Title: Much Ado About Nothing
1Much Ado About Nothing
2Dramatis Personae
- Don Pedro Solider, Prince
- Don John Pedros brother
- Benedick Solider, Pedros friend
- Claudio Solider, Pedros friend
- Leonato Governor of the town
- Beatrice Leonatos neice
- Hero Leonatos daughter
- Antonio Leonatos brother
- Dogberry Leader of the watch (clown)
- Conrade, Borachio Followers of Don John
- Margaret Servant to Hero
- Ursula Servant to Hero
3Act I Quiz
- Who received honors for valor in the recent
battles? - Who asks about Benedick?
- How long does Don Pedro say that they will stay
at Leonatos house? - Who tells Benedick that he loves Hero?
- Who is completely against love and marriage?
- Who agrees to play match maker and what is his
plan to woo Hero? - How do Leonato and Antonio (Heros father and
uncle) mess up the plan? - What is Don Johns reaction to the news of Don
Pedros plan?
4Act I Scene 1
- A messenger arrives in Messina and informs
Leonato, the governor, that Don Pedro will be
coming to the town with his army. - Leonato asks how the war campaign went and learns
that no men of high rank lost their lives, and
that a man named Claudio received many honors for
his valor in battle. - Beatrice, the niece of Leonato, asks the
messenger if Benedick of Padua has returned from
the wars as well. - The messenger informs her that he is with Don
Pedro's army and has befriended Claudio. - Beatrice sarcastically compares Benedick to a
disease that men catch and says a great deal of
negative things about Benedick.
5Act I Scene 1
- Don Pedro arrives accompanied by Claudio,
Benedick, Balthasar, and Don John (his bastard
brother). - Beatrice is caustic and tells Benedick it is a
good thing that he does not love any of the
ladies - Benedick is unable to compete with her wit and
they finally break off conversation. - Don Pedro announces to his men that Leonato has
generously allowed them to stay for a month. - Leonato turns to Don John and tells him he is
glad that Don John and Don Pedro are reconciled.
6Act I Scene 1
- Read I.1.128-129
- Claudio tells Benedick that he loves Hero
- Benedick makes fun of Hero's complexion and
height after Claudio tells him that he loves her.
- Claudio tells him he is serious about her and
wants to know what Benedick really thinks. - Don Pedro enters and asks Benedick to tell him
what is going on and Benedick reveals that
Claudio is in love with Hero. - Watch movie scene
7Act I Scene 1
- Read I.1.129
- Don Pedro agrees that Hero would be a good match
for Claudio. - Benedick tells both men that he wishes to remain
a bachelor for the rest of his life and that he
will never flush with love for a woman. - Don Pedro tells him that he will see Benedick in
love before he dies.
8Act I Scene 1
- Read I.1.129-130
- Claudio learns that Hero alone is her fathers
heir. - Don Pedro promises to speak with Leonato about
arranging a match between them - Claudio is afraid to speak to Hero and tell her
he loves her. - Don Pedro informs him that there will be a masked
ball that night and that he will pretend to be
Claudio and woo Hero in Claudio's name. - Watch movie scene
9Act I Scene 2
- Leonato and Antonio, his elder brother, meet and
discuss Leonato's guests. - Antonio informs Leonato that a servant of his
overheard Don Pedro and Claudio speaking together
in his peach orchard and that Don Pedro told
Claudio he loved Hero and would acknowledge it
that night at the dance, - Leonato is excited by this news, but tells
Antonio to keep it a secret until Don Pedro
actually comes to him. - He only decides to tell Hero so that she may
prepare an answer.
10Act I Scene 3
- Read I.3.130
- Conrad approaches Don John and asks him why he is
so sad looking. - Don John tells him that there is not reason,
merely that he prefers to be the way he is. - When Conrad points out that since Don John only
recently was reconciled with Don Pedro, he should
try to seem happy - Don John exclaims, "I had rather be a canker in a
hedge than a rose in his grace" (1.3.21-22).
11Act I Scene 3
- Borachio, another friend of Don John, arrives and
informs Don John that he has overheard his
brother and Claudio plotting a marriage with
Hero. - He hid behind a wall hanging and listened to them
discuss how Don Pedro would woo Hero and then
give her to Claudio. - Don John tells them to come with him so that he
can figure out a way to foil Claudio. - Watch movie scene
12Analysis Mask of Politeness
- Much Ado About Nothing opens in a "golden world"
in Messina where the women are already located. - People fail to take things seriously, causing a
war of words. - Benedick and Beatrice are the main examples of
male/female rivalry that converts into
belligerent wordplay. - The first act portrays all the characters as
being very careful to observe social norms - especially those of civilian obligations to the
military - This creates a mask of politeness that slowly
dissipates throughout the play until by the end
there is nothing but directness of speech left.
13Analysis The Title
- Much Ado About Nothing is primarily a play about
gossip. - The title means a big fuss about a trifle, and by
the end this is exactly what happens. - All of Claudio's accusations will come to
nothing, causing the play to end the same way as
if they never occurred at all. - Shakespeare brilliantly plays on the meanings of
nothing throughout this play. - The word "nothing" would actually have been
pronounced "noting" in his time. - It can mean worthless, a person of little worth,
or also mean everything, in the sense that much
ado is made about everything.
14Analysis The Title
- The pronunciation of "nothing" plays on "noting"
as well. - To note is to observe or mark carefully,
something everyone in the play fails to do. - It can also mean to stigmatize or point out.
- Indeed, Claudio's first comment about Hero is
whether anyone else noted her, - "didst thou note the daughter of Signor Leonato?"
(1.1.130-131). - Benedick tells him, "I noted her not, but I
looked on her" (1.1.132), - Benedick jokes about her complexion and height,
thereby "noting" Hero in his own way.
15Analysis Silence and Saddness
- Silence is something that Shakespeare always
views with suspicion, and this play is no
different. - Silence is actually worse than talking because it
leads to plotting. - Don John says, "I am not a man of many words"
(1.1.127) - A man who instead will plot against the others.
- The danger of silence also affects the
relationship between Hero and Claudio. - Since they fail to talk with one another, they
never resolve questions relating to the other's
motives. - A crucial first mistake for Claudio is when he
allows Don Pedro to speak to Hero for him
16Analysis Silence and Saddness
- Don John plays the role of a schemer, a
discontent and a machiavel. - the excluded character
- Don John thus rebels against the compulsory set
of social rules. - Don John represents the sadness that is a
recurring theme in Shakespeare's comedies. - Shylock and Antonio in Merchant of Venice are
other characters who are melancholy. - There is no reason for this sadness, and it
breeds on itself.
17Act II Scene 1
- Leonato has noticed that Don John did not attend
the dinner, but Hero tells them he is
melancholic. - Beatrice says that a combination between Don John
and Benedick would create the perfect man, one
who spoke just enough. - Leonato tells Beatrice she will never get a
husband if she continues to make such "shrewd"
remarks and Beatrice acknowledges that she is
happy without a husband and plans to die a
spinster. - Antonio turns to Hero and tells her he hopes she
will obey her father - Leonato orders Hero to accept the Prince's offer
if he comes to her. - Beatrice gives Hero some advice about how to
accept, telling her how to make the Prince wait
for an answer and comparing wooing, wedding and
repenting to various dances.
18Act II Scene 1
- Read II.1.131-132
- Don Pedro and the others arrive wearing masks.
- He immediately goes over to Hero and asks her to
dance a with him. - She agrees, but tells him she hopes the face
underneath the mask is far better looking than
the mask itself. - Balthasar has approached Margaret, a
serving-gentlewoman to Hero, and they flirt
briefly. - Benedick meets up with Beatrice and refuses to
reveal who he is. - She starts to talk about Benedick, calling him
- The Prince's jester, a very dull fool"
- Don John and Borachio figure out who Claudio is
- Don John approaches him and asks him if he is
Benedick, and Claudio plays along, claiming he
is. - Don John tells Claudio that he should separate
Don Pedro and Hero because she is not equal to
his brother's birth. - Borachio chimes in as well, telling Claudio that
he heard Don Pedro swear his affection for Hero
and plan to marry her that very night.
19Act II Scene 1
- Once Claudio is alone he comments that it must be
true since friendship is constant in all things
except for love. - Benedick arrives and invites Claudio to go with
him, telling him the Prince - "that got your Hero" (2.1.169).
- Claudio, depressed by the thought that Don Pedro
has stolen Hero from him, leaves. - Don Pedro himself arrives and Benedick accuses
him of betraying his friendship to Claudio by
stealing Hero. - Don Pedro denies the charge and says that he was
merely doing what he could for the couple.
20Act II Scene 1
- Read II.1.132-134
- Benedick has been stung by what Beatrice said
about him while they danced, and the he tries to
tell Don Pedro what she said that hurt him. - He is mostly upset because she called him the
"Prince's jester", yet he ironically confirms
this accusation by comically reenacting the scene
for Don Pedro. - Don Pedro chastises Beatrice for having been so
harsh to Benedick, but she replies that Benedick
once won her heart and toyed with her. - He then turns to Claudio, who is still jealous of
him, and informs Claudio that he wooed Hero
successfully and spoke with Leonato who consented
to the marriage. - Neither Claudio nor Hero are able to speak to one
another - Beatrice remarks that everyone is getting married
and leaving home except she herself. - Don Pedro gallantly offers to marry her but she
refuses - Claudio and Leonato agree to hold the wedding in
one week, and in the meantime Don Pedro tells
them they will contrive to get Benedick and
Beatrice to fall in love. - Claudio and Hero agree to participate in the
plot. - Watch entire dance scene
21Act II Scene 2
- Don John is furious over the fact that Claudio is
marrying Hero. - Borachio, his friend, offers to destroy the
marriage. - He tells Don John that he is a good friend of
Hero's servant-gentlewoman Margaret and can get
into Heros room. - Borachio proposes that Don John get Don Pedro and
Claudio to watch the chamber window at an
appointed time, and he will then meet Margaret in
the room, thereby making them think that Hero has
another lover. - Don John promises Borachio a thousand ducats if
the plan succeeds.
22Act II Scene 3
- Read II.3.134-137
- Benedick is walking in Leonato's garden
contemplating the change in Claudio since he fell
in love with Hero. - He decides that he will never fall in love the
way Claudio did. - He sees Claudio and Don Pedro coming and hides so
he can listen to them. - Don Pedro asks them if they saw where Benedick
hid, and Claudio tells him they will give
Benedick more than he bargained for. - Don Pedro asks Leonato if it is true that
Beatrice is in love with Benedick. - Leonato plays along with the lie, saying that he
would never have suspected it given the way she
treats Benedick in public. - Don Pedro continues asking questions about
Beatrice's love for Benedick while Benedick
listens in the background, slowly becoming
convinced that what Leonato is saying must be
true. - The men leave, with Don Pedro hinting in an aside
that the same net must be spread for Beatrice by
Hero and Ursula.
23Act II Scene 3
- Benedick comes out of hiding and remarks that he
cannot sit idly by and be censured for not
returning Beatrice's love. - Beatrice comes out and bids him come to dinner,
unaware that Benedick thinks she loves him. - Beatrice is as unflattering as ever, making
Benedick's attempts to be polite even more
comical. - Watch movie scene
24Analysis View of Marriage
- Beatrice is one of the most pleasant characters
because of her wit and sharp tongue. - There is therefore a great deal of ambiguity over
whether she will marry or not. - Beatrice woefully comments on Hero's engagement
- "Thus goes everyone in the world but I, and I am
sunburnt" (2.1.278-279). - In spite of her railings against marriage,
Beatrice realizes that marriage is a way out of
the house and that it represents the only way to
escape from Leonato's protection. - Beatrice is also more than aware that marriage
brings many risks with it. - Marriage for a woman is to risk her integrity by
submitting to a man.
25Analysis View of Marriage
- A similar fate is seen by Benedick, who views
marriage as risk to mens' honor - He commonly refers to bulls' horns and cuckoldry
in the first act. - Both Benedick and Beatrice hold a mature
awareness of what marriage entails, causing them
to shun it. - It is Beatrice and Benedick alone who pay the
most attention to social customs. - Ironically they do this while arguing with each
other, thereby breaking with social norms. - They put on a facade of disregard for social
norms, but actually note what is happening around
them far more than other people.
26Analysis The Ball
- The masked ball is one of the more interesting
scenes because of the fact that nearly everyone
is unmasked before it starts - Leonato and Hero know that Don Pedro will
approach her - Beatrice and Benedick could arguably be quite
aware of with whom they are speaking - The other characters all recognize each other as
well. - Only the two unmasked people at the ball, namely
Borachio and Don John, are actually wearing masks
because they pretend not to know Claudio and
cause him to think Don Pedro is wooing Hero for
himself. - Benedick appears to be quite distraught over what
Beatrice calls him at the ball, a Prince's
jester. - In speaking with Don Pedro he gives a wonderful
performance in which his mind is wonderfully
captured, a piling up of anger and fury but also
to render the situation comical in order to
entertain Don Pedro. - This attempt at comedy in spite of his anger
ironically confirms Beatrice's charge that he is
the Prince's jester
27Analysis Pressure of Society
- The quarreling between Benedick and Beatrice has
often been marveled at, both within the play
itself and by the audience. - Many readers of the play try to imagine that they
are in fact deeply in love in spite of their
quarrels, and Beatrice does indicate that she
previously loved Benedick - However, their own words later on belie any sort
of deeper love between them. - Yet the conspiracy to make them marry is a form
of social pressure that they cannot overcome. - Benedick, having overheard Leonato say Beatrice
loves him, is afraid of being censured - "I hear how I am censured" (2.3.199-200).
- He later admits that
- "The world must be peopled" (2.3.214).
- Their constant fight against the pressures of
society fail in the end, and we are left thinking
that marriage is itself a conspiracy.
28Analysis Silence
- The concept of silence crops up again between
Claudio and Hero. - The silence between them will become more
dangerous later when Claudio thinks Hero has
committed infidelity. - In this act he surprisingly cannot speak even
once he realizes that she will marry him - "Silence is the perfectest herald of joy"
(2.1.267). - The irony of course is that silence is no herald
(celebratory) at all, but rather implies complete
lack of emotion from either Hero or Claudio
towards the other person.
29Analysis Language
- Language is a significant part of the play and
the plot. - Much Ado About Nothing has more prose than almost
any other Shakespearian play - It is significant to see how Shakespeare uses
this prose. - Benedick remarks on the change in Claudio by
noting his change in language - "He was wont to speak plain and to the purpose,
like an honest man and a soldier, and now is he
turned orthography" (2.3.17-18). - This shows the transition from uncluttered
military language to stylistic prose, and it is
indicative of some of the confusion in the play,
specifically, people do not speak plainly.
30Analysis Gardens
- A common theme throughout Shakespearian drama is
the role of gardens. - Gardens are dangerous places to be because they
harbor serpents trying to seduce the senses. - Much Ado About Nothing has many garden scenes,
all of which are involved in plotting against or
confusing other characters - Don Pedro spread his rumors about Beatrice loving
Benedick in the garden where Benedick is hiding. - Claudio and Don Pedro are overheard in the
garden, causing Leonato to think Don Pedro wants
to wed Hero. - Beatrice will likewise overhear Hero and Ursula
in the garden, causing her to think Benedick
loves her.
31Analysis Play on Words
- Shakespeare was acutely aware of the similarity
between the words note, noting, and nothing - Don Pedro Do it in notes.
- Balthasar Note this before my notes There's not
a note of mine that's worth the noting. - Don Pedro Why, these are very crotchets
whimsies that he speaks - Note notes, forsooth,
and nothing!" (2.3.48-52) - The song that Balthasar sings is a song about
infidelity. - The men listening all fail to note this song.
- The song actually foreshadows what will be
mis-noted in the near future when Hero is accused
of infidelity.
32Analysis Fashion
- The use of the word fashion is deftly invoked by
Shakespeare both as a noun and a verb. - It represents the social system that all the
characters are involved in, and is used to draw a
parallel between the evil plots of Don John and
the more mild ones of Don Pedro. - "I would fain have it a match, and I doubt not
but to fashion it" (2.1.319-320). - This comment by Don Pedro is immediately followed
by Don John who allows Borachio to fashion his
plot as well - "I will so fashion the matter that Hero shall be
absent" (2.2.38). - The parallel between the two brothers makes their
plots actually seem identical in a sense they
both corrupt the social system to achieve their
own ends. - The fact that society will condemn Don John but
not Don Pedro is merely because we as a society
think that marriage is not a crime whereas
infidelity is. - In many ways, the audience becomes guilty of Don
Pedro's corruption of the truth while
hypocritically condemning Don John's.
33Act III Scene 1
- Read III.1.137-138
- Hero tells Margaret to tell Beatrice that she
overheard Hero and Ursula gossiping about her in
the orchard. - Hero then orders Ursula to talk about Benedick as
if he were madly in love with Beatrice. - They wait until they see Beatrice hide herself in
the orchard before walking towards the hiding
spot. - They arrive where Beatrice is hiding and Hero
informs Ursula that Benedick is madly in love
with Beatrice, but that she will never tell
Beatrice because she is afraid her cousin would
only ridicule Benedick.
34Act III Scene 1
- Ursula agrees, and Hero then mentions that
Beatrice is so sharp tongued that she often finds
faults in men that are not really there. - Ursula praises Benedick as a man, saying he is
one of the best men in Italy and would be an
excellent match for Beatrice. - After they leave, Beatrice steps forward and
comments that rather then be condemned for her
pride and scorn she will requite Benedick's love
and marry him. - Watch movie scene
35Act III Scene 2
- Claudio, Don Pedro and Leonato find Benedick to
be acting sadder than usual, and make fun of him
as if he is in love. - He does not deny their charge, but finally asks
Leonato if he could have a word with him in
private. - Don Pedro tells Claudio that Benedick must want
to discuss Beatrice with Leonato. - Don John arrives and informs Claudio and Don
Pedro that Hero is unfaithful. - He offers to prove it to them, telling them to go
with him that night and look into Hero's chamber
window. - Claudio states that if he sees any reason not to
wed Hero that night, he will shame her in the
church before the wedding ceremony the next day. - Don Pedro supports him and they promise to meet
Don John that night.
36Act III Scene 3
- Read III.3.138-139
- Dogberry and Verges, both clowns in charge of the
watchmen, get one of their men for the watch that
night. - He agrees, but asks what he should do if he
orders a man to stop and the man refuses. - Dogberry tells him to ignore the man because they
can only stop loyal subjects of the Prince. - Verges then orders the man to keep silence
throughout the town. - They leave the man and Dogberry orders him to
wake him up only if something important comes up.
37Act III Scene 3
- Borachio and Conrad arrive and accidentally stand
within hearing distance of the watchman whom
Dogberry. - Borachio tells Conrad that he earned a thousand
ducats from Don John that night because he wooed
Margaret in Hero's room and called her Hero. - Don John had brought Don Pedro and Claudio to the
orchard where they watched this whole scene and
became convinced that Hero was committing
infidelity. - One of the night watchmen, having overheard this
story, arrests Borachio and Conrad for villainy. - Watch infidelity scene
38Act III Scene 4
- Hero is getting dressed by Margaret for her
wedding that day. - She sends Ursula to fetch Beatrice, who arrives
but has lost her wittiness and has also caught a
cold. - Margaret makes mention to Beatrice that Benedick
is now in love. - Margaret then implies that perhaps Beatrice will
someday decide to fall in love much the way
Benedick has. - Ursula interrupts her and informs Hero that the
men are all gathered to take her to the church.
39Act III Scene 5
- Dogberry has gone to Leonato to inform him that
two suspicious men were arrested the night
before. - He asks Leonato to examine the men, but since the
wedding is that day, Leonato refuses and orders
Dogberry to conduct the examination himself. - Dogberry orders Verges to bring one of his men
who knows how to write so that they can write
down the entire examination and bring it to
Leonato. - Watch Dogberrys visit to Leonato
40Analysis Noting
- The issue of noting, or making much ado about
nothing, comes up when Claudio and Don Pedro, led
by Don John, look at window and think they see
Hero. - They fail to note that it is not Hero, but
instead Margaret. - This is fabrication through substitution, and it
leads Don John to stand condemned at the end of
the play. - This scene also plays on men's fears of female
infidelity. Claudio tells us - "If I see anything tonight why I should not marry
her, tomorrow in the congregation where I should
wed, there will I shame her" (3.2.103-107). - This fear is so strong that Benedick declared
himself a bachelor as a result, he is terrified
of wearing bull's horns, a sign of the cuckold.
41Analysis Gardens
- Gardens are again dangerous places to be.
- Hero and Ursula are talking in the orchard.
- This is not merely a plot against Beatrice, but
also against female virginity. - In fact, gardens can be seen as representing the
female sexuality, and they are dangerous places
because they are where virginity is compromised. - This can be seen when Claudio convinces Don Pedro
to win him Hero's heart, a scene that takes place
in a garden. - Beatrice will be tricked into loving Benedick by
what she overhears in an orchard.
42Analysis Gardens
- Hero's reputation, and also Claudio's perception
of her virginity, is lost when Claudio and Don
Pedro stand in the orchard and watch Borachio woo
Margaret. - The only way to clear up the confusion inherent
in the play is to write everything down. - Writing becomes a way of clarifying and clearing
up the mistakes. Dogberry says, - "get the learned writer to set down our
excommunication a joke, he means examination"
(3.5.55-56). - This is the first point in the play where writing
appears. It will later be used by Benedick and
Beatrice, the Sexton, and Claudio who will write
the epitaph to Hero.
43Act IV Scene 1
- The people are all gathered in the church to
witness the wedding between Hero and Claudio. - The Friar asks Claudio if he has come to marry
Hero, to which Claudio replies, "No" (4.1.6). - Leonato ignores the answer by playing with words
to give it a different meaning, but Claudio
interjects when asked if anyone knows why they
should not be married. - He tells Leonato, "Give not this rotten orange to
your friend" (4.1.30) and accuses Hero of
infidelity. - Don Pedro also refuses to defend Hero's honor,
telling Leonato that he watched with his own eyes
as Hero embraced another man the night before. - Claudio cries out, "O Hero! What a Hero hadst
thou been" (4.1.98) before once again saying
farewell to her forever. "But fare thee well,
most foul, most fair, farewell" (4.1.101).
44Act IV Scene 1
- Read IV.1.143-145
- Hero faints and falls to the ground. Don John,
Don Pedro and Claudio all leave the church. - Beatrice runs up and tries to help her cousin,
but Leonato tells her that, "Death is the fairest
cover for her shame" (4.1.113). - Leonato then tells them that he is ashamed to
have had such a daughter and that he wishes she
had never been born. - Benedick says, "Sir, sir, be patient. / For my
part, I am so attired in wonder /I know not what
to say" (4.1.142-144). - The Friar tells them that by noting her
complexion and the way she reacted, he has become
convinced that she is actually guiltless.
45Act IV Scene 1
- Hero awakes and tells them that she has know idea
what man Claudio thinks he saw her with. - Friar Francis tells Leonato to pretend that Hero
has died of shame. He tells Leonato that if Hero
pretends to be dead, instead of remembering her
dishonor people will pity her and even Claudio
will regret his words. - Everyone agrees to the plan and leaves. Only
Benedick and Beatrice remain behind. - They both declare their love for each other and
Benedick asks her to make him do anything to
affirm how much he loves her. - Beatrice famously replies, "Kill Claudio"
(4.1.287). - Benedick at first says he will never do such a
thing, and Beatrice tells him he does not really
love her then. - She tries to leave, but Benedick repents his
answer and stops her. He tells her that he will
challenge Claudio for her. - Watch the wedding scene and Benedick and Beatrice
46Act IV Scene 2
- Read IV.2.145-146
- Dogberry has brought Borachio and Conrad before
the Town Clerk and is interrogating them. - Everything is carefully written down to avoid any
mistakes. - Dogberry is completely incompetent as an
examiner, but the clerk takes charge and orders
the watchman who arrested them to step forward. - He relates that he overheard them discussing the
plot against Hero's reputation. - The sexton informs the men that they cannot deny
the charge since Don John secretly stole away
that morning. - He further tells them that Hero was accused by
Claudio in the church and died from humiliation. - The men are bound and ordered to be taken to
Leonato. - Watch Dogberrys interrogation scene
47Analysis
- The fear of the men that they will be cuckolds is
inherent in the scene where Claudio accuses Hero
in the church. - Leonato falsely thinks he has noted that she is
guilty. - Hero's fainting is taken as sign of her guilt,
leading Leonato to tell Beatrice that, "Death is
the fairest cover for her shame" (4.1.113). - This is part of the social norms, it is Leonato's
way of avoiding humiliation. Leonato chooses
Hero's death in order to protect his reputation
and avoid embarrassment. - Claudio now mimics the first time he thinks he
has lost Hero. "But fare thee well, most foul,
most fair, farewell" (4.1.101). - The audience by this point can tell that Claudio
is a bad reader after all, he makes the same
mistake twice! - He is also the most unfriendly lover in
Shakespeare. - Claudio dotes on Hero in his mind but prefers to
choose male bonding over marriage. - This becomes even more apparent in the next act
when Claudio and Don Pedro mock Benedick
together Claudio shows no remorse for Hero's
death and appears positively triumphant in having
killed her.
48Analysis Noting
- It is interesting to note that Benedick becomes
speechless when Hero is accused. - Benedick says, "Sir, sir, be patient. / For my
part, I am so attired in wonder / I know not what
to say" (4.1.142-144). - This marks the first time that he is unable to
comment on the proceedings around him. - For Benedick, it also moves him away from his
male companions and Beatrice, with whom he is
more serious and less verbal. - Of all the men and women present at the wedding,
only Friar Francis actually "notes" Hero. - He says, "By noting of the lady...trust not my
age...If this sweet lady lie not guiltless here"
(4.1.157,166,168). - The Friar is correct as we all know, and his
choice of words, "by noting of the lady" is
significant.
49Analysis Noting
- It is the first time that anyone points out to
the characters what we all know to be true they
fail to note what is happing around them. - Friar Francis is similar to Friar Laurence in
Romeo and Juliet. - He tries to save Hero by making her seem dead.
"Come, lady, die to live" (4.1.253). - This parallels the death of Juliet.
- The later marriage between Hero and Claudio will
serve as a resurrection moment. Thus Friar
Francis plays God with Hero's life and later
resurrects her in a shroud of death.
50Analysis Sense and Nonsense
- One of the most significant lines is when
Beatrice tells Benedick to "Kill Claudio"
(4.1.287). - She asks this as a way for Benedick to prove his
love for her. - Her demand essentially forces Benedick to choose
between the brotherly love of men and the loyalty
of a man to his wife. - Beatrice knows that she must destroy Benedick's
former male bonding. Her order is therefore a
command for Benedick to support her against
Claudio, and represents the only way for them to
have a mature relationship.
51Analysis Sense and Nonsense
- Much Ado About Nothing is the only comedy in
which no woman dresses as a man to influence the
plot. - Beatrice comes closest to this function, saying,
"O God that I were a man! I would eat his heart
in the market place" (4.1.303-304). She cannot
take revenge on Claudio herself, so she falls
back on her wit to get Benedick to challenge
Claudio. - For the first time sense is made out of the
nonsense of the plot. - This is done by the Sexton who cuts through
Dogberry's nonsense. It is a crucial turning
point in the play, akin to when Friar Francis
notes Hero's innocence, because someone finally
notes what is wrong and forces it to be
clarified.
52Act V Scene 1
- Antonio is trying to comfort Leonato who is still
grief-sticken over what happened in the church. - Antonio tells Leonato to make the men suffer that
have caused him pain. He says he will. - Don Pedro and Claudio enter.
- Leonato challenges Claudio to a duel on the
grounds that he killed Hero through his
accusation and wrongly harmed Leonato's
reputation. - Antonio steps forward and supports Leonato by
challenging Claudio as well. - Leonato tries to stop him, but Antonio continues
hurling insults at Claudio and Don Pedro for the
way they treated Hero. - Don Pedro refuses to accept the challenge,
telling them that Hero, "was charged with nothing
/ But what was true and very full of proof"
(5.1.106-107). - Antonio and Leonato leave in a rage, furious with
the condescending way Don Pedro is treating them.
53Act V Scene 1
- Read V.1.147-148
- Benedick arrives and is greeted warmly by both
Don Pedro and Claudio. - Benedick challenges Claudio, but he thinks it is
a joke. Both men make fun of Benedick for looking
so angry and for seemingly having lost his
ability to wittily reply to their jests. He then
turns to Claudio and tells him they will meet
soon in order to fight. - Don Pedro remarks that Benedick is serious about
his challenge. Claudio caustically replies that
it must be for the love of Beatrice. - Dogberry and Verges enter with Conrad and
Borachio as their prisoners. Only then does Don
Pedro realize that Benedick told him Don John had
fled. - He approaches the prisoners and demands to know
why they have been arrested. Borachio tells him
the entire story
54Act V Scene 1
- Leonato arrives with the Sexton, who has informed
him of what happened. Furiously Leonato accuses
Borachio, Don Pedro and Claudio of killing his
daughter. - Claudio and Don Pedro plead their innocence but,
realizing they are guilty of mistakenly accusing
Hero, promise to inform the city that she was
innocent. - Claudio further promises to marry Leonato's
niece, whom he tells Claudio is his sole heir. - Leonato then turns back to Borachio and demands
to know Margaret's role in the scheme. He tells
Leonato that Margaret is innocent and did not
know what she was doing. - Watch Pedro, Benedick, and Claudio scene
55Act V Scene 2
- Read V.2.149-150
- Benedick has written a sonnet to Beatrice that
Margaret is helping him with. - He then sends her to fetch Beatrice for him.
- She enters the room and plays word games with
Benedick. - He finally states, "Thou and I are too wise to
woo peaceably" (5.2.61), indicating that they are
too aware of what love and marriage entails to be
overemotional about it. - Ursula arrives and tells them to quickly come
since they proved that Hero has been falsely
accused. - Watch movie scene of Benedicks sonnet writing
and interaction with Beatrice
56Act V Scene 3
- Claudio, Don Pedro and several other men visit
Hero's gravesite and perform a short memorial
service. - Claudio has written an epitaph for Hero, after
which he sings a song and then promises to
perform the same ritual every year. - Don Pedro bids the other men good night and takes
Claudio with him to Leonato's house.
57Act V Scene 4
- Read V.4.150-151
- Leonato sends the woman into their chambers and
orders them to come out masked when they are
called for. - Antonio has promised to pretend that Hero is his
daughter so Claudio will believe he is marrying
Hero's cousin. - Benedick then asks Leonato for permission to
marry Beatrice at the same wedding ceremony.
Leonato agrees to the marriage. - Claudio and Don Pedro arrive and are greeted. The
women then come out wearing masks to hide their
identities. - Claudio asks which lady he shall marry, and
Antonio gives him Hero. She unmasks herself.
58Act V Scene 4
- At the wedding Benedick calls for Beatrice to
reveal herself. She does, and he asks her if she
loves him. - Beatrice gives the surprisingly cold answer, "Why
no, no more than reason" (5.4.74). - Benedick admits the same thing, and they both
realize that they were set up by their friends. - Watching this extraordinary exchange, Claudio and
Hero pull out sonnets that Benedick and Beatrice
wrote to each other and show them as proof that
they really do love each other. - Benedick states, "A miracle! Here's our own hands
against our hearts" (5.4.91). - Benedick and Claudio reconcile their friendship
and tell Don Pedro to find himself a wife so he
is not alone. - A messenger arrives at the very end and informs
them that Don John has been captured and brought
back to Messina. - Benedick tells them, "Think not on him till
tomorrow, I'll devise thee brave punishments for
him. Strike up, pipers" (5.4.121-122). - Watch the entire wedding scene
59Analysis Truth in Writing
- The fact that there is truth through writing,
first seen when Dogberry demands that everything
be recorded, is made abundantly clear in this
act. - Beatrice and Benedick write sonnets to each
other, and the sonnets are taken to be more
meaningful than even their words. - When they are at the point of nullifying their
declared love for one another, Claudio and Hero
produce the sonnets, thereby "proving" that they
are lying to each other. - Claudio earlier in the act writes his epitaph to
Hero, a way of declaring his love for her.
60Analysis Truth in Writing
- Dogberry also has the written statement of his
watchman, thus securing Hero's innocence. - An interesting line is that of Don Pedro "But on
my honour she was charged with nothing / But what
was true and very full of proof" (5.1.106-107). - This is a challenge to the audience to "note" the
words of the actors. - The second line reverses the meaning of the first
line, turning Hero's initial innocence to guilt.
61Analysis True Love?
- A fundamental question Do Benedick and Beatrice
really love each other? - Many audiences have simply assumed that they
harbor a deep-seated love that neither will
admit. - If we take them at their word then the likely
answer is no. - They are mature lovers who have been pushed
together by a social conspiracy to make them
marry. - Benedick "Thou and I are too wise to woo
peaceably" (5.2.61). - Later they both realize that their friends were
plotting against them. - "Do not you love me?"
- "Why no, no more than reason" (5.4.73-74).
- We expect tender words at this point but we get
the opposite.
62Analysis True Love?
- The fact that we still think love wins out is
because we willingly join the conspiracy against
both couples. - The audience roots for them to fall in love and
get married the actual feelings of the two
characters are irrelevant at the end. - Discrepant Awareness
- Each character knows something that the other
characters do not - Don John I know not that when he knows what I
know - Window scene in movie is not in play
- Put in to show Claudio is not such a dope?
- Irony
- True love happens as the wedding is destroyed
- Beatrice pledges to eat Claudios heart in a
church - If we eat the body of Christ in communion, are we
cannibals to?
63Analysis A Successful Friar
- Friar Francis, unlike his Romeo and Juliet
counterpart, succeeds in his resurrection of
Hero. - She comes out masked and reveals herself to
Claudio. - He cries out, "Another Hero!"
- She replies, "Nothing certainer" (5.4.62-63).
- If we take her pronunciation literally, "noting
certainer", we can see that this is really the
first time that Claudio has noted her as a
person. - Only through a feigned death could she force
Claudio to really pay attention to her and
"notice" who he was marrying.
64Analysis Marriage a Hoax?
- The question of whether there is any love between
Hero and Claudio is almost certainly answered
with a resounding no. - Hero is mostly a young girl who obeys her father
regardless of his demands. - Beatrice mocks this expected obedience in the
opening act, causing Leonato to hush her. - Hero willingly switches from Don Pedro to Claudio
as if it makes no difference who her husband is. - Later we see the same ability in Claudio, who
readily agrees to marry Hero's "cousin" without
ever having seen he girl. - This lack of dedication compromises their
credibility as a pair of lovers.
65Analysis Marriage a Hoax?
- An interesting question is why does it takes so
long for Claudio to learn Hero is alive? - The answer is that Claudio must learn something
first. Initially he and Don Pedro stick to their
beliefs and refuse to see the truth. Claudio must
have a penance for his sins against Hero - Hero has become a nothing by this point in the
play, her very existence wiped out. - Claudio is marrying someone he has never seen,
and it is his trust will be what brings Hero back
to life in the end.
66Analysis The Problem of the Ending
- As in many Shakespearian comedies, we are left
with a sense that everything is not perfect at
the end. - In Much Ado About Nothing the ending is tarnished
by the return of Don John. - He is returned to Messina in chains and Benedick
promises to punish him the next day. - This casts a shadow hangs over an otherwise
mostly happy ending.
67Analysis Brannaugh Film
- According to Harold Bloom
- The Brannaugh film was too imaginative
- The scenery was too powerful
- It was able to usurp the actual speaking lines
- The only good element was Thompsons Beatrice
with her tone, independent elements and facial
expressions
68Analysis Characterization Benedick
- It is obvious that Benedick and Beatrice were
once together and he messed it up - Read II.1.257-264
69Analysis Characterization Margaret
- She could have explained the whole thing at the
wedding, yet she walks away - Why?
70Analysis Characterization of Beatrice
- Her wit defends against the meaninglessness that
consumes the other characters - She makes much ado about nothing because she
knows that nothing will come of nothing - She will always win because she is the wittier
character - She has conquered Benedick even before we meet
him - Beatrice is frequently on the edge of bitterness
- Read II.2.63-73
- Read II.1.189-195
- Beatrice makes her opinion into the general
judgement of the world, this is her largest flaw - Read II.1.38-52
- Another of her strongest characteristics is that
she is an orphan with no one to answer to
71Analysis Characterization of Beatrice
- Read II.1.299-311
- Read I.1.221-228
- We can see that Benedicks view of being single
is less powerful and sublime that Beatrices - Going to the world is her metaphor for marriage
- She intends to pick Benedick while honestly
reluctant to accept anyone, even the wittiest
around
72Analysis Characterization of Beatrice
- Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand
- She does not plan to accept domestication
- Her wildness captures the audience
- Read V.4.91-97
- Protesting even while kissing
- Will not speak again
- She and the audience were at one
73Analysis Temper
- Dr. Galen said
- Humans are fluid
- They are made up of Fluid Humors
- Air, water, fire, earth
- If one person has too much of one, you will get a
certain type of person - Men HOT
- Women COLD
- Therefore, Claudio, Benedick, Beatrice, Don John,
and Dogberry are out of temper or have lost
their temper
74Analysis Benedick and Beatrice
- They dominate the play because of their higher
cognitive power - No disillusioned views of marriage
- No unnecessary flattering
- Neither trusts the other yet the wit in each
character desires the wit in the other - Beatrice is a brilliant character that none of
the others can keep up with, only Benedick comes
close winning the audiences sympathy along with
Hero - Were already together before
75Analysis Benedick and Beatrice
- Read IV.1.266-288
- Beatrice plays Benedick very well here
- Beatrices will causes Benedick to submit and
eventually challenge Claudio - Her ambivalent will is the plays greatest
strength - They are, however, a perfect match because each
is powered by self-love - Read V.4.72-83
- This exchange goes beyond joking and becomes an
exchange of tactics, phrasing, and climax
76Analysis Villains
- Primogeniture has him down
- Embittered and wronged in the womb!
- If true love were served right away, there would
be no play - We need Don John who vows to disturb the marriage
of Hero and Claudio - Don Johns plot, Harold Bloom feels, could have
been more elaborate and involved
77Analysis Title
- Appropriate title
- Benedick and Beatrice are Nihilists
- The setting is Sicily, yet everyone is English
- Regional dialect would not be perfected until
Mark Twain comes along later - Wit
- It is more important to be witty and conscious of
the world because love is superficial - Definition of love in the play?
- Love is much ado about nothing
- Mutual knowledge of benign nihilism
- Marriage of mutual advantage (Claudio and Hero)
is questionable