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The tragic theme of love in William Shakespeare
Love in Shakespeare
The tragic theme of love in William Shakespeare
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Trickery and deceit are central themes in Much Ado. Explain how deception is used in this story. How does this lead to love and romance?
There is many different ways we fall in love. Some is through old friendships, work relationships and even the internet. Although in Shakespeare's, Much Ado About Nothing, trickery and deceit is the central theme of love. Shakespeare starts the story with a love at first sight scene with Hero, which is Leonato’s daughter who is the Governor of Messina and Claudio who is a young lord from Florence. He then follows that scene with a “roast battle” starring Beatrice, Leonato's niece and Benedick whom is a lord. Both are affected by lies and both lead to lifelong love.
Don John, the Prince’s half brother, and
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In act II scene III Benedick is duped by Don Pedro, Claudio and Leonato as he eavesdrops on their conversation of how Beatrice is so madly in love with him, which was an absolute lie. Benedick falls for the trick. After he hears what they say he has his own moment to himself to make sense of what he just heard. Benedick exclaims, “They say I will bear myself proudly if I perceive the love come from her. They say, too, that she will rather die than give any sign of affection. I did never think to marry”(2.3.229-231). Benedick is saying that he is so unaware by the obsession she has for him although it did make sense now that he thinks about it hard enough. He thinks she is a cold blooded lady, that was why he never thought to marry her. Beatrice is tricked the same way. Although, it is by Ursula and Hero. After Beatrice falls in their web of lies in act III scene I, she goes on the same rant. Beatrice passionately says, “...Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand. If thou dost love, my kindness shall incite thee”(3.2.119-120). Beatrice is exclaiming that if he has tamed her bitterness and unpleasantness then maybe she should show him some sort of happiness and be a bit more sweeter to him.
They both fell for the scheme. Although, in act IV scene I Beatrice wanted Benedick to prove his fair love and challenge Count Claudio after embarassed her cousin Hero. Benedick was hesitant of such crime but after Beatrice poured her heart out to him he felt he had no other choice but to do the duty for her. She was amazingly aroused by the braveness he had and it made her have a stronger feeling of love for him. Although, he did not have to do as told because they all learned Hero was falsely
The 3 deliberately have a conversation about Beatrice love and affection for Benedick, causing him to question whether or not what is being said is true or not. As Leonato starts to speak, he says… By my troth, my lord, I cannot tell him what to think of it, but that she loves him with enraged affection, it is past the infinite of thought. (3.4.107-110). Typically saying Beatrice love for him is by far more than any man can comprehend by far even withstand having knowledge of. By this time Benedick seems to question whether or not this is credible, but hearing it from Leonato he thinks it has to be true because he has never spoken any words other than the
William Shakespeare is known for his use of dramatic irony and complicated story lines. In Much Ado About Nothing, he also adds in the element of disguise to what the characters know, or what they think they know. There are multiple characters trying to ensnare others in different facades, whether it be for better or for worse. The deception and illusion in the play can either assist the characters or completely shatter the situation, but in both cases, Shakespeare advises us to infer about what we hear or see before we jump to conclusions.
...ut Nothing is an extremely fast paced and witty play, Shakespeare very much has love as his central theme. There are two very different, yet equally compelling relationships that are explored in depth. They run through the play concurrently, allowing the reader to compare and contrast the different facets and complexities between the two. The playwright’s rich understanding of relationships, and particularly his understanding of the fact that love is not always as formulaic as many a writer would have us believe, makes for a fascinating read. In fact, by directly comparing a realistic couple, full of real world self doubt and a fear of rejection with a very stereotypical love-at-first-sight type of relationship, Shakespeare is possibly making the point that love and relationships have more depth than is often given credit.
Beatrice and Benedick seem to have had some relationship before the beginning of the book that ended badly. This suggests that the initial situation between Beatrice and Benedick was one of mutual attraction, not of the overt hate they seem to flaunt at the beginning of the play. Scorn of this magnitude is rare among people who dislike each other from the start, and seems very unlikely in a broken up couple. In addition, both Beatrice and Benedick turned out to be very willing to abandon their smear campaigns as soon as they are convinced the other is aching for them. It is ridiculous that one would abandon one's own principals to bail out a hated enemy in trouble. This makes clear that their attitude toward each other is an act. If this is so, what is the purpose of the act...
Both of them despise marriage, are witty, and are each their own people. These, however, are not the reasons why they come together. They are brought together by their respective companions who conspire to tell each of them that the one loves the other as the two misdirected lovers listen in. In his speech directly after this, Benedick is swayed to a life that he previously would have avoided at all costs. In hearing of Beatrice’s supposed affection, he immediately changes his entire outlook on perpetual bachelorhood and pronounces a love that is not real or his own, but comes secondhand from trickery.
In the time of William Shakespeare where courtship and romance were often overshadowed by the need to marry for social betterment and to ensure inheritance, emerges a couple from Much Ado About Nothing, Hero and Claudio, who must not only grow as a couple, who faces deception and slander, but as individuals. Out of the couple, Claudio, a brave soldier respected by some of the highest ranked men during his time, Prince Don Pedro and the Governor of Messina, Leonato, has the most growing to do. Throughout the play, Claudio’s transformation from an immature, love-struck boy who believes gossip and allows himself to easily be manipulated is seen when he blossoms into a mature young man who admits to his mistakes and actually has the capacity to love the girl he has longed for.
In William Shakespeare’s play ‘Much Ado about Nothing’, there are many instances of trickery and deception, which seem to surround the whole of the play.
Benedick’s attitude towards love is that he does not love anyone and that it is a stupid idea to fall in love with someone. Then he further explains himself in, “Then is courtesy a turncoat. But it is certain I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted; and I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart, for truly I love none” (Act 1, scene 1, lines 122-125). In this quote Benedick says that the woman’s courtesy is a traitor and that all ladies love him, except for Beatrice. He also states that it is too bad that he is so hard-hearted, because he really doesn’t love anyone. Beatrice’s attitude towards love is that she does not want to be married to a man that swears to love her, because she finds that very stupid. She then further explains herself by stating in, “A dear happiness to women. They would else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor. I thank god and my cold blood I am of your humor for that. I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me” (Act 1, scene 1, lines 126-130). In this quote Beatrice is saying that Benedick would make a nasty suitor for women and that they both feel the same way about love. She also states that she would rather hear her dog bark at a crow than hear a man say that he loves her. And I find their courtship more appealing
Exploring Love in Much Ado About Nothing In Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare depicts different kinds of loving relationships - romantic love, family support and loyal friendship - and shows how various characters react to love and marriage. By exploring the effects of this powerful emotion Shakespeare highlights its universal relevance, a relevance that transcends time. The main plot of Much Ado About Nothing is that of the relationship between Claudio and Hero. Their story is a melodramatic saga concerning the realities of relationships based on love at first sight.
Throughout Act one and two, Benedick repeatedly says that he will never love a woman or get married. At some stage in the duration of the play his mindset changes. In the end he is head over heels in love for Beatrice whom he once quarreled with habitually. The turnabout in his behavior was brought about by the deceiving Claudio and Pedro who indirectly told Benedick that Beatrice loved him.
The machinations of Claudio and Don Pedro initially bring Beatrice and Benedick together, despite their initial dislike for each other. A previous relationship is the probable root of both character’s intolerance and ‘postures of hostility’ towards marriage and the opposite sex. Throughout the play Beatrice and Benedick engage in a ‘war of wit’, whereby they both exercise their impressive, quick, humour, as a mechanism of defence against one another. This immediately depicts there is going to be an element of comedy in the play, and both characters are a source of entertainment.
Beatrice and Benedick eventually sacrificed their values and their independent self-images to be together, yet they had to be tricked into doing so. They were never willing to admit their feelings until the other did so first. Benedick likes to be known for being loved but not giving love because it makes him feel powerful. Beatrice is either scared of being hurt or already has been. Even after they profess their love to each other, Beatrice and Benedick remain in competition to protect their egos. At the wedding, they claim not to love each other until Hero and Claudio expose the love letters they had written but never sent. They then give in and decide to be married, yet they are not rid of the prideful patterns that may later threaten their relationship. If they are still unable to healthily express their love for each other, is that love strong enough to endure the hardships of a lifetime together? Another effect of her emotional suppression is the outburst Beatrice has in Act 4. For the first time, she is seen weeping, which is followed by a radical request. When she tells Benedick he must kill Claudio or lose her, all the tension and emotion she has been holding in throughout the movie is released and you see her frustrations with gender roles and inequality (4.2.255-329). This scene also reveals the unequal expectations of each other. Benedick is originally
In this Shakespearean comedy ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ two similarly obstinate characters of Beatrice and Benedick are presented between the rather normal relationship of characters Hero and Claudio. Shakespeare presents Beatrice and Benedick’s obstinacy towards the rather obligatory act of marriage and also their particularly similar personalities that cause reason for their familiar act of squabbling; he does this whilst also presenting two characters that are completely interested in marriage and who are hardly intellectually capable of squabbling in a similar manner. As the play unfolds both characters remain combative with one another but as love becomes the better of them, they begin to reveal that somewhat secretive sensitivity amongst the complications of their hearts. In this essay we are going to explore the fundamental scenes that contribute to this, as well as overall changes in the characters and the techniques used to imply given ideas.
Benedick and Beatrice are similar to Odysseus and Penelope because they are equals in wit. Practically the entire play demonstrates their wits brings the struggle they create for each other alive. However, one special moment that they share where their wits are used in harmony comes after Hero’s almost-wedding, and public disgrace. Benedick goes to comfort Beatrice, and confides, “I do love nothing in the world so well as you. Is not that strange?” (Shakespeare, pg. 227). After some prodding and some repartee characteristic of their relationship, he gets Beatrice to admit, “I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest” (Shakespeare, pg. 229). As mentioned previously in another essay prompt, neither one allowed them self to love the other before they felt certain of the other’s feelings. But, once they let themselves love each other, and open up, they were able to be true, and sincere with one another. Their love is strong enough that upon Beatrice’s request to “Kill Claudio” (Shakespeare, pg. 229), Benedick first refuses this challenge, which pains Beatrice; but, in the end, he agrees to challenge Claudio. Love has a lot of power; whether for good, or for bad. But, the point is that no matter the difficulties, and differences between a man and a woman, they can undertake
From the very start of the play Beatrice shows her independence but openly admitting to everyone that she does not, by any chance, want to be married, especially to Signior Benedick. Whom it was hinted at throughout the play had a past with Beatrice and the “relationship” ended up with her being hurt and him going off to battle. She makes it clear in their battle of wits after he says “….But it is certain I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted; and I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart, for truly I love no one.” (A1; S1; L122-125). After hearing Benedick say that she then replies with “A dear happiness to women. They would else have been troubled with a precious suitor. I thank God and my cold blood I am of your humor for that. I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.” (A1; S1; L126-130). This was basically her way of telling Benedick that she does not want someone to swear the love her when in reality the love is not actually there. She would rather not deal with the nonsense of someone who is not true to their word. Even at another moment in the play, Leonato says to h...