Themes in Much Ado About Nothing
Themes in Much Ado About Nothing The play "Much Ado About Nothing" is not about nothing. It shows strong themes in the areas of deception, love and the power of words. Also, the play is streaked with metaphors involving the taming of wild animals. These ideas make proving themes and issues and easy and convincing argument. The plot of the play is based upon deliberate deceptions, some malevolent and others gracious. The deception of Claudio and Don Pedro results in Hero's disgrace, while the trick of her death prepares the way for her redemption and reconciliation with Claudio. Lines like "men were deceivers ever" (2.3.54) bring about the fact that the deception is a key theme in the play. Nothing shows that deceit is essentially evil, but in the play it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between good and bad deception. The bible says: "But people who are evil and cheat others will go from bad to worse. They will
fool others, but they will also be fooling themselves." (2 Tim 3:13) This is evident as Don John plots and succeeds in fooling Claudio and Don Pedro into thinking that Hero has been sleeping with other men before their marriage, but backfires when her "death" is staged and Claudio and Hero are reunited and even more in love after Claudio sincerely apologises. Another turning point in the play is where Beatrice and Benedick are fooled into thinking that each loves the other, but actually does fall in love as a result. In the end, deceit is neither wholly positive nor ...
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fool others, but they will also be fooling themselves." (2 Tim 3:13) This is evident as Don John plots and succeeds in fooling Claudio and Don Pedro into thinking that Hero has been sleeping with other men before their marriage, but backfires when her "death" is staged and Claudio and Hero are reunited and even more in love after Claudio sincerely apologises. Another turning point in the play is where Beatrice and Benedick are fooled into thinking that each loves the other, but actually does fall in love as a result. In the end, deceit is neither wholly positive nor wholly negative: it is a means to an end, it is a way that allows the characters to succeed socially. But even though there is deception, love is still strong and this play there is two types of love. A developed love is shown where Beatrice and Benedick are first fooled into thinking the other loves them, but in the end it doesn't even matter because there love for each other has been nurtured into the point of commitment and marriage. Benedick shows this devout love by saying "I love nothing in the world so well as you, is not that strange?" (4.1.259) The other type of love is where Claudio and Hero fall in love purely though the love their eyes has for each other, rather then the love their heart has for the other. This could also be a deceived love as their eyes have been captured by the others appearance, rather then their true feelings for each other. The power of love in the play almost rivals that of the power of words. Several times, throughout the play, visible turning points in the play have been achieved by a few words. Firstly, the power of Beatrice's words changed Benedick's mind from thinking of their exchanges as a game to a serious, in love commitment. Further on though, in perhaps what was the most catching scene, is where Hero's reputation as a moral, pure girl is destroyed as she is accused of having an affair. This is so serious to the point where her own father, Leonato disowns her. This shows that through a few words, the love of a family can be changed and the thoughts about another person can be reversed. Another element in this play is the metaphor of taming wild animals. In the case of the courting of Beatrice and Benedick, this symbol of a tamed savage animal represents the taming, socially that one must undergo, for untamed souls to be ready to submit to the needs and trials of love and marriage. Beatrice vows this by saying, "taming my wild heart to thy loving hand" (3.1.113). Evident in the opening act, is Claudio and Don Pedro's comparing Benedick to a wild animal, the Prince in regard to this recalls a common adage, "Well, as time shall try. 'In time the savage bull doth bear the yoke,'" meaning that in time even the savage bull, who is Benedick will break to the taming that love and marriage brings (1.1.213). At the very end, when Beatrice and Benedick agree to wed, Claudio jests at Benedick's shy and sheepish countenance, he is suggesting that Benedick is adverse to marriage because he is remembering the illusion of the tamed bull. "I think he thinks upon the savage bull. Tush, fear not, man, we'll tip thy horns with gold, And all Europa shall rejoice at thee As once Europa did at lusty love When he would play the noble beast in love (5.4.43-47) This statement changes Benedick from a bull under the strains and boundaries of marriage to a powerful man or god enabled by his bestial form to take possession of Beatrice as his wife. The bull in the above quote is from a classical myth where the god Zeus, comes and takes the form of a women and carries of the mortal, human woman Europa. This is supposed to represent love and lust. So in the end, there is strong evidence to suggest that "Much Ado About Nothing isn't as the title suggests yet contains strong themes and ideas that oppose this. This shows that even though the title says something, it is not always true, Shakespeare could have intended this to fool us while lacing the play with themes of deception, the power of words, love, and the taming of wild animals.