Analysis Of Much Ado About Nothing

1493 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Trials of love in Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado about Nothing, though interspersed with dark moments, is a comedy that ends with the expectation of multiple marriages. Shakespeare 's comedies usually explore the themes of love and marriage. The common characteristics of his plays include rural settings, mistaken identity and disguises, complex plots, disputes within characters, separation and reunification. Tension is usually built up around the various trials and tribulations the protagonists must overcome. In Othello, Iago wants to destroy the relationship between Othello and Cassio by accusing Desdemona of infidelity; unlike Don John, he is successful. In Romeo and Juliet, Lord Capulet 's tirade and outrage at Juliet can be compared with Leonato 's soliloquy where he wishes Hero Beatrice and Benedick are portrayed as slightly older than the Claudio and Hero, to suggest their cynical attitudes towards love, as well to act as a foil against the young lovers. It is also made clear in the opening scenes that Claudio and Hero are already in love and it is quite clear that this version of Much Ado about Nothing was intended to present a harmonious ending. In contrast, Iqbal Khan 's 2012 stage version is set in modern Delhi in India. The themes explored in Much Ado about Nothing echo within the Indian setting, in terms of arranged marriages and how a woman’s loss of honour is linked with her family’s reputation which is related to the important issue of honour killings, because in a way Hero has had an honour killing, in Leonato’s words: “She died, my Lord, but whiles her slander lived”, her death has brought honour back to herself and her Virginity was an important virtue and female infidelity was unforgivable, a woman 's honour and her family 's honour would be lost. Shakespeare 's Much Ado about Nothing presents the two female stereotypes that existed during the Elizabethan era through the characters of Beatrice and Hero. Hero is a typical girl, well-mannered and modest. Hero hardly speaks, at no point in the play do we ever hear of Hero’s feelings and views towards her marriage to Claudio, her silence reveals information about the values of other characters, and just like her name ironically suggests, and she is the true protagonist at the centre of the play. Beatrice is the total opposite, she is witty and possesses a sharp tongue, she is strong and independent, and because she speaks up for herself she would have been seen as a shrew that needed taming. Both character highlights society 's prejudiced behaviour and unfairness to women, this is evident in the ending of Act 4 Scene 1 when Beatrice says "oh that I were a man for his sake! Or that I had any friend would be a man for my sake!" Her frustration and anger at the mistreatment and inequality of women

Show More
Related

  • Much Ado About Nothing: Beatrice Potrayal

    983 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shakespeare represents Beatrice as a very feisty, cynical and sharp woman during the play. We can especially see this when she uses her wit to shock the messenger saying, in act one scene one, that ‘he is no less than a stuffed man.’ This is exceedingly disrespectful to fashion such a rude comment about a man who is just about to arrive back from war. One thing Shakespeare clearly shows us is that Beatrice would not be the ideal woman for most men. To emphasize this he contrasts Beatrice with a weak and quiet character such as Hero who acts upon every mans instruction, we can see this when Beatrice says to Leonato that its her ‘cousins duty’ to say ‘father as it please you.’ Shakespeare makes such a clear contrast between the two women to the extent that Beatrice steals most of Hero’s attention from the other male characters in the play. Furthermore he shows us how Beatrice is perhaps a threat to the patriarchal society at the time, we can see this on page fifty-nine where she implys that it is her duty to please herself, whether or not her father consents. This is unlike Hero, who cannot do anything unless a man is fighting her corner, however Beatrice is willing to

    Read More

  • BBC's Shakespeare Retold: Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Brian Percival

    761 Words  | 2 Pages

    A major concern in both the film and the original text is the ‘status of women’. This is represented through the differing roles of women and their denigration within the Elizabethan society. For instance, Hero is accused of committing infidelity; consequently her image in society is tarnished, In addition to this, Claudio insults Hero publicly without even considering confirming the accusation of her being unchaste. This is illustrated through Claudio slandering Hero through the use of usage of Greek Mythological allusions “You seem to as Dian in her orb, but you are more intemperate than Venus in y...

    Read More

  • The Violence of Language in Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

    1017 Words  | 3 Pages

    Set in the sixteenth century, Much Ado About Nothing is revolved around the thought of love and marriage. Primarily, this is prevalent in the two main characters, Beatrice and Benedick. They have once been courted which suggests more maturity than the majority of couples in Shakespeare’s various plays. In the duration of the play, the violent language between Benedick and Beatrice is most evident through their ridicule. Both characters always speak critically regardless of whether they are talking to each other or out loud about one another. This is highlighted when Beatrice exclaims, “What should I do with him—dress him in my apparel / and make him my waiting gentlewoman? He that hath a / beard is more than / a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a/ man; and he that is more than a youth is not for me, and he that is less than a/ man, I am not for him...

    Read More

  • How the Characters in Much Ado About Nothing Learn to Love

    2988 Words  | 6 Pages

    The four characters that learn the art of love are Beatrice, Benedick, Claudio and Hero.  From the first viewing/reading of the play, Claudio and Hero seem to be the main focus.  However, looking deeper into the entire play, and/or if you read any scholarship on Much Ado About Nothing, the true fascinating plotline involves Beatrice and Benedick.

    Read More

  • Much Ado About Nothing Book Vs Movie

    1668 Words  | 4 Pages

    Whedon's production of Much Ado About Nothing is a modern, black and white retelling of the famous Shakespeare play of the same name which tells the story of love and deceit between two couples: Hero and Claudio, and Beatrice and Benedick. While Hero and Claudio court and prepare to marry each other, Beatrice and Benedick steal the show away with their wit, humor, and constant bickering. Though they both insist that they hate each other, the flashback presented at the start of the film suggests that there is far more to the story than meets the eye. While the style of the film certainly enhances the story being told, making it a timeless classic entangled with modern society, it is the ensemble cast that work both individually and as a unit which make the film a true masterpiece, as well as the genius idea of a change in scenery that propels a sense of realism not often found in your average Shakespeare adaptation.

    Read More

  • Comparing Katharina, of The Taming of the Shrew and Beatrice of Much Ado About Nothing

    1324 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shakespeare’s Katharina, of The Taming of the Shrew and Beatrice, of Much Ado About Nothing, are very similar characters.  Each is plagued with unrequited love, and depressed by their inability to woo the suitor of their choosing.  Neither will accept the passive female role expected by society. Yet, both women seem to accept their role as wife by the conclusion.  Upon further examination, one will find that Beatrice is a much more complex character.  One would have to agree with the critic who said, "Katharina is a character sketched in bold, rapid stokes, with none of Beatrice's sophistication, verbal brilliance, or emotional depth."

    Read More

  • Gender Roles in Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing"

    1497 Words  | 3 Pages

    In conclusion, gender role in Elizabethan era is very complex with respect to women’s role. Men are the masters of the home and society; they preside over every aspect of life. They are however, expected to take care of their family and also be actively involved in politics, war, and they inherit their father’s properties. Women role varied a according to their social status. All women were raised to be subservient to men. Unlike upper class women, lower class women were denied any kind of education. And all women are expected to get married and bear children. The qualities Shakespeare gave Beatrice are very significant because it contrasts traditional Elizabethan theater. Gender role has evolved over time, especially women’s role and it will continue to evolve as long as there are women like Beatrice around.

    Read More

  • representation of women in much ado about nothing

    1270 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shakespeare's works were fictional so even though he portrayed women in a positive way, society wished to oppress women and portray the kind of independence that Beatrice shows as being a negative thing. Shakespeare used his characters as a subtle way of empowering women by casting strong women in a positive light.

    Read More

  • The Growth of Claudio

    1215 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the time of William Shakespeare where courtship and romance were often overshadowed by the need to marry for social betterment and to ensure inheritance, emerges a couple from Much Ado About Nothing, Hero and Claudio, who must not only grow as a couple, who faces deception and slander, but as individuals. Out of the couple, Claudio, a brave soldier respected by some of the highest ranked men during his time, Prince Don Pedro and the Governor of Messina, Leonato, has the most growing to do. Throughout the play, Claudio’s transformation from an immature, love-struck boy who believes gossip and allows himself to easily be manipulated is seen when he blossoms into a mature young man who admits to his mistakes and actually has the capacity to love the girl he has longed for.

    Read More

  • Much Ado About Nothing: Beatrice, Portia and Marriage

    525 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beatrice's courtship with Benedick greatly contrasts with the courtship of Hero and Claudio. Hero gladly and willingly submitted to marriage, and she accepted the role of the relatively powerless woman. In contrast Beatrice chose her submission after openly criticizing the institution of marriage.

    Read More

  • Differences between Beatrice and Hero in Much Ado about Nothing

    1199 Words  | 3 Pages

    This is part of her “merry war” with Benedick. Beatrice appears to loathe Benedick and vice versa; they engage in many “skirmishes of wit.” However, although Beatrice appears hardened and sharp, she is vu...

    Read More

  • Essay About Love in Much Ado About Nothing

    378 Words  | 1 Pages

    All of the characters in Much Ado About Nothing seemed to develop a personality of their own from the very first scene.  It also helped that I saw the movie version of Much Ado About Nothing before we read the play so I could almost get a picture in my head as to what each character looked like.  As the character's had their own personality, so did the two love relationships in the play.  Benedick and Beatrice seemed to hate each other so much from the very start of the play that as the play carried on it almost seemed like the two went full circle in their relationship.  But their relationship might not have changed for the better without help from Claudio, Don Pedro, Leonato, Ursula or Hero.  In Claudio's and Hero's relationship seemed to be much more conventional in the way they came together.  Claudio first saw Hero and instantly fell in love with her, while Hero stood by and took orders from her father, Leonato.  Only when Don John devised his deception to break Claudio and Hero apart that I felt the relationship was in trouble, but even then I felt there was hope.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis of Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare

    766 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beatrice is, without a doubt, one of the strongest female characters that Shakespeare ever came up with in his time of writing. Shakespeare shows, through Beatrice, how every woman should act in an era where only the men were even able to have control. In this era, or the renaissance time, no woman had free will; they were always told what they could and could not do, as well as, who they were to marry. In the play “Much Ado About Nothing” Beatrice has many qualities but the ones that stand out the most in the play are: her independence, her feistiness, and of course her openness to defy male subjection.

    Read More

  • Much Ado About Nothing - A Feminist Perspective of Hero

    915 Words  | 2 Pages

    A Feminist Perspective of Hero in Much Ado About Nothing Unlike the title of this piece suggests, Hero did not undergo her transformation in Much Ado About Nothing through magic. Rather, Hero was a victim of the double standards and illogical fears that the men of Shakespeare’s plays commonly held. The following quote sums it up quite well. In the plays female sexuality is not expressed variously through courtship, pregnancy, childbearing, and remarriage, as it is in the period. Instead, it is narrowly defined and contained by the conventions of Petrarchan love and cuckoldry.

    Read More

  • The Role Of Women In Much Ado About Nothing

    1069 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shakespeare makes sure that Beatrice comes off as a woman who is not afraid to speak her mind to anyone. This is portrayed in the beginning of act one, when the mail messenger comes to announce that the soldiers are on their way to Messina. They start a conversation about Benedick and he tells Beatrice that Benedick is a "lord to a lord, a ...

    Read More

More about Analysis Of Much Ado About Nothing

Open Document