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?

Much Ado About Nothing 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? Shakespeare presents us with 2 heroines in 'Much ado about nothing' called Hero and Beatrice. Hero is the conventional heroine because she is an ideal Elizabethan woman. She is beautiful, modest, obedient and co-operative. Her character stays constant throughout the play and she has very few lines. One of her lines that show her character is act 2, scene 1, line 847-8; " I will do any modest office, my lord, to help my cousin to a good husband." Hero wants to marry and be the perfect wife and she succeeds in this when she marries Claudio near the end of the play. The other heroine in 'Much ado about nothing' is Beatrice. Beatrice is the unconvential heroine because she is out of the ordinary and different to the stereotypical Elizabethan woman. She is playful, outspoken and feisty and she expresses her attitudes to men and marriage openly. We learn about Beatrice's interest in Benedick right from the start of the play when her first line is "I pray you, is Signor Mountanto returned from the wars, or no?" Their relationship is entertaining and unusual but adds much amusement to the play. Throughout the play, we learn about Beatrice by a lot of her opinions and views, whereas with Hero, we

  • Word count: 1023
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Although Claudio and Hero are the central characters of the 'main plot', it is Beatrice and Benedick who really catch our attention. Why do you think this is?

Although Claudio and Hero are the central characters of the 'main plot', it is Beatrice and Benedick who really catch our attention. Why do you think this is? Beatrice and Benedick are present together in the very first and very last scenes of Much Ado, and at every step of the way, the audience senses that they will eventually marry. The subplot of the tension between the two is crucial to the play. If their presence and their mutual development were absent, there is not much to this play. It is suggested that Beatrice and Benedick may have been romantically involved before the start of the plays action. In the plays opening scene, Beatrice refers Benedick to "Our last conflict" (1.1 59). Both Beatrice and Benedick develop under each other's influence. For Benedick to be worthy of Beatrice, he must cast aside his male role by embracing Hero's cause. For Beatrice to be worthy of Benedick, she must discard her distrust of men and place her faith in him. Beatrice is one of the most interesting characters in the play. She is the niece of Leonato, a wealthy governor of Messina. Though she is a close friend with her cousin Hero, Leonato's daughter, the two couldn't be less alike. Where Hero is polite, quiet, respectful and gentle, Beatrice is feisty, cynical, witty, and sharp. Beatrice has kept up a merry war of wits with Benedick, a lord and soldier from Padua. The play suggests

  • Word count: 2046
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

How does Shakespeare Portray Women in "Much Ado about Nothing"?

How Does Shakespeare Portray Women in "much Ado about Nothing"? Summary: Shakespeare portrays women quite accurately in his play "Much to do About Nothing", as all the female characters have widely varied personalities so that main female stereotypes are covered, without making the women come across as being too patronising, animated or humorous. The variety of personalities and social status enables different people to relate to the different characters, and enable a range of relationships to be formed in the play. This play is mainly based around battles of the sexes, conflict, relationships and deceiving people. Women feature very heavily in each of these and many lines can be interpreted in different ways, to show hidden meaning or to reflect society. The only female characters in the play are Beatrice, Hero, Ursula and Margaret. All of these women have very different characteristics, opinions and personalities, and occasionally their personalities clash a little. Not all of these women's characters fit the typical female stereotype in Shakespearean society (especially Beatrice), and are possibly made to behave in such a way to add humour, irony or contrast. Beatrice is introduced in the first scene of the play, and is portrayed as being a very witty and clever woman. She frequently plays with words to win arguments or to prove her point. For example, when a the

  • Word count: 1886
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Battle Of The Sexes

Battle Of The Sexes Hero and Claudio represent an idealised love that was a very widespread image of love in the Elizabethan renaissance. With the introduction of Beatrice and Benedick, we see a very different picture- a love that thrives on conflict and tension. While Claudio says of Hero, ¡§Can the world buy such a gem,¡¨ Benedick refers to Beatrice as ¡§my dear lady disdain.¡¨ While Claudio and Hero whisper sweet nothings into each others ears, Beatrice and Benedick bicker incessantly. (Compare ¡§My cousin tells him in his ear that he is in her heart.¡¨ to ¡§if her breath were as terrible as her terminations, there were no living near her.¡¨) However, the play ultimately shows that Beatrice and Benedick¡¦s relationship is the more genuine. When early on in the play Claudio asks, ¡§Hath Leonato any son my lord?¡¨ This is one of the first questions Claudio asks about Hero. This would suggest that he is finding out whether she will inherit all of Leonato¡¦s wealth before he finally decides that he loves Hero. When Don Pedro replies, ¡§no child but Hero¡¨ he immediately delivers a speech about how much he loves her, ¡§how fair young Hero is¡¨. This speech seems to be sincere but is he simply being shallow? The fact that Claudio says he is in love with Hero having only known her well for a few days raises the question as to how sincere Claudio

  • Word count: 1181
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Analysis of the themes of pairs and communication in "Much Ado About Nothing".

Brendan Lee Ms. Catherine Wiebusch English II – G March 16, 2011 Much Ado About Nothing Essay Often times in theatrical performances, the key component that creates the plot and the storyline of the play are the characters. In many Shakespearean plays, arguably an inspiration for modern theater, the relationship between the characters is what creates the plot. In Much Ado About Nothing, the story revolves around two pairs of lovers: Claudio and Hero, and Benedict and Beatrice, and their passage to marriage. Benedick and Beatrice share an intimate, conflicting relationship whereas Hero and Claudio fall in love at first sight. In the play, Shakespeare uses doubles and pairings to emphasize the importance of the existence of communication between cou ples, explain how deception is used in various ways to interact with characters, and to depict and define the style of Shakespeare. With the pairs Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero, the significance of the existence of communication between one another is vital. In a play with many deceptive schemes and events happening at the same time, it is vital for characters to be talking to each other and utilize this in order to reduce confusions and conflicts. For example, Hero and Claudio are infamous in such matter. The lack of speech and the initiative to build a stable relationship does not bring them happiness

  • Word count: 1182
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Who will have a successful relationship, Benedick and Beatrice or Claudio and Hero?

Which pairing do you have the most confidence in having a successful relationship and why? We already know that Benedick and Beatrice share a romantic past as she admits to Don Pedro that “[Benedick] lent it me awhile … a double heart for his single one.” Since they have had some sort of history together before the events of the play, we assume that they know each other quite well. Even though this previous relationship did not last, their love is much more genuine as both Beatrice and Benedick do not mean to fall in love with each other, especially as they “suffer love” for each other. At the start of the play, Beatrice and Benedick do nothing but continue their “skirmish of wit” and yet, they pay more attention to each other than anyone else in the play. When Benedick confronts a jealous Claudio during the masked dance, he merely compares him to a “hurt fowl”, and then his thoughts wander straight back to the hurtful words that Beatrice had said previously. This shows us how much he cares about what she called him and hardly acknowledges his friend, who was deeply upset. They are easily fooled by their peers into thinking that they are the subject of unrequited love but perhaps this is because they both want to believe that the other person loves them. In Act 2 Scene 3, just as Benedick has overheard that Beatrice was in love with him, Beatrice is sent

  • Word count: 519
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Much Ado About Nothing.

Much Ado About Nothing -Essay Much ado about nothing is a romantic comedy. The title means lot of fuss about nothing. William Shakespeare was being ironic because in the end everything was sorted out, in a sense everything was sorted out, but in some ways it was all about words spoiling someone's reputation. The main characters are Hero the daughter of Leonarto, Beatrice, Antonio, Don Pedro, Don John (John the bastard) Fryer Francis, Margaret, Ursula. Leonarto is the governor of Messina. He has a niece called Beatrice who likes to get her own way. The play is set in Messina, Italy. This contrast establishes an atmosphere of love and romance. The characters are of a high status especially if their men. The daughters and most of the women are a piece of property and therefore virginity and purity are much prised. Any women found having sex before marriage would be classed as a whore and would be punished. In this play there is a poem at the beginning at the beginning, middle, and end of the play. The poem is: Sigh no more ladies, sigh no more Men were deceivers ever One foot in the sea, and one on shore To one thing constant never The sigh not so, but let him go, And be you Blithe and bonny Converting all your sounds of woe Into hay nonny nonny. Sigh no more ditties, sing no more. Of dumps so dull and heavy. The fraud of men were ever so. Since

  • Word count: 1202
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

'Much Ado About Nothing'.

SHAKESPEARE COURSEWORK 'Much Ado About Nothing' Two of the most important scenes in Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing' are undoubtedly the gulling scenes between Benedick and Beatrice. These two scenes are inextricably linked, but similar as they are in how they are carried out and in purpose, there are also several differences. Before we can compare these two scenes and what effects they have on Benedick and Beatrice, we first need to understand the two characters. Benedick is presented in general as a nice person, the 'good guy'. He is lighthearted and fun, and there is nothing really to dislike about him. He provides entertainment for the other characters; for example, Don Pedro and Claudio find his conversation about how he will never marry quite amusing [1.1. 208-238]. However, when there is some wish to be serious, it cannot be when Benedick is around. After the aforementioned conversation, Don Pedro has to ask Benedick to leave (not directly, but by asking him to give a message to Leonato) so that they can have a serious conversation about Hero. One gets the feeling that Benedick can sometimes be slightly annoying and quite hard work, and hid utter lack of ability to ever be serious must be very difficult to live with. Nevertheless, Benedick is obviously popular with his fellow characters, and this would make him popular with the audience also. Beatrice is

  • Word count: 2234
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

Much Ado About Nothing.

Much Ado About Nothing As you read through the play "Much ado About Nothing" by William Shakespeare, which is a romantic comedy, you discover several complex relationships between the characters both in keeping with how a typical relationship in Elizabethan times would be and relationships that seem "out of place" for the time that the play was set. A typical relationship in Elizabethan times would be one in which the male would be the most dominant and the female would be quiet and subdued. This is an example of Claudio and Heroes relationship in the play. However, Benedick and Beatrice's relationship is quite different. The relationship between the two of them differs at several points throughout the play. The two of them don't overtly like each other at the very beginning of the play. Benedick says "I am loved of all ladies. Only you excepted" this shows how they feel about each other. As the play progresses you find that they slowly begin to like each other. They ask each other "Do you not love me?" and because their characters are so alike they try to justify their love for one another. They do not want to take on the roles of courtly lovers, much unlike Claudio and Hero who take on the role of courtly lover as soon as they are presented with the option. Claudio and Heroes relationship is typical of Elizabethan times. Hero is a submissive, powerless and vulnerable

  • Word count: 1083
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay

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

  • Word count: 1361
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
Access this essay