Analyse Act Four, Scene One of Much Ado About Nothing to show how Shakespeare explores relationships between men and women and contemporary expectations of virginity, love and marriage.
Analyse Act Four, Scene One of Much Ado About Nothing to show how Shakespeare explores relationships between men and women and contemporary expectations of virginity, love and marriage. The play "Much Ado About Nothing" incorporates love, villainy, friendship, parent-child relationships, society and customs and relationships between men and women. Men dominated Elizabethan society and this play explores a wide range of men's attitudes to the place of women in society. 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 to get it out of the way. At this point in the play, the audience know more than Leonato. Previously, Dogberry, the constable of Messina, had tried to inform Leonato of how Hero would be humiliated publicly at the wedding. However, Leonato is so preoccupied, he never receives this information and so is completely unaware of what is going to take place. 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 says hastily "To be married to her: friar, you come to marry her." This is an example of Leonato's anxious behaviour. Earlier on in the play, he expresses that leaving the
An exploration of the ways in which Shakespeare presents love and romance within 'Much Ado About Nothing'.
Approximate word count: 2000 An exploration of the ways in which Shakespeare presents love and romance within 'Much Ado About Nothing' Love and romance are two major themes within 'Much Ado About Nothing'. They are approached through different relationships that develop throughout the play. Shakespeare expresses how romance differs with different gradients of love. The two main relationships within the play are Beatrice and Benedick and Hero and Claudio, however other forms of love are raised throughout the play, as well as less intense relationships- like Margaret and Borachio's. During the sixteenth century there was much pressure on young individuals to marry- to marry was one of the key objectives in a citizens life. Love was seen in a very different light as to how we view it today, it was dramatic, instant. Claudio falls 'in love' with Hero before even talking to her, he bases his love completely on her appearance, and financial situation. In Claudio and Hero Shakespeare has presented a sixteenth century ideal of a couple. They marry for social betterment, because it is the correct path to follow, not because of true love. The couple follow societies expectation of what they should do. Hero is 'wooed' by Don Pedro- and then given to Claudio, Hero has been told how to answer the princes offer- with no decision of her own, as Beatrice implies. "it is my cousin's
How and how effectively are women presented in 'Much Ado about nothing'?
How and how effectively are women presented in 'Much Ado about nothing'? In this essay I will give a detailed analysis of the language used by both characters; Hero and Beatrice. I will comment and contrast the way in which they speak to people of both the same and opposite sex, relating their personalities to this. I shall also refer to their relationships between themselves and the male characters. The first woman character presented is Beatrice, whose opening line is an insult towards a man; giving an ironic name to 'Signor Mountanto.' Benedick is a character, with whom Beatrice often fights, professing disdain. This is extremely unladylike and not the usual way women should have behaved in Shakespeare's days, as they should have been silent gentle and submissive. She is the only woman character portrayed to be opinionated, passionate, and witty, in Shakespeare's time these kinds of women were often frowned upon and evoked suspicion. The way that Shakespeare found to explore this issue was by using comedy. Because of her personality, she has no time or use for men as she admits that she 'had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me'. This totally sums up Beatrice in terms of her attitude and her emotions, claiming her heart is harder than Benedick's; we later discover this is not the truth. Beatrice is shown to be a
What attitudes are displayed about the roles of women in the play 'Much Ado About Nothing'?
What attitudes are displayed about the roles of women in the play 'Much Ado About Nothing'? In what ways does a modern audience respond to this aspect of the play? In this coursework, I am going to discuss what attitudes are displayed about the roles of women in the play 'Much Ado About Nothing'. I will also examine which ways a modern audience responds to this aspect of the play. The genre of the play is comedy and it was first performed at court in 1613. The play is centred on two couples - Beatrice and Benedick and Claudio and Hero. It was originally titled 'Benedicke and Betteris' and Shakespeare obviously wanted the audience to focus more on these characters rather than the main 'ado', which concerns Don John's plot to prevent the marriage between Hero and Claudio. Beatrice is the strongest female role in the play. She has 'so swift and excellent a wit' (Act 3.1 line 89), that most of the male characters do not dare to cross her. Benedick alone is her equal, and their wit is not just a means of defending themselves, but how they present themselves to others. Beatrice's shrewish nature comes to the surface when the subjects of marriage or Benedick are raised, but it would be wrong to think Beatrice is only a literary stereotype as she has so much more to her character. Beatrice is probably a bigger heroine to a modern audience, rather than to one at the time when the
The Tricking Of Benedick - What makes act 2 scene 3 dramatically effective?
WHAT MAKES ACT 2 SCENE 3 (The Tricking Of Benedick) DRAMATICALLY EFFECTIVE? Act two scene three, is am important scene in the play because it is the point in the play where Benedick changes almost instantaneously, form a man who hates love, marriage and anything connected with to a man who is madly in love with Beatrice, all by over hearing a conversation. The humour of this scene is that we know it is a trick and that Leonato, Claudio and Don Pedro intend to let Benedick over hear their conversation. Also because we can see Benedick's reactions to what is being said it adds to he comedy. Earlier scenes in Much Ado About Nothing portray Benedick as a bigheaded man, who is full of him self and has a hatred for love, commitment and marriage. He seems to hate Beatrice, and in one of his arguments with her, it gives the impression that he knows her from something that happened in the past, "you always end with a jade's trick; I know you of old." This quote suggests that Beatrice and Benedick had something in the past. Also he says many things that gives the audience the impression that he is full of him self, " I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted." This quote suggests that Benedick has no problem with being loved by other women, but when it comes to him loving other women he is not very impressed by the idea. Also he makes reference to not having any freedom when he is
Discuss Shakespeare's presentation of Claudio and the intentions behind the main plot in Much Ado About Nothing
GCSE English Coursework Let every eye negotiate for itself And trust no agent; for beauty is a witch Discuss Shakespeare's presentation of Claudio and the intentions behind the main plot in Much Ado About Nothing "Let every eye negotiate for itself And trust no agent; for beauty is a witch" Claudio, Act II, i, lines 134-5 In William Shakespeare's romantic comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, the character Claudio is a young duke from Florence, commended for his proficiency in battle with Don Pedro's army, and a man quick to choose his love; his first line in the play, which happens to be to Benedick, is about his new love. Whilst he falls for Leonato's daughter Hero, we see his poor qualities flourish - he is naïve, even for his age, rash and gullible, but the nearest parallel to his friend, Benedick there is in the play. Compared, Claudio seems extremely similar, yet without Benedick's superior maturity or academic qualities. Claudio occasionally finds himself out of place, (for instance, in act I, scene I, he waits from line 71 to 118 to speak, as the most upper class members of society there meet and greet each other) as he might do with many high ranking and gifted men along side him, especially in the town of Messina where language is seemingly used as a force, or a weapon, and not just for simplistic communication. The first meeting between Beatrice and Benedick is
'Much Ado About Nothing' - study in detail the two main female characters, Beatrice and Hero.
Shakespeare I have studied the Shakespeare play, 'Much Ado About Nothing'. I will study in detail the two main female characters, Beatrice and Hero. Shakespeare did not make up the story line of the play, as it originally only included the Claudio and Hero love affair. Shakespeare added the Benedick and Beatrice plot probably to add interest to the play. At the time that the play was set women had a different role in society than they do these days. Women were seen as property of their fathers and when married that became property of their husbands. They did not have any social worth and what they inherited became their husband's. Quite often, husbands were chosen for the daughter; if not they had to be approved by the father before they were to be married. People at that time also did not marry into a different social class. It was seen as an outrage and disgrace for a woman to not be a virgin when they were first married, if they were from a wealthy family. If a wealthy family found out that an unmarried female relation was not a virgin they would disown her and in some cases send her to a nunnery. This is because if they stayed as part of their family, their family could lose all its respect as it was thought as such a bad thing. Women were expected to be quiet and obedient to their fathers and husbands. Hero was a typical lady of her time and followed social
Explore How Shakespeare Constructs Act 1 And How He Develops It Later On In The Play.
Explore How Shakespeare Constructs Act 1 And How He Develops It Later On In The Play Shakespeare construct Act 1 in a very successful way as he uses his devices to set the play in Act 1 and then letting the story unravel in the other acts. The play "much ado about nothing" is a comedy play but has some elements of tragedy in it, which is over turned by the end of the play. Shakespeare has devised the play skillfully by unrevealing all the main concepts and matters in Act 1. The title of the play "much ado about nothing" tells the whole story in one line. Different people might interpret the title of the play differently to what the play is really about. One interpretation could be "fussing about nothing", i.e. people making a mountain out of a molehill. Others might interpret the title differently. If you deconstruct the title you will see that the word "nothing" has something to do with a woman's genital part which Claudio insults Hero about during the latter part of the play. Shakespeare does this so that the audience can bring their own views of what they think the play will be about when they read or watch the play, but the end of Act 1 we know exactly what the title means, which is mainly about people overhearing things and reporting it back wrongly because the only heard bit of the conversation. Act 1 opens in Leanoto's house in the Orchards which is "of
An exploration of how Shakespeare presents Messina society and its failings in Much Ado About Nothing
An exploration of how Shakespeare presents Messina society and its failings in Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare presents the failings and corruption of Messina society in a number of ways throughout the play. The audience is firstly introduced to a witty, aristocratic and polite society where Shakespeare's use of imagery characterises a civilised place of well-being. However, as the play progresses we begin to feel that beneath this model society lies a materialistic, patriarchal and insecure one based on the distrust of women and the deception of others. Issues of love are not taken seriously and neither language nor appearances can be trusted as reliable indicators of the truth. Shakespeare uses the form of a comedy play to satirise these failings of Messina society and a fragile façade is created which can be easily seen through by the audience. The audience are introduced to the merry return of the soldiers from victory, and society seems to be in a joyful flow as the "victory is twice itself" and "few of any sort have been lost". This image is soon to be realised as an illusion. Don John's first hearing of news during scene three is his "model to build mischief on" as he says that it is "food for his displeasure." This thought of disruption to the order of Messina seems to be a catalyst for the further disruption in the play. As Shakespeare develops the society's
Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing Much ado About Nothing is a play of courtly love and romance, it is about love and falling in love, where virture is rewarded and viciousness is prevented. The play explores the nature of true love, realistically and critically; the way Shakespeare intended it to be. No one would expect to find a moral to the ways of human beings; nether the less Shakespeare must have seemed infinitely subtler as a writer of comedies than any other dramatist in English there had ever been. The audience were delighted by what he had done, for they saw his achievements a true reflection of the theatre of life, in which they were living. Shakespeare used everyday lessons on stage and gave them a whole new freshness. For Hero and Claudio, courtly love was the way of romance, certain convections had to be followed everything was polite and polished. The basis of a good relationship was when women were pure. Chastity is a symbol of love, the wit of the courtly conversation adds something extra to the straightforward communication of meaning; people show off wit in front of others and confirm to acceptable models of conversation, which are often carefully contrived. Beatrice and Benedicks love is more realistic and understanding, as they don't follow the normal rules of courtly love. Claudio is an impulsive, hot headed, youth and his character unfolds in a complex fashion as
