'Much Ado About Nothing' would have been central to its impact on Elizabethan audiences. Women, stereotypically, were expected to be silent, gentle, passive and submissive. Independent women were regarded with suspicion and interest. In the first three scenes, the male characters continually criticise the females. Benedick voices the traditional patriarchal ideology through his constant criticism of women's actions and sexual
Much Ado is a play of wit, deception and slander. Although the play consists of many other themes, nature is probably
The contradictions of Human nature "Much Ado about nothing" is all about nature. The word nothing is derived from noting, the Elizabethan pronunciation. The central importance of noting, eavesdropping has been remarked. Much Ado is a play of wit, deception and slander. Although the play consists of many other themes, nature is probably the most significant topic. Shakespeare has explained nature exploring a variety of different techniques. Much Ado is a romantic comedy and also a probable sharp attack on superficial society. At the beginning of the play Benedick imposes the dullness of marriage, which is quite ironic as he inevitably becomes "Benedick the married man." Beatrice however occupies an obsession with death because of her entrapment within a court she cannot respect. She has no patience with all the military hyperbole and the dominion of men thus she has segregated herself from all the courtly ceremony and custom. The play is claustrophobic as spies are hidden in its many rooms. Scenes of togetherness in one room are followed by those of conspiracy in another, which emphasises human isolation and vulnerability. In other words actions mean consequences. Claudio's conventional lover's exaggeration to Hero indicates his estrangement from his natural desires. The denunciation scene takes place at the altar of a chapel, which exaggerates the huge power of
How does Shakespeare present the developing relationships of the lovers in the play?
How does Shakespeare present the developing relationships of the lovers in the play? Shakespeare wrote in a time of theatrical excellence, his love of language and sense of theatre aided him in the production of countless plays and poems. Much Ado About Nothing is a play of love and war, with a twist of comedy to lighten the tension ensuring the audience does not become overwhelmed with the emotions of the characters. According to the Elizabethans, a woman's aim was to be a good wife, as their ultimate goal was marriage and their status was to be 'seen and not heard'. Shakespeare's intention was to show two contrasting women, Beatrice and Hero, and to demonstrate how they deal with the pressure of a male dominated world. Because of her wit and determined outlook on life, Beatrice is accepted in the male community but is thought to be obdurate by most men. Whereas Hero, has a submissive attitude to life and this is exposed early on; Act 1 Scene 1 she does not speak throughout the entire scene until she is spoken to. Hero portrays the accepted standard of a woman of her time, which she is expected to do, as she is the daughter of the governor of Messina. During the play the men's dominating power draws to a climax, and the men unite and condemn Hero and despite her independent outlook, Beatrice cannot express her deepest feelings. Even Hero's father briefly rejects her because
Too Much Information: Genetic Testing
Too Much Information: Genetic Testing Biology OAC ISP Essay - By Daniel Perez Genetic testing offers a whole new world of information about us and how our bodies work. The data we get from delving into our own genetic code can help us to cure or even prevent disease, stop medical conditions such as cancer or cystic fibrosis from even manifesting, or even correct these sorts of errors before birth, and many other beneficial uses. However, at this point in time, all of this is beyond us. We have no miracle cures, no 'magic bullet' with which to fight disease or genetic conditions, in fact, our understanding of the genetic code is so limited that it's as if we cannot see the forest for the trees. We have taken our first baby steps into understanding human genetics with the completion of the Human Genome Project, and now that we have the big picture, we can begin to interpret it. Through information gleaned from our DNA, we now know that there are certain medical conditions that are caused by certain patterns within the genes. Some examples of these genetic conditions include Tay-Sach's disease, Bloom syndrome, Deafness, cystic fibrosis, and many other diseases (http://www.einstein.edu/e3front.dll?durki=7158). Although many of these conditions are fatal, the ones that are not can be treated early, even before symptoms develop when possible, or if not treated, at least monitored
'We are not encouraged to find much sympathy with the characters in A Clockwork Orange
'We are not encouraged to find much sympathy for any of the characters'. Explore the methods Burgess uses to develop sympathy in 'A Clockwork Orange'. Anthony Burgess uses a number of devices to evoke both sympathy and empathy from the reader, most notably in the direction of the novella's protagonist. Alex's first person narrative thrusts the reader into the dystopian world Burgess creates and the twisted actions he undertakes as a part of his drug-fuelled 'ultra-violence'. Despite this, the reader is also forced into grasping the understanding of the morally disturbed character and Burgess cleverly manipulates Alex as a representation of the young and troubled generation. The plot itself equally contributes to the readers feeling towards Alex as he additionally becomes a government subject; torturing his mind to remove any capacity of evil and the subsequent downward spiral his life takes. But Burgess continually begs the question: is it possible to feel sympathy for a character capable of the most disgraceful crimes? Structurally, Burgess uses the formation of the novella itself and the division of the parts as a method of finding empathy for Alex. Each part begins with the same question to the reader: "What's it going to be then, eh?" which at the start appears innocuous as they decide on their night's dwellings. But this is repeated in the beginning of the second part
An Investigation Into What Affects How Much Copper Is Deposited On A Pure Copper Cathode.
An Investigation Into What Affects How Much Copper Is Deposited On A Pure Copper Cathode. Plan Aim The aim of this investigation is to find out what effects the amount of copper deposited on a pure copper cathode. We already know that by passing an electric current through a copper sulphate solution the atoms at the anode dissolve while at the cathode positive ions are gathering and collect up. Variables Variables are what we can change in the experiment here are some of them: * We can change the amount of current passed through the electrodes. * We can change the strength of the solution by adding and reducing the amount. * We can also vary how long the experiment is left while an electric current is passed through the electrodes. We choose to change the amount of current passed through the electrodes using a variable resistor. I choose this because it is simple and gives off good and clear results. Predictions A simple prediction would be to say that the mass of copper deposited at the anode would decrease, and the mass of copper deposited at the cathode would increase. It is also possible to predict when using time as a variable, that the relationship between the time the current flows and the mass of copper deposited at the cathode will be proportional. I can then predict that if I double the time of the experiment, I will be doubling
How does Miller succeed in making Eddie someone with whom the audience can sympathise?
4. How does Miller succeed in making Eddie someone with whom the audience can sympathise? Arthur Miller wrote 'A View from the Bridge' as a modern version of a Greek tragedy, therefore, Eddie's death at the end of Act Two should be tragic. The audience have to feel pity, or pathos, towards Eddie when he dies to make the play a successful tragedy. According to 1.Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero, the hero should be noble and of high status; he should have a flaw, or hamartia, which should lead to his tragic ending; his punishment should seem to be harsher than his crime; and he should realise that his flaw has led to his tragedy. By making his play a modern version of a Greek tragedy, Miller uses the character of Alfieri, his description of Eddie as a likeable and respected man and an extreme and violent death in the arms of his wife to make the audience sympathise with him and to make him a tragic hero. Throughout the play, Miller gives his audience many reasons to respect and admire Eddie. Although there is "too much love" (p. 48) for his niece, it is also obvious that he is very protective over Catherine and genuinely cares about her. Eddie and his wife have taken Catherine in and have given her a loving and caring home to live in. Also, Eddie seems popular within his community, is liked by Louis and Mike and is described by Alfieri as "good a man as he had to be in
Consider the end of Millers play A View from the Bridge. How effectively does the final scene conclude the drama?
Consider the end of Miller's play 'A View from the Bridge'. How effectively does the final scene conclude the drama? 'A View from the Bridge' provides the inevitable ending of a traditional Greek tragedy, where in this case Eddie's inability to make a concession eventually results in his deserved death; although tragic, this is necessary to conclude the story. As a lawyer, we immediately trust Alfieri to be a good judge of character as well as rational. Along side this we watch Alfieri oversee the whole play and watch it 'run it's bloody course' whilst acting as the commentator throughout the story Which leave him in some sense, acting as the bridge; seeing both the darker side (Redhook) and the somewhat innocent side (Manhattan) but he links the two together. He is the only character that predicts the outcome of Eddies and Marco's actions and, thus tries compassionately to stop them from committing further insult to one another. In Alfieri's opening monologue he uses words like 'disaster' and states that Eddie was 'unable to settle for half', which consequently, results in his 'bloody' death. The audience could also relate this story line to Vinny Bolzano's, where he was severely punished for 'snitching' on his immigrant family, which sadly resulted in him being thrown down the stairs 'head bouncin' like a coconut', this would indicate to the audience that Eddies actions
