Katherine Paterson says, “Real maturity, which most of us never achieve, is when you realize that you’re not the center of the universe.” Claudio, a character from Much Ado About Nothing, is a perfect example of this quote. Throughout most of the play Claudio is only concerned about how other people and events affect him. However, the obstacles and positions he is put in do not help the situation. The one of the main themes of this play is deception, which Claudio, as well as most of the other characters in the play, fall victim. In Much Ado About Nothing Claudio begins the play with a tendency to be very gullible and paranoid about everything, and he continues to show his immaturity by seeking revenge when he is upset; Claudio finally matures when he accepts that he was wrong and is willing to take the punishment that goes with his mistakes. The beginning of the play shows Claudio, on numerous occasions, as gullible and paranoid that everyone is against him. When Don John tells Claudio that Don Pedro has wooed Hero for himself he responds by saying, ““But hear these ill news with the ears of Claudio. Tis’ certain so. The Prince woos for himself” (Shakespeare 24.) This quote shows that Claudio often puts his trust in the wrong people. He takes the word of an enemy, who he has already defeated in battle, over someone who fought along side him and is supposedly his best friend. It also shows how naïve Claudio can be and how easily he will take what others say as the truth without using his better judgment. In this quote, Claudio proves how fast he can turn against someone, even one of his best friends, when he hears they have wronged him. When Don John accuses Hero of being unfaithful to Claudio he says, “If I see anything tonight w... ... middle of paper ... ...rney from an insecure and paranoid boy to becoming a man worthy for woman such as Hero. He started the play as a vain young man mostly concerned about his appearance and his own selfish love and the perks that came with it. However, people learn from their mistakes and this is evidently true in Claudio’s case. The plays ends as all of Shakespeare’s comedies do, with Claudio and Hero dancing with the rest in the harmonious dance of life. In Much Ado About Nothing Claudio begins the play with a tendency to be very gullible and paranoid about everything, and he continues to show his immaturity by seeking revenge when he is upset; Claudio finally matures when he accepts that he was wrong and is willing to take the punishment that goes with his mistakes. Works Cited Shakespeare, William, and David L. Stevenson. Much Ado about Nothing. New York: Signet Classic, 1998.
“And when I lived, I was your other wife, And when you loved, you were my other husband(Shakespeare 60).” In the beginning of the play it was overwhelming, steeped in love at first sight between Hero and Claudio, until Don John’s evil-manner took a role in ruining the love between them. And because of this a conflict developed between them, but was resolved when their vigorous love for one another overcame the conflict. In Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, Hero serves as the foil character of Claudio because of Hero’s dignified, well-mannered, eminent reputation is illuminated through Claudio’s insecure, accusing, and doubtful weakness; thereby, interminably influencing the conflict in the plot.
William Shakespeare is known for his use of dramatic irony and complicated story lines. In Much Ado About Nothing, he also adds in the element of disguise to what the characters know, or what they think they know. There are multiple characters trying to ensnare others in different facades, whether it be for better or for worse. The deception and illusion in the play can either assist the characters or completely shatter the situation, but in both cases, Shakespeare advises us to infer about what we hear or see before we jump to conclusions.
Transformations inherently contain traces of the author’s social and cultural context. Much of the same can be applied to “Much ado about nothing”. It incorporates comical features, yet retains the sense of tragedy which is attached to almost all of Shakespeare’s plays. Brain Percival’s role as a director, was determining, understanding and distinguishing the social norms and the social structure of the society, and how the themes represented in the play can be transformed into a modern text. The Elizabethan society was typically a patriarchal society. Percival has used as well as transformed certain themes and textual features to ensure, that the film is more appealing and assessable to the critical modern audience.
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.
In William Shakespeare’s play ‘Much Ado about Nothing’, there are many instances of trickery and deception, which seem to surround the whole of the play.
Leonato plays an important role in Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing. Leonato is at the center of events from beginning to end, being as he is one of the main characters Hero’s father, and Beatrice’s uncle. A great majority of the action in the play takes place at Leonato’s home. Leonato is a friendly but stern man. His daughter Hero is to soon be married, so as a father, he is helping set up the wedding. Leonato is a respected man by all in the story. Leonato has no problem getting along with his daughter’s future husband, Claudio, until the wedding. When Leonato’s daughter is accused of adultery at her wedding, it is clear that the honor of his family is very important to him. Leonato is ashamed and tells his own daughter that she
With its entangled plots and eloquent use of words, Much Ado About Nothing is a story that has the ability to entertain the masses, both young and old. Shakespeare’s use of figurative language along with situation creates such vivid imagery that carries the drama from beginning to end. For example, when we look at Act 1 Scene 1 of the play, we are quickly introduced to the sharp tongued Beatrice as she verbally annihilates her unseen co-star Benedick.... ... middle of paper ... ...
The comedy, “Much Ado About Nothing” depicts the story of a group of high-ranking soldiers who travel through a town called Messina. They had been to the town before, and this time Claudio confesses his love for the governor’s daughter, Hero. Because Leonato is so fond of Claudio, the wedding is set to be a few days away. This gives Don John, Claudio’s bastard brother, a chance to show his true hatred for Claudio. He comes up with a scheme to make Claudio think that Hero is cheating by dressing Margaret in her clothing and perching her near the window with another man. When Claudio sees this, he says that he will humiliate Hero instead of marrying her.
By the end of the play, we see Claudio’s transformation from being an immature, love-struck boy who believes gossip and allows himself to easily be manipulated grow into a mature young man who admits to his mistakes and actually has the capacity to love the girl he has longed for. The wedding dance of Claudio and Hero along with Beatrice and Benedict shows how order is now restored in the city of Messina, and order given to the life of Claudio.
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.
Much Ado About Nothing. The Riverside Shakespeare, 2nd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1997. 366-398.
For hundreds of years, William Shakespeare has captured the hearts of many theatre fanatics and critics as well as writers all alike. The Play entitled 'Hamlet' is no exception. Hamlet is a play about a prince's journey through the perils of his own mind, as he is brought to light of certain circumstances regarding his father?s tragic death, with which brings him to certain conclusions that demand action. Shakespeare planned out the play so that it would smoothly shift from one action sequence to another. Prince Hamlet is purposely made easily influenced and on the edge, which was intended so that the characters that should interact with Hamlet, inevitably lead him to his revenge and demise. The impossibility of certainty appears to be evident as soon as the play begins. The Ghost of Hamlet?s father raises questions of illusions and it could very well have not been real. Since there had been nobody present at the time of the murder, does Hamlet really know that Claudio killed ...
Much Ado About Nothing. The Riverside Shakespeare, 2nd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1997. 366-398.
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
Genuine people are few and far in between. Honesty is always hidden under the mystery of corruption. Wherever you go, people seem to put on mask and hide who they truly are become hidden from the outside world. Their motives are unknown but they have a deep, dark necessity to act and play a different role when they are in the presence of others. However, this doesn’t pertain to just people in the real world, it also occurs in the world of Shakespeare. The audience quickly finds that just like in their everyday life, fictional characters can also play a different role to achieve what they truly desire. Consequently, these characters develop a sense of dishonesty throughout the story and this dishonesty eventually leads to the destruction of their plans. Just like a weak foundation of a building, a weak personality will eventually crumple in ruin. In order to capture the recurring theme of dishonesty, William Shakespeare uses the death of King Hamlet to force a façade of security and responsibility on the major characters in his play, Hamlet.