Discuss the dramatic significance of Act 2 scene 3 of Much Ado About Nothing.

Hamish Livingstone Discuss the dramatic significance of Act 2 scene 3 of Much Ado About Nothing Much Ado About Nothing is a typical Shakespeare comedy about the problems love can cause and how they are overcome. Throughout the play Shakespeare uses misinformation and overhearing (both fairly expected conventions in Shakespeare's plays) as comic devices. The entire play is based around the over exploited subject of love, but uses many other Shakespearian conventions such as disguise for comic value. Shakespeare's audiences expected such devices within plays- which sometimes aloud writers to parody themselves. Act 2 scene 3 opens with Benedict's soliloquy about the folly of love. The entire speech seems to be bitter in tone- and specifically about Claudio having fallen for Hero. When he sees Claudio coming he mocks him calling him "monsieur love". He talks about how that now Claudio "dedicates his behaviours to love" he has changed from being war loving and "plain" speaking to being sentimental and soft. Benedick compares Claudio's speech to a "fantastical banquet, just so many strange dishes". Shakespeare generally used soliloquies, as he does here, to let the audience hear what a character is thinking. Benedick shows the audience how stubborn he is, but as he has said he will never marry, by convention it is therefore the audience's expectation that he will before the end

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Love In Much Ado About Nothing.

Love In Much Ado About Nothing 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 other's 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

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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To Understand The Behaviour Of The Characters One Needs To Understand Their Concepts Of Honour. Honour Is The Main Theme Of The Play. Discuss.

To Understand The Behaviour Of The Characters One Needs To Understand Their Concepts Of Honour. Honour Is The Main Theme Of The Play. Discuss "Much Ado About Nothing" honour plays a major part. Whether it be an individual's honour or the honour of a group. Each group has a different type of honour and this honour affects how they act and behave. For example the soldiers have a different type of honour from the women in the play. The honour of the groups makes them all behave in a different way. The Soldiers' honour is very important to them. Their honour affects their reputation as well as their friendships and loyalty. As soon as the play begins honour is the subject. The Soldiers believe that they should tell each other their thoughts; since they are 'honourable' men they have learnt to trust each other and work in a small group. Claudio tells Benedick that he really likes Hero and that he would like Her to be his wife. But Benedick sees it honourable not to marry, he thinks that she is only worth to be "looked on". Benedick, at the beginning of the play, doesn't believe in marriage or love for a woman. He thinks that it is not his duty to "look" on women. Benedick believes it's not his duty to care for a woman. He says that any man who marries will be "Cuckolded" as the wife would be unfaithful. The night before the wedding of Claudio and Hero, Don John and his evil gang

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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For man is a giddy thing and this is my conclusion Comment on Benedicks assessment of human character in the light of the events presented in Shakespeares play Much Ado About Nothing

Zoe Nunn "For man is a giddy thing and this is my conclusion" Comment on Benedick's assessment of human character in the light of the events presented in Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing At the end of the play, Benedick makes a significant comment on the state of man, saying, "for man is a giddy thing and this is my conclusion". This is a theme throughout the play, concerning the inconstancy of human nature and it shines a light on the lessons learnt by the major characters in the play, and asks that they be allowed to grow in maturity through their foolish mistakes and rash judgements. The first event in the play that portrays giddiness, and through it causes sudden changeability, is when Claudio declares his love for Hero. He has just returned from battle, and has only to lay eyes on Hero to fall madly in love with her. Before he left for battle, he had only looked on her with a "soldier's eye", one of lust, but now he declares, "she is the sweetest lady that ever I looked on" with love. This is a very swift and impulsive change in his feelings towards her, and when the exchange is made by his kinsman Don Pedro, by wooing Hero for Claudio, Claudio wishes to be wed the next day, but is made to wait a week. This is all very sudden, like so many of Claudio's actions throughout the play. His character is very changeable and he is quick to judge. This is best

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Much Ado About Nothing - movie review.

Movie Review: Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves, Robert Sean Leonard, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Briers, Brian Blessed, Michael Keaton, Ben Elton Running Time: 1hr 5mins Introduction If you're studying the Shakespeare play, Much Ado About Nothing, be sure to watch Kenneth Branagh's interpretation of this play. This film will provide you with an enhanced understanding of the play. Although, it is misleading at times, this version of the play will keep you fully entertained for the full 111 minutes and provide you with extra knowledge of the play. Casting The majority of the cast was well selected, and the actors lived up to expectations. Denzel Washington played Don Pedro well. He looked noble and therefore suited the part of Don Pedro. Kenneth Branagh made a super decision in casting an African American as Don Pedro. The illegitimacy is more obvious when one of the princes is 'black' and the other is 'white.' However, I feel that Keanu Reeves is not suitable to play the part of Don John. In another version of Much Ado About Nothing, the actor cast as Don John was much older and less handsome, which made him appear more of a villain and I feel, for this reason, he succeeded in playing the role of Don John. I think that Keanu Reeves is inappropriate to play this role because the audience does not immediately recognise him as a

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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What will an audience find to enjoy in 'Much Ado About Nothing'?

Rachel Beesley English Courssework Much Ado About Nothing What will an audience find to enjoy in 'Much Ado About Nothing'? Much Ado About Nothing is a short play by Shakespeare, which has comedy, romance, suspense and a lot of drama twisted into several hundred lines of verse. The ending is happy, however, and little has changed albeit two marriages. The play is important, not because of its subject matter, but because it shows us that life itself is similarly enjoyable and foolish - our lives are "much ado about nothing". The first thing an audience will find to enjoy in this light-hearted comedy is the excellent stagecraft, which includes setting, costumes and masks. Act II scene 1 from the 1993 production I saw, is an ideal example of the type of stagecraft an audience would get ample enjoyment out of. As Act II scene 1 opens, the principal female characters, accompanied by Leonato and his brother Antonio, enter a huge courtyard which is part of Governor Leonato's estate. The whole courtyard is strung with fairy lights, which, while illuminating the scene, also add a romantic touch. The beautiful Italian sunset and lively fiddle music, played mostly throughout the dialogue, capture the joyous atmosphere perfectly. In contrast to all the other females, Beatrice, Hero, Margaret and Ursula are clothed in white dresses. This clearly identifies them

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What is striking about Much Ado About Nothing is that it is written largely in prose.

What is striking about Much Ado About Nothing is that it is written largely in prose. This contrasts with the blank verse that fills many of Shakespeare's other plays although it seems more familiar to modern audiences used to plain prose. Unlike the bland modern speech that we are so used to, Shakespeare's prose is rich, full of colorful imagery, and plays with words. He even allows Benedick to make fun of the prose used by Claudio, commenting that Claudio used to speak plainly whereas he now uses orthography. Benedick as a character derives his mannerisms from a manual by Baldassare Castiglione titled The Book of the Courtier. Published in English translation in 1561, the book describes a conversation between several intellectual men and women through which they discuss that qualities that a perfect courtier would possess. They create a courtier who can make both love and war, assist the Prince, dance elegantly, and fully grasp diplomatic situations. Their courtiers also should be able to sing, engage in philosophical musings and tell humorous stories. Benedick is the archetype of this ideal figure, a man called upon to perform all of these roles in this play. It is important to realize that "nothing" was pronounced "noting" in Shakespeare's time. This is in fact a play obsesses with noting, or the lack of it. As a result, there is a special effort made by the characters

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Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing

Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare How is Dogberry the fool or jester of the play? What is the significance of Dogberry's discovery about the plot against Hero? Do you think that Dogberry's ignorance is actually knowledge about life? Support your answers with details from text. "Marry, sir, they have committed false report; moreover, they have spoken untruths; secondarily, they are slanders; sixth and lastly, they have belied a lady; thirdly, they have verified unjust things; and, to conclude, they are lying knaves (5.1.225-233)." I don't think anyone could read these lines without a smile. Not only Dogberry can't count, but he repeats the same accusation, without realizing that it's all one crime. Dogberry's stupidness brings him a role of a jester in the play, providing comic relief in the event of Hero's tragedy. Dogberry has a great significance in the play. Although, Dogberry's presence is a lampoon of authority, by uncovering the plot, he proves that even people like him can be somewhat of importance, because their simple foolishness and "dumbness" can catch very important points. "What your wisdoms could not discover, these shallow fools have brought to light...(5.1.242-244)." If Dogberry has not had the control, Hero, most likely, would still carry the false accusations. I think that Dogberry could be the real hero of the play because out of his

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It might be deduced from listening to Leonato in 'Much Ado About Nothing' that the world of the play is a Patriarchal Place where women who speak their mind are 'too curst'. It is to a modern audience that Hero's passive silence may seem to be the curse

It might be deduced from listening to Leonato in 'Much Ado About Nothing' that the world of the play is a Patriarchal Place where women who speak their mind are 'too curst'. It is to a modern audience that Hero's passive silence may seem to be the curse Although Shakespeare wrote his numerous plays to entertain the Elizabethan audience, his characters, aside from any comical or storytelling value can also be seen as representatives of significant social issues of the time. The theatre acted as a voice of Elizabethan Society and Shakespeare was fond of exploring the social issues of the time, as emphasised by Phyland in his An introduction to Shakespeare - life and times. Shakespeare was particularly interested in the interaction of the genders, which he examines in many of his tragedies and comedies. Examples of this would be such as Portia and Bassanio in Merchant of Venice and Katherina and Petruchio in Taming of the Shrew. 'Much Ado About Nothing' is another good example of this with numerous gender interactions such as Beatrice and Benedick and even Hero and Claudio. The, or at least one of the key issues in 'Much Ado About Nothing' is that of the position of women within the household. To a modern audience this can also be construed as the position of women within the whole of Elizabethan Society. 'Much Ado About Nothing' could be seen as a male dominated play. This is

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Much Ado about Nothing. There are many different themes of this play such as love, marriage, deception, loyalty and conflict. These themes come out through the characters actions, and their words.

My essay on 'Much Ado about Nothing' This is my essay on Much Ado about Nothing, a play written (1598?) by William Shakespeare. The main plot of this story is love and deception. In a small town in called Messina, in Sicily a soldier called Claudio falls in love with a lady called Hero, but he is to shy to approach her. Benedick tries to persuade him not to fall in love and that he should live a bachelor for the rest of his life like he will, but Claudio doesn't listen. So in a dance Don Pedro Woo's Hero for Claudio and she accept his proposal and then Hero and Claudio get engaged. In most love stories there is always someone who doesn't like it, and in this story the person that doesn't like it is Don John the bastard. So Don John the bastard tries to ruin the wedding, and he succeeds by accusing the bride to be, Hero, of sleeping with Barachio and stopping the marriage from happening, and Claudio believes this and tells Hero that she is a whore in the wedding ceremony as their walking up the isle. Hero faints and the priest has a plan to tell everyone that Hero is dead. In the meantime Benedick and Beatrice deny their love for each other, and swear that they will never marry. And then being tricked by Don Pedro and Claudio into seeing that they love each other so much, they wait to get married at the same time as Claudio and Hero. One of Don John the bastards' accomplices

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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