Compare the Dramatisations of Benedick and Don John in Much Ado About Nothing; looking closely at the way they speak and the ways they interact with other characters
In Shakespeare’s era character traits were often represented by humours. Benedick is predominantly influenced by the sanguine humour which gives rise to his friendly, happy, optimistic and generous nature. Don John [henceforth John], however, is portrayed as an introspective, solitary and vengeful character due to the melancholic humour.
Benedick and John are both egotistical and are aware of their personalities. Benedick has wit and charisma to enhance his popularity whilst John appears to be self obsessed and selfish. John’s overuse of ‘I’ indicates his egocentricity and his opening line is stiff showing that he knows he is on the fringes of society. ‘I thank you, I am not of many words, but I thank you’ suggesting that he does not feel comfortable engaging in social contact as he is an outcast [I.1.140-141]. He is a resentful outsider who cannot abide constraints as is shown when he complains to Conrade that he is ‘trusted with a muzzle and enfranchised with a clog’ [I.3.30]. John accepts his villainy and is almost proud of his underhand maliciousness, ‘I cannot hide what I am’… ‘I am a plain dealing villain’… ‘Let me be that I am, and seek not to alter me.’[I.3.12–34].
Benedick, conversely, is confident and sharp. He uses language skilfully although, like John, he can appear rather self-centred. He too is aware of his perceived persona, referring to himself in the third person twice as “the sensible Benedick...” and says “see Benedick…” exaggerating his importance as well as his self-dramatisation as a scorner of woman which would be a recognisable soci...
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John does not change but in fact gives the impression of coming full circle in his actions- Before the curtain opens on the play, John has been rebelling against Pedro, but these rebellions have been crushed. Whilst in Messina, these actions replay themselves: John causes problems for Claudio and Pedro, but he is quickly suppressed and when he tries to flee once more he is captured.
The lack of change in John is in keeping with the audience’s viewpoint that the bastard must continue to operate on the fringes of society. Benedick, however, does change and becomes an enthusiastic advocate of marriage thereby providing a desirable ending for a comic play.
Bibliography
William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing. Heinemann, 1979
Teacher’s Notes
York Notes, Much Ado About Nothing. Longman, York Press, 2004
http://nfs.sparknotes.com/muchado/
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
Shakespeare’s Personality. Ed. Norman N. Holland, Sidney Homan, and Bernard J. Paris. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1989. 116. - 134.
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.
Beatrice and Benedick show their apparent distaste for each other right from the first scene. Beatrice mocks Benedick to the Governor of Messina, claiming that she always beats him in a battle of wits and the last time they crossed paths Benedict’s “five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man governed by one” (1,1,50). Clearly relishing resuming their ‘merry war’, Beatrice cuts Benedick down at the first opportunity, telling him “I wonder that you still will be talking, Signor Benedick, nobody marks you” (1,1,105). Incredulously, Benedick retorts, “what my dear lady distain! Are you yet living?” (1,1,95). So, the dynamic of the two is set and it goes on from there in the same vein. Yet, the reader, even at this early stage may ponder if the lady doth protest too much.
The adult John comes to civilized society as an experiment by Marx and Mond to see how a "savage" would adapt to civilization. Frankly, he does not adapt very well. He is appalled by the lifestyle and ideas of civilized people, and gets himself into a lot of trouble by denouncing civilization. He loves Lenina very much, but gets very upset at her when she wants to have sex with him. He physically attacks her, and from that point on does not want to have anything to do with her. When his mother dies, he interferes with the "death conditioning" of children by being sad. Finally, his frustrations with the civilized world become too much for him and he decides to take action. He tries to be a sort of a Messiah to a group of Deltas, trying to free them from the effect of soma. He tells them only the truth, but it is not the truth that the Deltas have been conditioned to believe, so to them it is a violent lie and they begin to cause a riot. When the riot is subdued, John is apprehended and taken to have a talk with Mustapha Mond.
Whedon's production of Much Ado About Nothing is a modern, black and white retelling of the famous Shakespeare play of the same name which tells the story of love and deceit between two couples: Hero and Claudio, and Beatrice and Benedick. While Hero and Claudio court and prepare to marry each other, Beatrice and Benedick steal the show away with their wit, humor, and constant bickering. Though they both insist that they hate each other, the flashback presented at the start of the film suggests that there is far more to the story than meets the eye. While the style of the film certainly enhances the story being told, making it a timeless classic entangled with modern society, it is the ensemble cast that work both individually and as a unit which make the film a true masterpiece, as well as the genius idea of a change in scenery that propels a sense of realism not often found in your average Shakespeare adaptation.
With its entangled plots and eloquent use of words, Much Ado About Nothing is a story that has the ability to entertain the masses, both young and old. Shakespeare’s use of figurative language along with situation creates such vivid imagery that carries the drama from beginning to end. For example, when we look at Act 1 Scene 1 of the play, we are quickly introduced to the sharp tongued Beatrice as she verbally annihilates her unseen co-star Benedick.... ... middle of paper ... ...
He began to boast and embellish the story of what actually happened in that moment. He became seemingly selfish, and self absorbed doing only what would advance him in the society. After the small infraction of lying about this event, he brought John and his mother from their home, only to use them for personal gain and blackmail. These moments reveal that he is not so much about defining himself as an individual but more about conforming. That he did, becoming calculating and cold for self-gain.
In the play Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare there are two main plots in the story. The first is about Claudio and Hero and their relationship, the second is Beatrice and Benedick and their relationship both of these relationships end up in marriage. Shakespeare compares these relationships side by side and you can clearly see his opinion on marriage. He believes in love, but he doesn’t believe in the arranged marriage that is happening during the Elizabethan era of his writing.
In I Henry IV and II Henry IV, William Shakespeare brings together drama and comedy to create two of the most compelling history plays ever written. Many of Shakespeare's other works are nearly absolute in their adherence to either the comic or tragic traditions, but in the two Henry IV plays Shakespeare combines comedy and drama in ways that seem to bring a certain realism to his characters, and thus the plays. The present essay is an examination of the various and significant effects that Shakespeare's comedic scenes have on I Henry IV and II Henry IV. The Diversity of Society
In Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, protagonist Hamlet, experiences many rises and falls throughout the play that have a major impact on his mentality decline. The way in which readers interpret the character, Hamlet, can vary in many ways. For instance, Hamlet delivers many soliloquies throughout the work, giving readers a better insight of his state of mind. Additionally, two significant soliloquies in both Acts II and III show a clear view of Hamlet’s mental and emotional state.
...ssion and intrusiveness. John’s lack of having an open mind to his wife’s thoughts and opinions and his constant childish like treatment of his wife somehow emphasizes this point, although, this may not have been his intention. The narrator felt strongly that her thoughts and feelings were being disregarded and ignored as stated by the narrator “John does not know how much I really suffer. He knows there is no reason to suffer, and that satisfies him” (Gilman 115), and she shows her despise of her husband giving extra care to what he considers more important cases over his wife’s case with a sarcastic notion “I am glad my case is not serious!” (Gilman 115). It is very doubtful that John is the villain of the story, his good intentions towards doing everything practical and possible to help his wife gain her strength and wellbeing is clear throughout the story.
Throughout, the play, Much Ado About Nothing, the characters within the play constantly degrade Don John to less than a human, because of his illegitimacy. These people treat him inferior to themselves, which in response makes Don John provoke chaos.
At the beginning, Benedick’s attitude is negative towards women in general. He swears he will never marry, as he is very critical of women and does not trust any of them not to cheat on him. He seems to oppose with Beatrice in a competition to outwit, outsmart, and out-insult each other. Obviously he has been in some sort of past relationship with Beatrice because when he meets her at the masked ball, she describes him as a selfish pig. We can infer that Benedick has some kind of deep feelings for her because after she insults him he is hurt and says, “Will your grace command me any service to the world’s end? I will go on the slightest errand now to the Antipodes that you can devise to send me on. I will fetch you a toothpick from the furthest inch of Asia . . . do you any embassage to the pigmies, rather than hold three words’ conference with this harpy” (II.i.229–235). This blatantly means that he does not wish to talk to her.
John, the narrator's husband, represents society at large. Like society, John controls and determines much of what his wife should or should not do, leaving his wife incapable of making her own decisions. John's domineering nature can be accredited to the fact that John is male and also a "physician of high standing" (1). John is "practical in the extreme. He has no patience with faith, an intense horror of superstition, and he scoffs openly at any talk of thi...