Category: Much Ado About Nothing

Introduction

Much Ado About Nothing is a timeless classic by William Shakespeare that has entertained audiences for centuries. The play is a comedy that explores themes of love, jealousy, and deception, which are still relevant to audiences today. However, the setting of the play, a small town in Italy, may seem a bit dated to modern audiences, as it is different from a relatable setting. To make the play more accessible to a broader audience, it is proposed to transport the main characters, events, and themes to a modern high school setting. This setting would be familiar to modern audiences and allow them to connect with the characters and themes in a way they might not be able to with the original setting. By updating the setting and making the characters and situations more relatable, the plays themes will be able to resonate with a modern audience.

Summary

The high school setting provides a perfect backdrop for the plays love, deception, and scandal themes. The high school is a microcosm of society, complete with cliques, rumors, and rivalries, much like the society depicted in the original play. The plays main characters, Maria and Marco, are the popular and charismatic senior class president and vice president, respectively, just like Beatrice and Benedick in the original play (Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing). They are known for their witty banter and constant teasing, but neither admits to having feelings for the other.

The high school is home to two pairs of young lovers: Roberto and Gianna, the star athlete and the head cheerleader, and Sofia and Angelo, the schools resident gossip and her sidekick. Roberto and Giannas relationship is the picture of innocence, just like Claudio and Heros in the original play (Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing). They are a popular and well-respected couple, admired by their peers for their talents and achievements. Roberto is the football teams captain, Gianna is the head cheerleader, and they are seen as the epitome of high school romance.

However, Sofia and Angelos relationship is different. They are known for their constant bickering and jealousy, much like Margaret and Borachios in the original play (Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing). Sofia is the schools resident gossip, always spreading rumors and causing drama, while Angelo is her helper, always eager to please her and join in on her schemes. Their relationship is filled with jealousy and deceit as they constantly attempt to outdo each other and sabotage their rivals. This contrast between the two couples highlights the different types of relationships in high school and the different dynamics that can play out.

As in the original play, Roberto is misled by Angelo and Stefano into believing that Gianna is unfaithful to him, leading to a dramatic confrontation at the schools prom. However, in this modern setting, the confrontation occurs on social media, with Roberto publicly accusing Gianna of infidelity on Instagram. The power of social media in todays world amplifies the situation, causing the rumors to spread quickly and reach a wider audience. Gianna is humiliated, and her reputation is tarnished as her classmates, friends, and strangers see and share the accusations. Based on false information, Robertos accusations cause a rift in their relationship, and Gianna has to fight to restore her reputation. This modern twist on the confrontation scene highlights the dangers of jumping to conclusions and the power of social media in shaping public opinion, which is relatable to a modern audience. The play demonstrates the importance of communication and trusts in relationships and how easily rumors and deceit damage them.

Meanwhile, Maria and Luigi continue to engage in their playful banter, but their true feelings for each other become increasingly apparent. They eventually confess their love for each other in front of the school at the prom after Giannas innocence is cleared, and Roberto apologizes. The themes of innocence, jealousy, gossip, and behavior are portrayed in a way that rings true to a modern audience. The use of social media and the high school setting brings a fresh perspective to the play, making it more relatable and accessible to a new generation of audiences.

In this new, modern high school setting, Much Ado About Nothing is a story of young love, jealousy, and betrayal, with a happy ending that would satisfy a modern audience. The plays themes are as relevant as ever, and the characters are relatable and believable. By updating the names and situations but staying true to the overall themes and ideas, it can be ensured that this classic play continues to be enjoyed for generations, as it will be more relatable to modern audiences.

Conclusion

In summary, Much Ado About Nothing is a timeless comedic masterpiece that has stood the test of time. It can reach new and diverse audiences by adapting the main characters, events, and themes to a contemporary high school setting. The modernized version of the play delves into themes of youthful romance, envy, and deception, all while providing a satisfying conclusion that resonates with current audiences. By preserving the core themes and concepts while updating the specifics, the play can continue to be cherished for generations.

Work Cited

Shakespeare, William. Much Ado About Nothing. Project Gutenberg, Web.

As a title, Much Ado About Nothing (MAAN) conforms aptly with the names of Shakespeare’s other plays authored within the same time period. The titles seem fanciful and almost mischievous. What You Will is a widely accepted alternate title for Twelfth Night and As You Like It appears to be a vastly less descriptive heading than, perhaps, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. In truth however, these erratic titles are actually just as reflective of their content as any of those of Shakespeare’s tragedies. The plot of MAAN focuses on a lot of fuss concerning trivial misunderstandings. For the more significant issues throughout the play, we must acknowledge the fact that, in Shakespeare’s era, the word ‘nothing’ was usually pronounced the same way as ‘noting.’ The play is constructed around the action of ‘noting,’ which has multiple meanings. It’s definitions include eavesdropping, observing, taking notice of something, or writing something down – but these don’t effectively encapsulate all that “noting” can mean. A character can misunderstand a piece of information, or misreport, or mishear something, in the action of noting as well. The confusions that ensue as a result of noting (and more often mis-noting) are critical to moving the plot along. Throughout MAAN, Shakespeare cleverly puppeteers his characters into eavesdropping and often misinterpreting information (or misinformation for that matter) in order to further his overall message that blindly accepting what immediately appears to be true, without verifying its credibility, can lead to unexpected consequences.

The first major case of “noting” that changes the course of the story is found in what Shakespeare scholars refer to as “the gulling of Benedick” and “the gulling of Beatrice.” When these characters are first introduced, Shakespeare wastes no time letting us know that they aren’t fond of each other. This is made evident in an interaction in which a messenger asks if “the gentleman [Benedick] is in your books?” and Beatrice vehemently responds “No. An he were, I would burn my study” (1.1.76-78). As it turns out, others possess different designs. Don Pedro, the Prince of Aragon and Benedick’s superior, fancies himself such an esteemed matchmaker that he could join even Benedick and Beatrice, plotting to stage two separate conversations full of falsehoods that both Beatrice and Benedick will overhear. With knowledge that Benedick is hiding within earshot, the Prince, Claudio, and Leonato engage in a conversation with an intent to convince Benedick that Beatrice loves him. This plot becomes clear when Leonato says “she loves him with an enraged affection, it is past the infinite of thought” (2.3.108-109). Benedick believes this as he holds Leonato to be a man of such stature that he would not lie. Likewise, Beatrice overhears a discussion between Hero and Ursula of a similar scheme. After Ursula asks if indeed “Benedick loves Beatrice so entirely,” Hero responds “So says the Prince and my new-trothed lord” (3.1.38-40). Through this ploy, Shakespeare all but invents the archetype of the unlikely lovers – using eavesdropping as his catalyst. He wants us to know that as much as we pride ourselves upon being individuals of our own making, more often than not, we are all products of our circumstances and the situations we happen to encounter. Through the previously inconceivable union of these two characters, Shakespeare proves the power of misinformation to his audience.

Another scene in which the playwright uses “noting” as a means of misleading his characters is the dance sequence. Because most of the characters are masked, permitting them to covertly observe the interactions of others, this scene is ripe for misunderstanding or “mis-noting.” A prime example of this can be seen when Don John knowingly approaches Claudio and asks if he is Signior Benedick. Upon Claudio answering affirmatively, Don John declares, with mal intent, that Don Pedro seeks to seduce Hero for himself, stating “Signior, you are very near my brother in his love. He is enamored on Hero” (2.1.161-162). Claudio buys into Don John’s misinformation without little further thought when he declares “‘Tis certain so, the Prince woos for himself. Friendship is constant in all other things save in the office and affairs of love” (2.1.172-174). Claudio reveals himself to be too trusting as he believes Don John despite just being assured by the Prince in the previous scene that he courts Hero on his behalf. By way of this interaction, Shakespeare adds context to his title by reinforcing the idea that we can be easily mislead by deception if we blindly accept misinformation, and that our lives might be hugely altered if we do.

Shakespeare’s predominant use of “noting” as a way of convincing his characters of falsehood occurs in Don John’s scheme to break off Claudio and Hero’s engagement the night before they are set to wed. Motivated by his unquenchable hatred of his legitimate brother, Don John designs a plan to lead Claudio to observe a fake Hero with another man. He gulls Claudio into following him to the courtyard below Hero’s window by referring to Claudio’s wife-to-be with cruel sarcasm as “Leonato’s Hero, your Hero, every man’s Hero” – implying that she has been disloyal during their engagement (3.2.99-100). As one of a number of characters that

willingly believe rumors and schemes without second thought or further verification, Claudio hastily agrees to shame Hero publically at the following day’s wedding when he says “If I see anything tonight why I should not marry her, tomorrow in the congregation, where I should wed, there I will shame her” (3.3.116-118). In this manner, Shakespeare sets up Claudio and the Prince to overhear the simulated love scene supposedly between Hero and another man. Once again, Shakespeare harkens back to his title by proving the consequential power of misinterpreting the truth. Despite Claudio being truly in Love with Hero, he all too readily believes Don John’s falsity, setting himself up to believe the bastard’s scheme without any further consideration for ulterior motivations or confounding variables. Shakespeare uses this false observation (or “mis-noting”) as a cautionary tale, warning the audience to avoid jumping to conclusions and the unintended consequences that generally arise from them.

In Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare’s drives the main and sub-plots through cunning use of eavesdropping, mishearing, and the resulting spread of misinformation. The many instances of significant misunderstandings resulting from small, trivial matters gives context to the double entendre within the title – that much is happening due to “noting,” but also that these things are occuring over “nothing” of real substance. While he uses this to keep the plot of Much Ado About Nothing exciting, Shakespeare truly wants the audience to know that deception and spread of lies can befall all of us.

The title of William Shakespeare’s comedy Much Ado About Nothing tells its reader everything they have to know and will eventually come to know in order to fully understand the play. The title is so significant because the ideas of noting, or observation, and nothing, are important themes in this story. Unrelated, if you simply remove the “h” from nothing, it becomes noting. Noting, as in identifying and remember a phrase or statement a character said, is something which motivates the characters to take actions which greatly affect the plot, and it is an idea which reflects the theme of reality versus appearance, in which reality is nothing and appearance is due to noting. Consistently do we see a character hiding behind a bush to listen to a conversation and then acting according to what was just said. Much Ado About Nothing uses characters that are so un-self-aware and not individualistic to represent how vulnerable humans are to both love and understanding a “hidden” knowledge.

It is the characters’ noting which motivates them to take actions, all of which end up influencing the plot. The first example of this is when Claudio falls in love with Hero. The relationship between these two characters originates when Claudio notices Hero, ‘Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of Signior Leonato?’ (Act 1:1, l. 158-59). Claudio then asks the Prince to woo her for him. The synthetic romance between Beatrice and Benedick as well as the scheme of Don John and the ‘death of Hero’ is all on account of Claudio’s falling in love with Hero, which wouldn’t have happened, had he not noted her. Another example is when Benedick and Beatrice fall in love with one another. The only reason this happens is because Benedick overhears the Prince, Claudio, and Leonato discussing how Beatrice is in love with him: ‘Come hither, Leonato. What was it you told me of today, that your niece Beatrice was in love with Signior Benedick?’ (Act 2:3, l. 95-7). This, of course, is not true, but Benedick believes it because he is so blinded, so trigger-happy at the concept of love – not to mention the extreme social pressure he feels to be in love – and he falls in love with Beatrice. ‘I will be horribly in love with her!’ (Act 2:3, l. 237). Likewise, Beatrice overhears Hero and Ursula purposefully creating a similar story for her to love Benedick not too long after. As can be predicted, Beatrice falls in love with him the moment she hears this, ‘I will requite thee, taming my wild heart to thy loving hand.’ (Act 3:1, l. 117-18). The relationship between these two characters is a cliché and lazy way to create a relationship between people in a story which it is important to the plot. It is just as synthetically created as it occurs in the story. However, this fact does not negate nor neglect the importance of their relationship (as it does to the author’s intentions), as many events revolve around them, and it comes about only because Beatrice and Benedick note others’ conversations which essentially tell them to love each other because one loves the other. This only works because both Benedick and Beatrice are so desperate for love. Especially Beatrice, they feel left out and isolated and inferior because they are not in love.

Probably the most important instance of a character’s noting affecting the plot is when Claudio observes Borachio courting Margaret who he believes is Hero. Thinking Hero is not being loyal, Claudio publicly shames her at their wedding and thus refuses to marry her. This event, and the actions taken to solve the problems it creates, make up the major conflict in the plot. The characters must devise a plan to prove Hero’s innocence and make Claudio feel remorse for his actions. They do this by staging Hero’s death. None of this would have occurred, however, if Claudio had not noted Borachio courting ‘Hero’ and then acted on his false impressions. This is one of the only instances where eavesdropping causes a negative reaction. Claudio’s lack of intellect and individuality lead him to believe what he thought he saw without much hesitation or second thought.

Noting does not only motivate the characters; it reflects the theme of actuality of appearance. The idea that objects, people, or relationships are not always what they seem to be. The frequent use of masks throughout the story best signifies this. The first use of masks is at the dance, where several people seem to be someone they are not. Many of the story’s issues and tensions occur here. Antonio flirts with Ursula, pretending he is not himself; The Prince woos Hero, pretending to be Claudio; Claudio pretends to be Benedick, and so allows himself to hear Don John saying that the Prince is wooing for himself. Benedick, recognizing Beatrice, who may or may not recognize him, is subjected by her to a series of harsh criticisms of himself. In the end of the story, Claudio marries Hero when she is behind a mask, not knowing her identity. All of these events take place when most of the characters are behind masks. Being behind a mask prohibits the other characters from properly noting the situation. Perhaps this is why most of the play’s issues stem from this one night; it is each character’s inability to act as well as they normally do based on who said what and why while being deceived as to who they are talking to.

The theme of actuality of appearance involves affairs not being what they seem to be, but also goes to a higher level. Characters become deceived by what they note because the things they note are not exactly what they seem to be. By reacting to what they believe they noted and that what they noted is nothing but the truth, the characters react to what is, in reality, nothing. For example, Beatrice and Benedick fall in love because, by what they note others saying, it appears to them that each is in love with the other. In reality, neither of them actual love the other based on true emotion, rather the fear of an unrequited love and desire to conform to the pressures of their social group.

Actuality of appearance appears again when Claudio notes Margaret and Borachio and believes Margaret to be Hero, then slanders Hero, justifying himself with the idea that she appeared to be disloyal. While he shames her, he makes many references to her appearance and how it differs from what she is in reality, ‘Behold how like a maid she blushes here! …Would you not swear, all you that see her, that she were a maid,/ By these exterior shows? But she is none.’ (Act 4:1, l. 34-40). Thus Claudio accuses Hero in reaction to her appearing to be disloyal. He later discovers that she was not disloyal and innocent all along, and that what he noted was false, but only after others told him he was wrong. His accusations were built on nothing, she had appeared unfaithful but was, in reality, loyal.

The title, Much Ado About Nothing, summarizes the entire story. It has two meanings, each of which are significant to the plot – it means ‘much ado about noting,’ all of the events that occur take place on account of the characters’ noting and believing; it also means ‘much ado about nothing,’ it describes how all of the characters’ create a hubbub around seemingly insignificant things and their activities are based on nothing but unsolicited belief of what they overhear. The title itself is representative of the clever and complex text within. The title, then, is one of the few aspects of this play which do not have a deceitful appearance. In fact, this work is so preoccupied with the idea of deceitful appearances and such that it makes the reader wonder about his or her own life, to question how many times we have been? It also reveals the question of are we, like the characters, going to be lucky enough to have the truth revealed to us? The title of William Shakespeare’s comedy Much Ado About Nothing tells its reader everything they have to know and will eventually come to know in order to fully understand the play, yet we never do truly know the truth of it all.

Historically, there has been a distinction between the pronouns “thou” (“thee”, “thy”, “thine”) and “ye” (“your”, “you”), which later became “you”. The use of one of these pronouns depended on social and pragmatic factors, including the position in the social ladder or the affectiveness that the speaker wanted to demonstrate (Fowler 1996; Culpeper 2002).

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the use of both pronouns by the main characters of William Shakespeare’s comedy “Much Ado about Nothing”, Beatrice and Benedick, in the first scene of the fourth act. The interpretation of how these characters act and react is influenced by the representation of the play in the homonymous film by Kenneth Branagh (1993). In this scene, Benedick has discovered that Beatrice loves him. Meanwhile, Beatrice is enraged because her cousin has been publicly accused of cheating on her fiancé. Pronouns here are an accurate representation of these feelings.

To begin with, Beatrice addresses Benedick as “you”. However, the choice of this pronoun does not have the same connotations during the whole scene. In the first sentences, the pronoun is used because the female character is of a lower status than him. Some researchers consider this pronoun a mark of dispassion, of lack of emotion (McIntosh 1963; Mulholland 1987, quoted from Culpeper 2002). It is noticeable that she does not use it to be less affective since she confesses her love for him using “you”, but as a way of showing respect towards a superior in the social ladder.

BEATRICE: ‘I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.’ (4.1.300-301)

Nevertheless, immediately after he rejects her request to kill Claudio, the pronoun is used to create distance between them, to be less affective towards him. It can even be considered a way to bribe Benedick to comply with her demand.

BEATRICE: I am gone, though I am here. There is no love in you. Nay, I pray you let me go. (4.1.307-308)

On the contrary, knowing that his feelings are requited, Benedick addresses Beatrice as “thou”, a pronoun that may infer the sense of superiority by the speaker or that may be used to establish distance between both characters, yet this is not his intention. It is evident that Benedick is trying to demonstrate the affectiveness that he feels towards Beatrice, creating a more intimate atmosphere.

BENEDICK: Come, bid me do anything for thee. (4.1. 302)

This attempt of intimacy, however, is futile once Beatrice loses her temper. The last appearances of this pronoun in the scene are expressed with the desperation of a man who has been asked to kill his friend by the woman he loves. He tries to appeal to the love that both of them have confessed to make her reconsider her decision.

BENEDICK: Tarry, good Beatrice. By this hand, I love thee. (4.1. 339)

The insistence of Beatrice in her request provokes a shift from a pronoun to another; Benedick starts to address her as “you”. He agrees to kill Claudio and that resolution turns the situation into a more formal one. The shift of pronoun involves an emotional change of the character, in this case, he is establishing distance between them (Crystal 2003).

BENEDICK: Think you in your soul the Count Claudio hath wronged Hero? (4.1. 343-344)

This distinction in the way Benedick addresses Beatrice is reinforced by the use terms of endearment. He begins addressing her as “sweet Beatrice”, which later is substituted by the use of her name due to the desperation of the situation. Another term of endearment, “good Beatrice”, is used to lure her to amend her decision before he decides to address her as “you”.

To conclude, as it can be deduced from this paper, the differences between the pronouns “you” and “thou” in the play “Much Ado about Nothing” are not only related to the social class, but also to the context in which they are used. On the one hand, “you” is used by Beatrice as mark of subordination towards Benedick, although it later establishes distance and formality between both characters. On the other hand, “thou”, which is reinforced by the use of terms of endearment, creates a more intimate setting for both lovers and expresses affectiveness. Address terms here are certainly an important aspect to understand the strong emotions portrayed in this scene.

An archetype is “a recurrent symbol or motif in literature, art, or mythology.” A symbol is “a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.” In the play “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare, there are many archetypal symbols that can be found, such as horns, poetry, and masks. Those three symbols add meaning to the play and/or contributes to the audience’s experiences in many different ways.

Horns, for example, those from a bull, are the conventional images of cuckoldry. A cuckold is a man whose spouse sleeps with other men without his insight, which was a wellspring of extraordinary stress for men during the Elizabethan time. To be marked, a cuckold implied everybody aside from the spouse thought about the wife’s extramarital exercises, which would have been strongly despicable for her significant other. The horn is an ideal image of this disgrace—everybody can see the horns on a cuckold’s temple while he can’t. Horns add meaning to the play when Don Pedro makes funny comments to Benedick about the ‘savage bull’ horns. This happened when Benedick protests against marriage, proposing that marriage conquers the wild bull. The image changes throughout the play as the characters’ perspectives on marriage change. As Benedick approaches marriage, Claudio guarantees Benedick’s horns will be gold-tipped, a reference to Zeus.

The poems within ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, symbolizes Benedick and Beatrice’s failed attempts at a traditional romance. In the Elizabethan era, poetry was regularly used to express sentimental emotions. Beatrice and Benedick both take a stab at it, as to confirm by the pieces their companions appear as a confirmation of their affection, yet they aren’t ordinary poets. Benedick, specifically, worries over rhyming schemes and inevitably decides he ‘cannot woo in festival terms.’ This is a sign their relationship will work uniquely in contrast to that of Hero and Claudio.

Masks are worn for two reasons in Much Ado About Nothing: to mislead and to hide one’s actual feelings. Their most outstanding use is during the move in Act 2, Scene 1. The majority of the men wear masks, and in specific versions of the play the ladies do, as well. Don Pedro wears a mask to ‘woo’ Hero for Claudio, and Benedick wears a mask to discover Beatrice’s sentiments about him. In these cases, masks are symbols of frailty. Claudio stresses he won’t have the option to sufficiently ‘woo’ Hero, so he sends a masked Don Pedro to carry out the responsibility. Benedick is hesitant to get some information about him eye to eye; however, he feels more secure doing as such behind the namelessness of the mask. One might say the masks work as shields shielding male vanity from female contempt.

In conclusion, symbols played a massive role in the play “Much Ado About Nothing.” Horns, poems, and masks were used a lot in the play, and they were symbolized in different scenes. Those three symbols add meaning to the play and/or contributes to the audience’s experiences in many different ways. Do you think there could be any other symbols that were used in the play?

Much ado about nothing ‘literally explanation is: had deliberately dispute without problems. So is the fact really a matter of much ado about nothing? No one would do things without a purpose. “Much ado about nothing” is a comedy by Shakespeare written around 1598. Content lively joy, rich philosophy. The main themes of the story are masks, disguises or games, while the characters explore self-awareness and honesty and respect in relationships. The story is told in the city of Messina in Italy, the people are excited to wait for the return of the Lord, however, his half-brother don John is jealous of his brother ability, plan revenge, the first let the Lord’s daughter’s wedding failed, and then layout framed, but finally was exposed, the lovers will be married.

Although Claudio was young and promising, he still could not get rid of the worldly view, not to mention the influence of the word ‘profit’ first, his courtship, proposal, exactly according to the feudal marriage of that set. He said he loved hero this kind of girl, but his love can not afford to others fabricated two words, because others fabricated two words of insult and despair of the hero on the wedding to her insult caused her to pass out on the spot. “Hero itself can blot out Hero’s virtue. What man was he talked with you yesternight? Out at your window betwixt twelve and one? Now, if you are a maid, answer to this.”(ACT 41).As soon as Leonato, father of Hero, hears others’ slander on his daughter, he believes it to be true. He thinks that his daughter has done something dishonorable, and in order to ensure her loyalty to her future husband, he would rather she died. After a series of twists and turns, the story came to light and was finally completed. When the bride took off the mask, he merely shouted, ‘another hero!’ Not a word of repentance, the mood is still so happy, but also cheekily smile with others.as the evidence showed “If half thy outward graces had been placed

About thy thoughts and counsels of thy heart! But fare thee well, most foul, most fair. Farewell, Thou pure impiety and impious purity. For thee I’ll lock up all the gates of love And on my eyelids shall conjecture hang, To turn all beauty into thoughts of harm,

And never shall it more be gracious.” the lord has changed his attitude to hero at this point by Slanderous words from others. (ACT 4;1) But from his various behavior to see that he does not really love this bride or his love is not firm enough, can not withstand the test of love, like him, a teenager is still unable to escape all the worldly, love is so false and not solid. The reaction of the prince and lLeonato reflects men’s profound fear of women’s infidelity, and also shows that the social civilization seems to construct only the external order, which ignores people’s true feelings because the sexual love can be so easily destroyed and misunderstood.

Much ado about nothing, a play that combines romance, farce and high comedy in a single play, shows Shakespeare’s remarkable dramatic ability. Beatrice is the most brilliant female image in this play, she is not lacking feminine gentle charm, and especially more men’s fortitude and courage, this is a female not let the men of the personality of the bright new female image.

Much Ado About Nothing was written in 1598, but the story takes place sometime around the 16th century during the Italian Wars in Messina, Italy. The focus of the essay is to write an analytical essay that explores the representations of love in much ado about nothing in response to the quote, “the course of true love never did run smooth”. In much ado about nothing love didn’t run smooth at all. I will be focusing on Hero and Claudio and Beatrice and benedick relationships and they were not smooth there was bumps between all their love.

Beatrice and Benedick are no exception. Beatrice is the niece of Leonato, Don Pedro’s close friend. … At the beginning of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing, Beatrice and Benedick have a combative relationship, but with some help from their friends and relatives, they realize that there is more there. They trick themselves into thinking that they don’t have feelings for each other. Although they appear to dislike one another, both are easily persuaded of the other’s love by the tricks that their friends play on them. Beatrice and Benedick, on the other hand, are each in denial of their love and need to be tricked by their friends into realising their true feelings. Ultimately their love seems more real and true. Don Pedro manipulates Benedick and Beatrice like a scientist conducting an experiment, or a playwright setting a scene. The play suggests that love is not love without its masquerade-like sequence of poses and appearances, even if they must be imagined or faked.

Claudio and Hero are types in the courtly formula, with the difference that marriage rather than infinite flirtation is the goal. Like a knight, Claudio has just returned from war and is ready to socialize at Leonato’s ”court” with the prince, Leonato, and Leonato’s family. Claudio quickly decides he loves Hero and wants to marry her, and the prince agrees to help him win her by courting her in disguise, as Claudio, at the masquerade ball. This also shows that he would seek vengeance after the person he loves if she did something wrong and not forgive her. Claudio and Hero’s relationship is not strong because Claudio does not trust anyone in the affairs of love. He says ‘friendship is constant in all other things, save in the office and affairs of love’. He also says ‘and trust no agent for beauty is a witch’. The phrase ‘beauty is a witch’ implies that he thinks anyone who looks good should not be trusted therefore it shows that Claudio is keeping a close eye on Hero. The first quote suggests that he does not trust his friends as well because he thinks that when love is going on friendship takes a different path. On the other hand Benedick and Beatrice’s relationship is different; their relationship is not superficial but deeply rooted within them. They enjoy insulting each other as Benedick says to her ‘what my lady disdain! Are you yet living?’ This quote shows the enjoyment Benedick gets when insulting Beatrice as it displays an enjoyable hate that would eventually grow into love. They are also hurt by each others remarks as Benedick says ‘she speaks poniards, and every word stabs’.

Claudio is convinced by what appears to be Hero’s unfaithfulness. However, the audience knows that this is not the reality. Claudio’s love for Hero is often regarded as superficial. He seems to fall in love with her because she fits the model of an ideal woman: modest, beautiful and obedient.

The plot of Shakespeare’s acclaimed work of ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ demonstrates that love blossoms in many ways. Despite how superficial or affectionate these relationships appear, some recipients are manipulated into loving one another, whilst others are struck with love at first sight. Though these receivers of affection achieve their so called “Happily Ever After” in the end, this does not mean that the process was smooth. As Shakespeare said best, “The course of true love never did run smooth.’ This can be supported by the relationships of Beatrice and Benedick, Hero and Claudio, and Hero and her father, Leonato and Beatrice.

Claudio & Hero

Claudio and Hero’s representation of love can be interpreted as superficial, as Claudio falls under the trance of ‘Love at First Sight,’ when he first sets his eyes upon the daughter of Leonato. This is confirmed when he says, “In mine eye she is the sweetest lady that ever I looked on,” (Act 2 Scene 3). Hero, a fair maiden is seen as the perfect embodiment of a woman. With the essential features of being obedient, modest and beautiful, Hero fits the criteria of Claudio’s ideal depiction of a wife. Which causes him to demand Hero’s hand in marriage. The couple intended to wed on the spot, but Hero’s father convinced them otherwise. Everything was running smoothly until a problem rose to the surface, causing a rise in action. Don John, the melancholy antagonist of Claudio and Hero’s love story caught wind that they were to marry. In retaliation Don John created a meddlesome scheme to ruin the happiness of the pair, resulting in their marriage being cancelled. This scheme resulted in Hero being fashioned as something she truly was not, which caused Claudio’s opinion of her to change. This contributed a large piece to this rise in action used in the plot of their love by Shakespeare. Claudio and Hero’s relationship continued to travel down a bumpy road when it was claimed that Hero had died, this had created a climax in their relationship. A heartbroken Claudio attended the celebration of his own wedding to another woman when the truth was unveiled, that his one true love was yet alive, and they were wed. This resolved their ongoing unstable partnership and turned it into something beautiful and further proving the point that the course of true love never did run smooth.

Beatrice and Benedick

Beatrice and Benedick were bound to be enemies when Beatrice expressed her crude opinion of Benedick in a field, “O Lord, he will hang upon him like a disease: he is sooner caught than the pestilence, and the taker runs presently mad,” (Act 1 scene 1). This made the onlookers believe that a companionship was not possible between the two let alone a romantic relationship. Shakespeare used this statement to display the extreme dislike that Beatrice had towards Benedick. Action rose in the film when the friends of the pair planned to bring them together through pure manipulation. Fake letters were exchanged between the duo confessing their ‘Love’ for one another, but both parties were still in denial of their potential chemistry. It wasn’t until Benedick overheard his friends in the orchard speaking about Beatrice, that he realised that he was madly in love with her. He stated, ‘I do spy some marks of love in her,’ (Act 2 Scene 3) making this the climax of their union. Benedick had never noted his affections for Beatrice up until that moment in the film, though his sudden changed of heart may be viewed as arrogant both members of the party realised their true feeling for each other. Regardless of how erratic the path of admiration for the two appears; love was truly triumphant.

Beatrice, Hero & Leonato

With Beatrice’s parents not being present in the film, her uncle Leonato fills the role of a parental figure. Leonato’s one wish was for his daughter Hero and niece Beatrice is to marry suitable husbands. Though we find this mental outlook condescending or too traditional in today’s civilisation, this illustrated to his nearest and dearest that he cares for them very much. This type of love is often described as being protective. A rise in action is caused when it is rumoured that a noble soldier intended to take the hand of his daughter. With this, he wished upon Beatrice, “Well, niece, I hope to see you one day fitted with a husband,’ (Act 2 Scene 1). The conflict and climax occurred when a sly Don John intentionally ruins the future nuptials with an unforgiveable lie about the purity of Hero. Leonato’s one wish is jeopardised when Hero’s fiancé is no longer willing to marry her. Leonato’s love for his daughter is proven strong when he doesn’t believe that she is impure, he and his friend devise a plan to save Hero’s innocence by faking her death. The action steadily decreases when Beatrice becomes completely smitten with another fellow soldier and is determined to join him in union. All action and conflicts are resolved at the marriage ceremony of Beatrice and her partner, where Hero is unveiled in front of her love and presented as alive and well and they too marry. On top of all that, the villain, Don John is punished for treason. With all his wishes and expectations filled Leonato’s mind can finally be put to rest. This exemplifies that no matter how tough the course of love between father and child, the bond can’t be broken.

Indeed, the course of true love never did run smooth. Whether it be the diverse romantic or loving relationships found within the Shakespearean film ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ or the differing relationships found in modern day society. No two relationships are the same and each couple experiences the unwanted trials and tribulations of affection. Sometimes these undesired problems lead to sad and unfortunate ends or enable the romantic bond to grow even stronger than before.

Bibliography

1. http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/m/much-ado-about-nothing-script.html
2. http://shakespeare.mit.edu/much_ado/full.html
3. http://shakespeare.mit.edu/midsummer/full.html

Throughout Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, Beatrice and Benedick love takes an overwhelming course of ups and downs. In the book the people of Messina are rooting for them to build a relationship and eventually get married but Beatrice and Benedick have personal issues that’s hindering the true love they share for one another. Beatrice has a very sharp tongue and uses sarcasm very often. Benedick is very witty and always making jokes. They are also struggling with their own personal beliefs and past experiences. I know that True love is not easy but it must be fought for. The Beatrice and Benedick love story show how enemies can turn into lovers through a sequence of pride, deception, and fear.

There is nothing more deceiving than an obvious fact. Being deceived can actually make you go into denial about situations. It’s a constant battle with your heart and mind. It is best to go with your mind because your heart is deceitful. Beatrice and Benedick attended a masked ball and Beatrice didn’t know she was dancing with Benedick and she said harsh things about him. After the ball Benedick feelings were hurt. He said “she speaks poniards and every word stabs. If her breath were as terrible as her terminations, there were no living near her; she would infect to the north star.” His feelings of hurt could be interpreted revealing his true feelings about Beatrice. In the beginning of the story Benedick says he really doesn’t love anymore. Beatrice says “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.” I took this as they were deceiving themselves into feeling they felt nothing for each other. I believe their relationship was built off deception but it actually strengthen the relationship.

Pride could definitely ruin a relationship and people view about you. Pride can sometimes be viewed as a good think but always a bad thing. Benedick and Beatrice were very prideful in the play. Pride was one of the main things that kept them from forming a bond. Benedick says “But it is certain I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted.” I interpreted that Benedick is arrogant he feels as if every woman supposed to love him and if you don’t something is wrong with you and I feel as if Beatrice doesn’t like him being prideful it makes her argue with him even more. I know in some cases women like arrogant men because they feel like are popular. Act 3 Scene 1 Beatrice’s cousin Hero has come up with a plan to have a conversation with Ursula so that Beatrice could ease drop because they knew she was around. They were to brag about Benedick and also talk about how Beatrice is so in love with herself that she is incapable of loving anyone else. The solution they hoped to get Beatrice to humble herself and finally confess her true love for Benedick. After the over hearing the conversation Beatrice felt really bad. She said “What fire is in mine ears? Can this be true? Stand I condemned for pride and scorn so much? Contempt, farewell, and maiden pride, adieu! Benedick, love on; I will require thee, Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand.” I see now that Beatrice loved Benedick she just wouldn’t confess it because she was too prideful and felt like she didn’t need anyone. When Beatrice heard the conversation about her being scornful and prideful it made her realize she needed to humble herself. Now she is willing to better herself rather than change which is a good start.

Fear will keep you from meeting the love of your life. Beatrice and Benedick were afraid to love each other. I believe that also played a huge part in their love story. Benedick said “But that I will have a recheat winded in my forehead or hand my bugle in an invisible baldrick, all women shall pardon me.” I interpreted that Benedick is afraid that a woman will cheat on him so that is one reason he is not confessing his love for Beatrice because he does not want to look like a fool he would just avoid them. By him avoiding women he pretty much pushing the love of his life farther away. Beatrice is also afraid of love. In the play she says “If he send me no husband, for the which blessing I am at him upon my knees every morning and evening. I had rather lie in the woolen.” Beatrice prays every day that God wouldn’t send her a husband I believe that Beatrice pretends to hate marriage and say she will never get married because she is afraid no one will love her. Fear is keeping her from letting her guard down and actually letting someone love her. She would rather be lonely than deal with rejection. Throughout majority of the play all she talks about is how she will never get married and other things she would rather do than fall in love.

Throughout the play we can see that certain issues kept Beatrice and Benedick from confessing their love for one another. By the end of the play, specifically the final scene, they put their issues aside confessed their feelings and got married. Enemies can turn into lovers because enemies are in fact lovers to begin with but pride, deception, and fear can be stumbling blocks before you get to your destination as it was shown in Much Ado About Nothing with Beatrice and Benedick. Often times enemies use hatred to show their love like Beatrice and benedick did in the beginning they could not get along with each other at all. It is important to know that Love does not always come easy. Sometimes you have to put in a lot of work for true love. Beatrice and Benedick had many personal issues to deal with before they were able to love each other.

Regarded as one of William Shakespeare’s greatest creations, the novel Much Ado About Nothing clearly illustrates to its readers the unjust and discriminatory society that was in place during the Elizabethan era. Shakespeare explores the themes of social class and snobbery in this novel in order to achieve his main goal for the novel which was to explore the irony behind the celebration of marriage as well as in a sense mock the attraction between a man and a woman. By deliberately including characters from different social classes he is able to show the hypocritical nature of the upper class such as “Don Pedro”, “Don John” and “Beatrice” as well as the poor lifestyle of the lower-class individuals such as “dogberry” and “verges”.

Shakespeare portrays the upper-class characters as hypocrites by giving them both good but bad characteristics. Through “don Pedro” who is generous and loving but gullible and hasty at the same time, the kind nature of the upper class is this is evident when he says “he shall fall in love with Beatrice. If we can do this, Cupid is no longer an archer (2.1.371)[footnoteRef:1]. This shows that he cares deeply enough to about “Claudio” to put his own emotions aside and help him even though he had feeling for “Beatrice” previously. However their vicious nature is shown through his illegitimate brother “don john” who’s objective is to ruin the happiness of people around him as he uses phrases such as “ Signior, you are very near my brother in his love: he is enamoured on Hero; I pray you, dissuade him from her” (2,1, 547). In this scene “Don jon” is trying to persuade “Claudio” to ruin his brother and “Hero’s” alleged romance. This shows that the upper-class individuals were always conspiring with each other without any care of the consequences or harm they could cause to others. [1: Shakespeare, William, and Peter Holland. Much Ado about Nothing. NY, NY: Penguin Books, 2017.]

However, the lower class are shown to be more gullible and desperate to further emphasise on how poor they were at the time. Through the characters “Borachio” and his wife “Margaret”, the lower-class people are shown to be blindly devoted to those of the higher class as they get financially compensated. This is evident when they are both easily bribed by “don john” to help trick “Claudio” to think “Hero” was cheating on him as he indicates when he says “I have earned of Don John a thousand ducats.” Moreover, his blind devotion is expressed when he says “but the devil my master knew she was Margaret”. He refers to his master as “the devil” without any hesitation which gives the impression that he is well aware of the evil he does but does not let it bother him because he is powerless to do so and also doesn’t want to jeopardise his source of income. Furthermore, the lower-class people are shown to have been poorly treated by the upper class at the time, this is evident through the character “verges” who is seen as the comic of the play and is not taken seriously, he is also seen as a type of “fool” by the others. Verges also endorses quite a few of Dogberry’s statements, answering ’tis very true,’ and ‘I think it be so.’ This indicates that verges opinion is usually dismissed as these responses lack depth and character, their purpose is mainly to support Dogberry’s statements.

The members of the upper class are shown to be highly educated in comparison to those of the lower-class, this is evident in the language they use. The upper-class members use more advanced vocabulary such as “you shall comprehend all vagrom men” (3.3). members of the lower-class wouldn’t have been able to comprehend this ass the word “vagrom” would have confused them as it is “an archaic word for vagrant which is someone who moves a lot from place to place because they have no permanent home or job, and have to ask for or steal things in order to live.”[footnoteRef:2]. Whereas members of the lower class such as “Dogberry” are shown to be poorly educated as he has issues articulating their words as shown when he says ‘Adieu. Be vigitant, I beseech you.’ Whereas he meant to say “vigilant” rather than “vigitant”[footnoteRef:3], this also shows that even though they cannot speak as well as the upper-class people, they still try to incorporate some advanced vocabulary in their speech, this also creates some sort humour in the play because the reader would find it amusing to see that the mistake in his words. This then draws the readers attention more towards the play. [2: “Vagrant Definition and Meaning: Collins English Dictionary.” Vagrant definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. Accessed December 9, 2019. https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/vagrant.] [3: “Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare.” enotes.com. enotes.com. Accessed December 6, 2019. https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/how-social-class-portrayed-book-558876.]

In the snobbery is shown to be a sign of wealth especially for the upper-class as shown through the interaction of “Leonato” and “Don John” when he says “I should think this a gull, but the white bearded fellow speaks it: knavery cannot hide itself in such reverence.” (2.3). this implies that he lets his position in society cloud his judgment as he is quick to believe the lies of “Don John” as indicated in the quote. he believes the rumours because those with a higher social status than him do as well. This is a sign of Don Johns Snobbery as he completely disregards “Leonato’s” emotions when he lies to him about his own daughter without any remorse or hesitation. This show that those of the higher class disregard the effect that their actions cause to those in the lower-class and only care about their own personal goals. This is because they also think they can just repair any damage they have caused by paying with this money.

In conclusion, the play “much ado about nothing” explores social class and snobbery for different angles by including characters with different social backgrounds and characteristics in order to give more detail about the society he lived in at the time. Additionally, by having characters from different social classed he is able to bring in humour in his plays as he includes puns and jokes in order to make in his plays more interesting and to catch the attention of many of his readers as the genre of comedy is highly adored.

Bibliography

1. “Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare.” enotes.com. enotes.com. Accessed December 6, 2019. https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/how-social-class-portrayed-book-558876.
2. Shakespeare, William, and Peter Holland. Much Ado about Nothing. NY, NY: Penguin Books, 2017.
3. “Social Class.” Much Ado About Nothing, April 12, 2014. http://muchadoquotations.blogspot.com/2014/04/social-class.html.
4. “Vagrant Definition and Meaning: Collins English Dictionary.” Vagrant definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. Accessed December 9, 2019. https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/vagrant.