Consider the dramatic significance of Act 1 in
Consider the dramatic significance of Act 1 in "Much Ado About Nothing" In Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing", he uses a lot of dramatic significances in Act 1 of the text. Shakespeare wrote Much Ado About Nothing in 1598 and was published in 1600. Shakespeare uses themes in the play to draw the audience in, these themes are: love, battle of the sexes, mis-noting, deception, entertainment and counterfeiting. All these themes play an important part in the play and signifies dramatic scenes with the characters. In Shakespeare's time, the "Nothing" of the title would have been pronounced "Noting." Thus, the play's title could read: "Much Ado About Noting." Indeed, many of the players participate in the actions of observing, listening, and writing, or noting. In order for a plot hinged on instances of deceit to work, the characters must note one another constantly. When the women manipulate Beatrice into believing that Benedick adores her, they conceal themselves in the orchard so that Beatrice can better note their conversation. Shakespeare also uses a lot of language devices to make the first act dramatic. At the beginning of the first act, Shakespeare introduces us to the characters: These friends include Don Pedro of Aragon, a highly respected nobleman, and a brave young soldier named Claudio, who has won much honour in the fighting. Leonato's young daughter, Hero, and
In Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare presents us with a conventional heroine (Hero) and an unconventional heroine (Beatrice) which is more to your taste and why?
In Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare presents us with a conventional heroine (Hero) and an unconventional heroine (Beatrice) Which is more to your taste and why? Heroines from Shakespearian times and literature were very different to contemporary heroines. The differences in characteristics of heroines from these periods are largely illustrated by the two heroines in 'Much Ado About Nothing,' Beatrice and Hero. Beatrice is more similar to today's heroines with her forthright manner whilst Hero's gentleness and submissiveness make her typical of the play's period. Despite a woman, and a reputedly fearsome one with no desire to marry, on the throne at this time the main characteristics women in society, heroine or not, were expected to display included a gentle and submissive disposition, purity, modesty, a great respect for men and a desire to marry well, the end to which all other traits were expected to lead. Claudio, a young man who is in love with Hero, demonstrates a typical Elizabethan view of women by saying of Hero, 'Can the world buy such a jewel?' (I.i.56) He talks about Hero as if she is an object as, to many men, women were. Marriage was a business transaction more than a romantic affair where possession of the bride was transferred from father to husband. Today characteristics applied to a heroine can be similar or very different.
Much Ado About Nothing Act IV.
Act IV is the "crucial" scene whereby the two young lovers should marry; yet by the foul intrigue and planning of the Bastard John, are cruelly separated in a public display of her humiliation. Further more, the other "couple" in this play of comic mystery, finally declare their love for each other face to face. Two plans resulting from each of the two events are firstly, that Hero should be reported dead from grief, in order to establish the truth, and, secondly, that Benedick should challenge Claudio to a duel. At the beginning of Act four, Scene one, we immediately become aware that Leonato is displaying slight anxiety over the wedding ceremony and it seems he wants to fast track the procedure and get it over and done with. As the scene begins, Friar Francis asks Claudio "You come hither, my lord, to marry this Lady?" Claudio's response is a simple no. Leonato becomes unsettled by the Friar's disconcerting manner. He quickly replies "To be married to her: friar, you come to marry her." This is an example of Leonato's anxious behaviour. As the scene continues, Claudio's behaviour starts to become rather surprising and confusing. The other characters are taken aback by his manner but from the audience's point of view it is to be expected. Although it is soon made clear to the other characters that Claudio is upset and angry, he fails to pinpoint the reasons for his
During Act 1 Scene 1 in Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing,' up until Act three scene two, the development of Benedick and Beatrice's
Shakespeare Essay: Much Ado About Nothing, 1598 - 1599 During Act 1 Scene 1 in Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing,' up until Act three scene two, the development of Benedick and Beatrice's relationship is made clear to the audience. It is easy to compare the nature of their feelings by the way their relationship contrast from the beginning of this section toward the end. It is clear from the start that their emotions towards each other are near hatred, but they continue to change into love and passion as the play progresses, enabling the audience to make a comparison. The way the relationship is portrayed on stage will determine the audience's interpretation of the development of their bond. In Act 1 scene 1, we learn the basics of Beatrice and Benedick's relationship. From Leonato's words, we learn that there is a 'merry war' between Beatrice and Benedick, and that that are continuously in conflict. This immediately may suggest first signs of passion, as traditionally hate is the first sign of love. "There is a kind of merry war betwixt Signor Benedick and her... there's a skirmish of wit between them," Act 1 scene 1 lines 45-47 Although hate may be the first sign of love, this is the only suggestion of it, and the audience are not specifically told whether its passion or if they simply just do not get along. We also discover that this 'skirmish of wit' has been
Why does Shakespeare use the dramatic device of a masked dance in Act 2 Scene I?
Much Ado About Nothing Why does Shakespeare use the dramatic device of a masked dance in Act 2 Scene I? Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare's many comedies, written in 1598. Ado means 'fuss' so the title ' Much Ado About Nothing' suggests the play is basically a lot of fuss about nothing and maybe all about something which is largely exaggerated. Shakespeare set the play in Messina in Italy for many reasons. The 15th and 16th centuries were a time of travel and adventure. Italy was also an important trading centre at that time. Precious commodities such as metals, spices and silks came from the east and traded through Italy to the rest of Europe. The masked dances started, as did many new trends, in Italy and became very popular in Elizabethan England. Italy was an important country in those times as it was a wealthy country which became a very popular place for people to visit and new ideas and fashion started there. Shakespeare uses the masked dance is Act 2 scene i for many reasons, one of them is to create visual impact on the audience. Shakespeare's audiences were completely different to 20th century audiences. In Shakespeare's times nobody could book or reserve tickets or seats, so everyone had to be there early to get a good seat. The audiences were a mixed group of people and included lawyers, ruffians and merchants. Higher class people would be
Discuss Shakespeare’s presentation of Hero and Claudio's relationship and how it reflected Contemporary attitudes to love, courtship and marriage and how a modern Audience reacts to them.
"Honour in the court-orientated house of Leonato is the primary virtue in a Caste-conscious society...The honourable lady must be modest and chaste; the honourable gentleman, loyal and valorous." Discuss Shakespeare's presentation of Hero and Claudio's relationship and how it reflected Contemporary attitudes to love, courtship and marriage and how a modern Audience reacts to them. Hero is the beautiful young daughter of Leonato and the cousin of Beatrice. Throughout the play, Hero is a gentle, kind and lovely girl. She is a very passive character that only speaks when spoken to and is seen to be a recognised type in Elizabethan England. She is conventional and a traditional type. However when Claudio slanders her, she suffers terribly. A woman's honour is based on her virginity and chaste behaviour. For a woman to loose her honour she would loose her social position, her whole family would suffer. Women were blamed for the faults of the world. It was Eve who brought the first evil to the world, if there was no Eve, i.e. no women the men believed they would still be in the Garden of Eden. "Woman in her greatest perfection was made to serve and obey men." Leonato speaks of Hero's loss of honour as an 'indelible stain'. "O she is fallen/ into a pit of ink, that the wide sea/ hath drops too few to wash her clean again." (Act 4 Scene 1) Claudio is a young soldier
![Lady Macbeth is the spur to prick the sides of [Macbeth's] intent in act 1 scene 7. Discuss.](https://mbt-essays-prod-public.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/816792/listing/816792_1.jpg)
Lady Macbeth is the spur to prick the sides of [Macbeth's] intent in act 1 scene 7. Discuss.
Lady Macbeth is the spur to prick the sides of [Macbeth's] intent in act 1 scene 7. Discuss. In this scene we meet Macbeth, in battle, between the lion, his roaring ambition, and the milk of human kindness, his conscience. He explores the mortal and spiritual consequences that would follow the sacrilegious regicide of his noble King Duncan. Eventually, after realising the nobility and greatness of his king, Macbeth decides that the deed is better left undone; his ambition loses the battle to his feelings of loyalty and duty to his king and perhaps even feelings of cowardice. However, the snake-likesly lady Macbeth now enters ironically at the point in the scene where Macbeth specifically states that he has 'no spur to prick the sides of his intent', and she immediately begins using her manipulative and aggressive language to challenge the great 'valiant' Macbeth, who slowly succumbs to her plans. This proves that lady Macbeth is indeed the one 'spur to prick the sides of [Macbeth's] intent. Macbeth's soliloquy opens with our hero pondering whether to fulfil his prophesised destiny and assassinate his loyal friend King Duncan. He starts by feeling that it would be worthwhile to commit the murder and 'if it were done when 'tis done then t'were well it were done quickly.' He imagines receiving immediate 'success' with his king Duncan's 'surcease' and would be 'willing to jump
How does Shakespeare use language to develop character in one scene from 'Much Ado About Nothing'?
How does Shakespeare use language to develop character in one scene from 'Much Ado About Nothing'? The play 'Much Ado About Nothing' by William Shakespeare, regarded as a comedy, takes place in the city of Messina in north eastern Sicily. It focuses on the activities of two war heroes and the women they love. Shakespeare shifts back and forth between the stories of the couples: signor Benedick and Lady Beatrice, niece of Leonato (governor of Messina); Count Claudio and Hero, daughter of Leonato and he connects them into a combined whole. Young lovers Hero and Claudio are to be married in one week. To pass the time, they unite with Don Pedro, Prince of Arragon, to set a "lover's trap" for Benedick, an arrogant confirmed bachelor, and Beatrice, his favourite sparring partner. Meanwhile, Don John, Don Pedro's bastard brother, plans to break up the wedding by accusing Hero of unfaithfulness. Although in the end it all turns out to be 'Much Ado About Nothing'. I have decided to explore the character of signor Benedick and the nature of his love for Lady Beatrice in Act 2 Scene 3 - "Leonato's Orchard". Shakespeare adopts numerous linguistic techniques in order to develop the character of Benedick in 'Much Ado About Nothing'. I like the character of Benedick as he is tough and funny but has a sharp, quick-thinking quality about him. Although he is arrogant Benedick is still a
How far does Shakespeare challenge Elizabethan society's ideas about gender in Much Ado about Nothing
How far would you agree that is Shakespeare challenging Elizabethan society's ideas about gender in Much Ado about Nothing? Much Ado About Nothing is a Shakespearian comedy set in Elizabethan society where men were dominant though they had a wide range of attitudes to the positions of women as is explored by the key male characters in the play. In order to detach it from the English audience it is located in Sicily, which meant the play was able to dispute stereotypes about gender without offending or enraging its addressees. Women were meant to be submissive, obedient and silent which are all virtues employed by Hero but deliberately ignored by Beatrice. These two opposing characters are what unmask the true sentiments of the other characters in the play. The play begins with the men returning from war victorious, which immediately sets them all up as heroes. All except Don John who is introduced as a bastard therefore making him a stereotyped Elizabethan villain. The dominant male is Leonato who immediately shows he is a misogynist: when questioned about Hero, his daughter; he says, "Her mother hath often told me so", which implies that women cannot be trusted. The only woman to speak in Act one Scene one is Beatrice and even she says little; as it seems that the men have taken centre stage from the very beginning. Don Pedro's associate Claudio immediately falls for Hero
"Hero's and Claudio's relationship is naïve, immature and unlikely to succeed, whereas Benedick's and Beatrice's relationship is a triumph.' How far do you agree with this interpretation of Much AdoAbout Nothing?
Leanne Drewery. "Hero's and Claudio's relationship is naïve, immature and unlikely to succeed, whereas Benedick's and Beatrice's relationship is a triumph.' How far do you agree with this interpretation of Much Ado About Nothing? Shakespeare uses fashion and manners as one of the main themes in Much Ado About Nothing to suggest masking and disguise of the personalities in a society where status and appearance is important. In the play prose is spoken by Beatrice and Benedick whose realistic language represents their down to earth characters. They also provide the comedy in the drama. When Beatrice says: 'he is no less than a stuffed man' and when Benedick says: 'my dear lady disdain! Are you yet living?' they provide a 'merry war' of conflict, which amuses the audience but overshadows the main plot including Hero and Claudio. This shows they are matched and would make a triumphant relationship. Hero and Claudio speak in poetic verse, which artificially and ideally underlines their sentiments. This indicates their love is superficial and is unlikely to succeed. However it is considered that Beatrice and Benedick are naïve and immature because they are deceived into loving each other and mock each other constantly. Furthermore their relationship may not succeed because they both reject marriage. However, there are signs to say that they have already had a distant affair and
