How does Shakespeare Present Relationships Between
Men and Women in Act 1 and Act 2 Scene 1
In Much Ado About Nothing there is a lot of talk about different relationships but they are presented in different ways. Shakespeare presents some of the relationships as being very passionate, where as others are presented as being filled with conflict as well as love.
At the beginning of the play we get to see how Beatrice and Benedick feel about each other without even getting to see them together. When the messenger comes with news about the soldiers returning back to Messina, Beatrice asks the messenger mockingly about Benedick,” I pray you, is Seignior Mountanto returned from the wars, or no?”
In Act 1 we get to see the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick. Shakespeare presents their relationship as being one containing conflict because as soon as they set eyes on each other they start quarrelling, but personally I wouldn’t call it a quarrel as all they do is make snide remarks to each other, Benedick: “well you are a rare parrot-teacher.” Beatrice replied, “A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours.” This shows me that they know each other so well, that they what each other is going to say because when one of them is talking to the other they pick up on what they are saying and put it in their own remark, this is called Stichomythia
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Peer Reviews
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Quality of writing
The Quality of Written Communication is average. A limited use of punctuation points limits this essay from reaching higher marks as there is less adeptness shown with language, though very few spelling or grammatical errors mean the intention of the essay of very clear and easily understandable.
Level of analysis
The Level of Analysis is typical of a GCSE student hoping to achieve a middle/high C grade. There is an analysis of the relationships in the play, with a well-formed view of how each characters act within their respective relationships (Claudio & Hero, Benedick & Beatrice, and also the friendship shared between Benedick, Don John and Claudio). However, this answer doesn't so much generalise the play's themes and the roles of men and women as much as it does talk about the characters exclusively. In order to achieve higher marks, the candidate needs to lift the themes and statements Shakespeare is trying to make off of the page and analyse how the context of the time is different to the roles of men and women today. There is effective quoting in the essay, with a wide range of appropriate evidence taken from the texts in order to illustrate the candidates' points, each of them valid but restricted in that a lot of the time, it feels as though the candidate is re-telling the story. Candidates will win no marks for doing this unless there is a crystal clear effort to try and analyse the effect of what is quoted.
Response to question
This question asks the candidate how Shakespeare presents the realism of a relationship and the role on men and women in relationships. A common question on the GCSE syllabus, there must be a sensitive response that addresses the roles in context of the time the play was written. The candidate makes a basic level of analysis whilst the focus on the question is somewhat blurred through a possible lack of comprehension. The play is understood, and remembered in sequence correctly, but the amount of insight given suggests a few more reads of the play would be well-recommended.