Branagh's Interpretation of Much Ado About Nothing
Shakespeare's wonderful comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, is an entertaining tale of the trials and tribulations of two pairs of lovers, who must face and overcome both malicious schemes plotted against them and also their own flaws and shortcomings before finding happiness together. Although clearly a comedy, the play is not without its darker moments. Don John plots to ruin Claudio's marriage; he nearly succeeds because Claudio, and most of the other men in the play, are too quick to judge Hero (and women in general) as innately deceitful. Naturally, true love wins through in the end, as the plot is exposed and foiled and Hero and Claudio are happily wed. Joining them at the altar are Beatrice and Benedick, the sharp-tongued pair who have (thanks to a little friendly intervention) discovered the mutual admiration previously hidden beneath their sarcasm.
It is possible for the director of a film based on the play to interpret the text in many ways. One option, for example, would be to emphasize the similarities between the deception perpetrated by Don John and that of the more friendly conspirators, and thus paint a darker picture of the intent and actions of those attempting to unite Beatrice and Benedick. Another treatment might instead choose to focus upon the differences between the two deceptions. The topic of Benedick and Beatrice's love for each other can be handled differently as well. Perhaps one director might portray this love as being created by the conspirators' acting, might portray Beatrice and Benedick as two proud individuals tricked into loving each other. Alternatively, another director could shoot the same scenes to show Benedick and Beatrice's love...
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...lt they had been duped into loving each other, our reaction could not have been as positive. Similarly, we laugh along with the conspirators, secure in the conviction that we are laughing at an innocent prank and not a malicious deception. Branagh's focus upon the lighter side of the play brings out its comic side without distancing us from the characters. On the contrary - this emphasis upon the joy and laughter brings us closer to the characters and allows us to rejoice with them.
Sources Cited and Consulted
Dawson, A. B. 'Much Ado About Signifying', Studies in English Literature 22, 211-21. 1982.
Humphreys, A. R. 1981; 'Introduction' to Much Ado About Nothing. London and New York: Routledge. repr. 1994.
Much Ado about Nothing. Dir. Kenneth Branagh. Perf. Emma Thompson, KennethBranagh, Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton, and Keanu Reeves. Goldwyn, 1993
In today's society, true love can be described as someone buying a sparkly present for the significant other, celebrating their special anniversary with a beautiful getaway from their hectic life, or even risking anything in the world for that one person. These are all real examples of true love but these are also the things that Claudio didn’t do to show his affection and love towards Hero. Instead, he chose to humiliate her on their wedding day, he didn’t trust her to stay faithful until marriage, and even “killed” her. In the play, Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, the main characters, Hero, and Claudio, are not truly in love and their actions display that.
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.
“The story of an hour” is a short story written by Kate Chopin on 1894. It narrates the story of a woman called Louise who was married to a man called Brently Mallard. A friend of Mr. Mallard arrived to the house afraid of telling her some terrible news about her husband. Apparently he was involved on a train crash and this friend knew about the ill heart condition of Mrs. Mallard. Both her sister and her husband’s friend were aware that the news about Brently’s death could be mortal for Louise, and they did not know how to tell her the outcome of this terrible accident.
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.
Much Ado About Nothing Movie Review Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves, Robert Sean Leonard, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Briers, Brian Blessed, Michael Keaton, Ben Elton Running Time: 1hr 5mins Introduction = == == == ==
"Universal Declaration of Human Rights." Amnesty International USA - Protect Human Rights. 19 May 2009 .
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.
In 1967, the Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women functioned under the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. Here, three championship divisions were established; 750 at the state level, 150 at the regional level, and 39 and the national level. In 1971, the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) was a product of the Commission. The primary concern (conflict) of the AIAW was the financial restriction placed on women’s athletics. No scholarship or financial aid was available to the athletes as well as a lack of money (support) for recruiting or coaching. In 1972, the U.S. Congress passed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which vehemently targeted sex discrimination. In 1975, Title IX gave universities 3 years to change the inequity and grant women’s athletics comparable funds. Dr. Ruth H. Alexander furthered funding equality, increasing from $16,000 to $1,300,000 between 1972 and 1980. As women were receiving more equal athletic privilege a problem developed in the administration of the Division I teams compared to Divisions II and III. Coaches lead both men’s and women’s teams having two different sets of rules as well as two separate conferences often having conflicting dates.
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...
In Much Ado About Nothing, characters Beatrice and Benedict initially insult each other, but was a way to fend off their true feelings. Although they had to be tricked to do so, when confronted, their love eventually overcame their pride. In the same light, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth faced obstacles as noted above, but eventually love conquered over all.
Much Ado About Nothing. The Riverside Shakespeare, 2nd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1997. 366-398. Ranald, Margaret Loftus.
Entry 1: Act I. Don Pedro and his men return from the war and visit the house of Leonato and his brother, Antonio. This sudden meeting reunites Beatrice with her archrival, Benedick, and it is here that Claudio and Hero fall in love. React: Is it a In Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, there are the usual characters that show up in most of Shakespeare’s pieces.
The. Much Ado about Nothing. Ed. A. R. Humphreys. New York: Routledge, 1994.
...he other hand, Beatrice and Benedick are comedy-makers and Beatrice is not ruled by her father as Hero clearly is. It does take Don Pedro’s benevolent plot to bring Benedick and Beatrice together, however. A modern audience would prefer Beatrice to Hero as she is her own self and admirable. The relationships also differ because Benedick and Beatrice’s relationship slowly grew whereas Claudio and Hero’s relationship was love at first sight. Perhaps it was a little hasty as we see in Act 4 how their love turns sour.
While on one hand there is a growing consensus that human rights are universal on the other exist critics who fiercely oppose the idea. Of the many questions posed by critics revolve around the world’s pluri-cultural and multipolarity nature and whether anything in such a situation can be really universal.