A Comparison Between the Plots of King Lear and Much Ado about Nothing

It is no revolutionary statement to say that William Shakespeare wrote some of the greatest plays of all time. This is accepted by everyone from high schoolers to experts as fact. But everyone is always wondering, what makes them great? Well, at the heart of every great Shakespeare play is a well written plot. But how can one man churn out all these plays he’s written, and still have new content in each one? Aren’t they all the same story to some extent? As Lindsay Smith writes, “Many Shakespeare plays, like most typical Renaissance plays, are divided into scenes and acts. There are five acts and anywhere from three to five scenes per act.” So his plays can’t be all that different, right? This statement will be examined after taking a closer look at the plots of King Lear and Much Ado about Nothing. There are both similarities and differences in King Lear’s and Much Ado about Nothing’s plots in the rising action, climax, and resolution.

Initially, There are both similarities and differences in King Lear’s and Much Ado about Nothing’s plots in the rising action. In both cases, you aren’t given much time upon beginning until situations start to escalate. Now, before I say anything about King Lear’s plot, I’d like to point out that it is a difficult play to follow. Joseph Carroll would agree, as he makes this claim. “King Lear is widely regarded as one of the greatest works of world literature, but also as one of the most challenging. The challenge is not just in the complexity of the language and the need for notes explaining obsolete terms and idioms – those problems are common to all of William Shakespeare’s plays. Instead, King Lear is exceptionally demanding emotionally and imaginatively.” With that said, the rising action i...

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...greatest name.” His plots are each unique, in their development, climax, and resolutions. King Lear and Much Ado about Nothing are great examples of this. They have their similarities, but are very different.

Works Cited

Carroll, Joseph. "An Evolutionary Approach to Shakespeare’s King Lear." Umsl.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.

Lofgren, Urban. "The Complexity of Major Characters in Shakespeare's King Lear." Gupea.ub.gu.se. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.

Schute, Marchette. "Shakespeare's Plots: Summaries of Shakespeare's Stories." Shakespeare's Plots: Summaries of Shakespeare's Stories. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.

Smith, Lindsay. "Much Ado About Nothing Concept Analysis." Novelinks.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.

Zomparelli, Kristen. "Much Ado About Nothing 's Criticism of the Renaissance Patriarchy." Digital Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.