Much Ado About Nothing, a Shakespearian play produced in the late 15th century is an amusing comedy that includes elements of deception, gender roles, and immense character development. Although some characters in the play appear very shallow and lacking depth, others such as Benedick and Beatrice show development from the beginning to the end of the play. Throughout the play Much Ado About Nothing characters such as Benedick, Beatrice, Hero and Claudio all change more or less. Hero is what you could call a "flat" character. As you can gather from her name, she is an exceedingly good and wholesome young girl who follows all of the ideals of the "perfect woman" at the time Much Ado About Nothing was produced. She is modest and does not have many opinions of her own throughout the entire play. Perhaps the most distinguished thing about her is what she fails to say rather than what she does say. When Claudio attacks her in front of everyone at her own wedding, she does not defend herself nearly as fiercely she should to get anyone to even question Claudio's accusations. Although she is reasonably surprised by the accusations, her sweet and kind nature stops her from bringing up that Claudio …show more content…
As we see when reading the play, the only characters that we see really develop a considerable amount are Beatrice and Benedick. Everyone else besides the two seem to be very shallow and lack development throughout the play. Even if certain characters failed to develop, their lack of development still says a lot about them. If some characters did not develop as much as others, it can sometimes add to the depth of a character and says more about them if they did not learn from their mistakes and change the way they handle situations. Overall, Much Ado About Nothing is a very lighthearted and entertaining play that people of all ages have enjoyed throughout 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.
William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is a play involving by deception, disloyalty, trickery, eavesdropping, and hearsay. The play contains numerous examples of schemes that are used to manipulate the thoughts of other characters; it is the major theme that resonates throughout the play. Ironically, it is one of these themes that bring serenity to the chaos that encompasses most of the play.
The modernization of nearly outdated and cliché settings typically used for Shakespearian plays such as Much Ado helps enforce Whedon's attempt to make the film and play familiar, as well as creates accessibility for the audience regardless of how well they may understand Shakespeare's language. Both the ensemble and individual cast members assist in achieving Whedon's vision by creating an atmosphere that seems familiar if only that it could be our own family and friends throwing that same banter back and forth between each other. Their playful and occasionally raw performances combine with a spectacular setting to help make Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing a stellar film that is a nearly perfect modern translation of a classic, centuries old
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 ... ...
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.
In Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, Benedick displays his shift away from being too prideful for commitment to wanting to commit to loving Beatrice in act five scene two lines 26-41. Through his allusions to tragic love stories, use of homonyms, and song and poetry, Benedick shows a transition from bachelorhood to marriage because of his desire to impress Beatrice while also conveying his inward fears of commitment.
In Act 1 Scene 1, Claudio, Benedick and Don Pedro discuss their opinions of Hero. Claudio states that she is 'the sweetest lady that ever I looked on.' 'Sweetest' is an example of a superlative - Claudio has never seen a sweeter lady than Hero. He is completely infatuated with her, and thinks there is no-one better. Benedick does not share this opinion. When Claudio asks - referring to Hero - 'Can the world buy such a jewel?' Benedick replies 'Yay, and a case to put it in.' While Claudio thinks that she is a precious 'jewel' and s great treasure,
“Language is frequently used to stir up & manipulate emotions.” - Mary Hamer. The words that people say can appear brutal or detrimental. These violent words take up many forms such as lying, insulting, etc. Along with its’ comedic formula, William Shakespeare's, Much Ado About Nothing is enhanced with humorous mockery and intertwined dialogues. In the play, the soldiers have just returned from a successful war. Love is traveling through the village; however the “language of war” appears rooted in the language. Numerous times do the characters joke around in cruel dialects. The mockery, however, is not considered to be as harsh due to the presence of comedy within the play. William Shakespeare’s intricate use of language in his play, Much Ado About Nothing, allows immense aggressive language to thrive in the characters yet is able to use this to alleviate the violence.
Hero is resembled by Claudio as a “well-mannered young lady” who is content with her own unchangeable, elegant personality. This quote shows Hero is matron, and consistent of her elegance throughout the book and it is because of her personality that causes Claudio to be drawn to her. Claudio on the other hand, admits to Don Pedro that he is “hasty in (his) emotions”, which resembles his skeptical and uncertain personality when it comes to actually admitting his love for Hero. This evidence supports how Claudio is unsure of himself, and because of Claudio’s doubtful and unsure qualities he is quick to believe Don John when he says Hero has been unfaithful. Nevertheless, Claudio and Hero’s differences in the play it stirs up the plot and conflict, but it is their similarities and strong willed love that draws them together in the
The relationship between two half brothers in Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” is tragic and funny at the same time. Don John, the outcast and the popular Don Pedro are foils because of their disposition in life, their demeanor towards others and their dialogue which speaks volumes in this tragic/comedy.
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare focuses on the enormous gap between the power of men and where women stand. Women were expected to be obedient and dependent on men, innocent, and were also expected to be good wives. Shakespeare wanted women to see how the roles are changing for the better. In this play, there is difference between the traditional roles of women back then, and the ones that stand out from the rest. He depicts this through two characters. In the opening scene, where characters and their personalities, and roles are established; Hero has only one line, which is seven words. Even said that, these lines are just a comment on Beatrice. Hero is the daughter and the property of her father, Leonato. Her helplessness comes from her being overprotected by her father, and the need to obey him. Beatrice, by contrast, does not have a father, she lives on her witty personality and her intelligence. Beatrice has a dream to spend her life “where the bachelors sit, and there live we, as merry as the day is long” (2.1.40-46) When Leonato tells Hero, “Daughter, remember what I told you: if the prince do solicit you in that kind, you know your answer,” (2.1.60-63) she just stands there, silently obeying her father. Hero’s looks are her only advantage as a women, as they are what attracts Claudio. He falls in love with her at first sight in the first act, based only on her appearance.
In Much Ado About Nothing, characters Beatrice and Benedict initially insult each other, but was a way to fend off their true feelings. Although they had to be tricked to do so, when confronted, their love eventually overcame their pride. In the same light, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth faced obstacles as noted above, but eventually love conquered over all.
Shakespeare, William. Much Ado about Nothing. Ed. Paul Werstine, Barbara A. Mowat, and Gail Kern. Paster. New York: Simon &ump; Schuster Paperbacks, 1995. Print.
The title of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing has sparked scholarly debates about its meaning for centuries. Some say it is a play on the term “noting”, revolving around the theme of all sorts of deceptions by all sorts of appearances (Rossiter 163). Others claim it has more to do with everyone making a fuss about things that turn out to be false, therefore, nothing (Vaughn 102). Regardless of these speculations, there is something rather profound going on in the play that is worth making a big deal about: four characters in the play learn about love, and eventually, how to love.
At the start of the play Hero is presented as a typical woman of the time, modest and demure – she says little. In fact, Shakespeare’s first words describing Hero, ‘Is she not a modest young lady’ announce her essential qualities of modesty and decorum. In this period, these were vital qualities to have in a wife and Hero possessed them, unlike Beatrice. By contrast, Shakespeare portrays Beatrice as an untypical woman, being outspoken, independent, witty and unconventional – she is always participating in the conversation even with the men (especially Benedick), which Hero never does.