Drake once said, "You was my angel, seems like your wings grew. Unaware you was outta state doin' your thing too. Sayin' to myself you deceiving." People get hurt when their loved ones become deceptive. Furthermore, in Much Ado About Nothing friends and family use deceit to indirectly achieve their goals. The play is about the interactions between the companions of a prince and a governor's family which they are visiting. People use lying and deception to not only protect themselves from the consequences of their negative actions, but to also help their peers reveal the truth that is hidden from themselves. Deceit allows an individual to evade the results of their wrongful behavior by forcing the blame on an innocent person. Don John is …show more content…
the illegitimate brother of the prince, Don Pedro. He has always been overshadowed by Don Pedro and wants to be treated like a royal prince.
Therefore, Don John's jealously of Don Pedro arises. Don John misuses his brother's trust in him and devises a plan which results in Claudio turning against him. Don John knows that Claudio is madly in love with Hero, the governor's only daughter, so he uses Claudio's affection for Hero to carry out his plan. Since Claudio is gullible, it is easy for Don John's to deceive him: CLAUDIO. How know you he loves her? DON JOHN. I heard him swear his affection. (Shakespeare 2.1.115-116) Don John tells Claudio that Don Pedro loves Hero, but in reality he does not. Don John is cunning and troublesome because he wants to receive the power and adoration of being the "prince". He think that if he cannot have he desires, then no one can; especially his brother. Since he knows what he wants, he uses deception to achieve it because it is easy to use and it causes a big impact. His lies cause good friends to turn against each other. Don John's little lies manipulate Claudio into blaming a very innocent Don Pedro for something that he did not do. All trust between the friends was gone when Claudio is "betrayed" at Don Pedro. Don John is being so troublesome towards Don Pedro …show more content…
because he wants him to feel like a outsider and to feel unappreciated. Also, Don John has bad blood towards Don Pedro. He wants revenge on him for winning the war. Ultimately, deceiving Claudio allowed Don John to achieve his goal of wrecking havoc into Don Pedro's life and let him walk away unscathed. Furthermore, Claudio is lead astray again by Don John's description of Hero. He lies about Hero and describes that "The word is too good to paint out her wickedness; I / could say she were worse. Think you of a worse title, / and I will fit her to it" (3.2.95-97). Don John is stirring up drama between Claudio and Hero. He believes that if he hurts Claudio, then Don Pedro will suffer too. He deceives both Claudio and Don Pedro into thinking that Hero is cheating on Claudio. Don John is motivated to ruin their lives by manipulating them into shunning Hero. When Claudio and Don Pedro shun Hero she will never be able to get married and her reputation will be destroyed. Don John's jealously fuels him to use deceit. He does not have to do the dirty work because Claudio and Don Pedro are exposing Hero for him. Therefore, when they find out that Hero is innocent, they will have to pay greatly for "their" mistake. Don John intentionally blames his wrongful deeds on innocent individuals instead of himself. He creates a lie where his victims see the worst in the innocent. When one fears facing the afflictions of one's immoral actions, one uses deception to avoid them by condemning impeccant individuals. Deception by others reveals the true feelings that are hidden from oneself by allowing one to accept their emotions.
Benedick and Beatrice engage in witty batter every time they meet. They are both witty, like to argue, stubborn, and are spirited. Their exchanges could be seen as public displays of their hate for one another, but they act as if something happened between them before. They both preach that they will never get married, but their friends and family suspect that they are hiding their feelings from themselves and one another. Hero, Beatrice's cousin, proposes a plan to trick Beatrice into believing that Benedick is hopelessly in love with her. When Beatrice was out in the garden, Hero tells her maid, "My talk to thee must be how Benedick / Is sick in love with Beatrice. Of this matter / is little Cupid's crafty bow made, / that only wounds by hearsay" (3.1.20-24). Hero's deception of Beatrice results in Beatrice thinking that Benedick is in love with her. Beatrice is forced to contemplate about her relationship with Benedick and her feelings for him. She finally realizes that her feelings for Benedick have always been there, but she never bothered to look. Hero wants to see Beatrice happy and she perceives that Beatrice is exuberant when she is around Benedick. Hero was obligated to use deception to achieve Beatrice's happiness because it was the only way that Beatrice could realize that she loved Benedick. Hero's deception revealed that hidden feelings in
Beatrice and allowed Beatrice to discover her true self. In addition, Don Pedro decides to trick Benedick into revealing his feelings for Beatrice. He explains his plan to Hero when he exclaims, "I / will teach you how to humor your cousin that she / shall fall in love with Benedick; and I, with your two / helps, will so practice on Benedick..." (2.1.350-353). Don Pedro plans to trick Beatrice and Benedick into falling in love. Just like Hero, he wants to see his good friend settle down with Beatrice and forget his bachelor life. He wants the best for his friend and he is determined to get Benedick and Beatrice together. Don Pedro lies to Benedick in order for him to realize that he loves Beatrice. Benedick admits to loving Beatrice because of Don Pedro's deception. Don Pedro used deception because his lies revealed the truth that Benedick was hiding inside from himself. The deceit by others enables one to accept hidden emotions. Deception allows one to accept one's true feelings and shields one from one's immoral actions. Because it is easy to use and has a big impact, deception protects one from one's wrongful deeds. Also, lying reveals the truth that one hides from other people, but more importantly; ourselves. People use deception to achieve their desires and therefore, it can be easily viewed as a negative or a positive skill. The benefits of deception are numerous, but loved ones can feel betrayed because of deceit. Today, many artists of pop culture sing about the affects of deception in their lives. Drake raps about girl that deceived him and he was left heartbroken. Through lies and deceit, many people feel hurt or betrayed by their friends or family. Countless, artists have raised awareness about the need to ensure that people use deception for the common good and we need to work towards using deception positively.
He becomes jealous and he tries to take it away or make them feel inferior in some way. Seeing people that have something he didn’t, makes him feel like he is below them and he makes them an enemy. Don John shows this trait in ACT 2 Scene 2 when he says “ Any bar, any cross, any impediment will be/ mendicable to me. I am sick in displeasure to him,/ and whatsoever comes awart his affection ranges/ evenly with mine. How canst thou cross this marriage?”(Shakespeare 30). Since Claudio and Hero love each other and he has never experienced love he tries to ruin their wedding. He feels jealous and therefore thinks he has to intervene and that they should not love each other anymore either. This shows another Machiavellian trait of Don John as his selfishness and self-centeredness come through simply because they have what he wants and doesn't know how to get. Another thing that he wants is the throne. His brother Don Pedro is the current king. Don John goes to war with his brother Don Pedro over this. In ACT 1 Scene 1 Leonato asks the Messenger about the war, “How many gentlemen have you lost in this action?”(Shakespeare 1). Don John’s brother has the throne but he believes he is entitled to it. Don John is jealous of what his brother has and is willing to do anything he can to get it. This shows that he is Machiavellian because he tries force people to comply to his
Don John is a believable villain because he is a bastard which means that in Elizabethan times Don John would have been seen as evil. Don John’s legitimate brother on the other hand is wealthy and well respected by everyone. Don John hates Claudio because Claudio has taken his position as Don Pedro’s right hand man. Don John even acknowledges his own evil and he also shows no mercy. Don John’s character doesn’t alter throughout the play, meaning he is only there to cause trouble.
Don John’s follower Borachio reports to Don John, leading to a first attempt of deception to be set up by Don John. The news goes to Don John who says “ Come, come, let us thither. This is food to my displeasure. That young start-up hath all the glory of my overthrow. If I can cross him any way, I bless myself every way…” (Shakespeare 15). Don John immediately sees this plan as an opportunity to do harm both to Claudio- honored for his actions against Don John- and to Don Pedro. Don John is setting the tone of his character as a villain while his brother Don Pedro, is the prince and is very active in the other character’s
He does not make excuses or try to escape the situation. For example, when Don John lies to Claudio and Don Pedro about Hero’s disloyalty. “For she has been too long a-taking of-the lady is disloyal”(Shakespeare 89-90). This shows how easily conflict could have been avoided because all Claudio and Don Pedro have to do is ask anyone and they would find out that Don John’s accusations were false.
Don John plays an essential role for nearly all of the trickery and deception in this play. He acts like a catalyst and an instigator for trouble, whose sole aim is to marmalize the love and happiness between Claudio and Hero. Shakespeare uses foreshadowing of Don John’s villainy to display the trickery and deception: ’It better fits my blood to be distained of all than to fashion a carriage to rob love from any, in this, though I cannot be said to be a flattering honest man, it must not be denied but I am a plain-dealing villain. I am trusted with a muzzle and enfranchized with a clog: therefore I have decreed not to sing in my cage. If I had my mouth, I would bite, if I had my liberty, I would do my liking.
Howard also mentions that the play seems to emphasize the consequences of sin, in this case, telling lies. She goes into the scene where Don John gets Margaret, Hero's servant, to play Hero as so to deceive Claudio. This would make Hero appear to be "easy" and make Claudio not want to marry her. Before all of this goes on, Don Pedro impersonates Claudio at the ball, to get in Hero's good graces. This is another lie. Even though Don Pedro's "trick" does more good than harm, the audience and readers are now given the job to cope with the morality of each situation. Most of Howard's reading of the play deals with the two impersonators (Don John and Don Pedro) and their sense of moral duty during this time. It also speaks to the social consequences of their practices. Howard suggests that Don John provides a moral reading because he is the chief antagonist in the play. She seems to say that in essence, he is evil and readers can identify and justify his actions because he is evil. Does that make it right? She also says that since he is the bastard brother of Don Pedro, his evil acts are ideologically significant because they identify the social disorder of those who have and those who have not.
That, like unreliable narrators, individuals often ‘lie’ to themselves in order to cover up the actual
The pursuit of honour by Claudio and Don Pedro is nothing short of obnoxious. All of their endeavors are public and have a serious effect on someone, and that is no accident. Such an egocentric approach is typical for all extrinsically motivated honour seekers, and the consequences of their actions are par for the course. By having all of their endeavors made public, their apparently honourable deeds will be rewarded, regardless of the true effects. Since Claudio and Don Pedro are so preoccupied with the superficial results of their actions, it is not surprising that dramatic misadventures transpire. When Don John suggests to Don Pedro and Claudio that “...[Hero] has been too long a-talking of, the lady is disloyal” (III,ii,89-90), they are faced with a decision. To trust in Don ...
In the play Claudio and Hero are the two main characters as well as the main plot of the play. They are a younger couple because of the immaturity that Claudio presents. Claudio in the play is very posseive, gullible, and insecure because he doesn’t want to be cuckold by Hero. Claudio talks very much like a lover to Hero. For example when he is talking to Benedick about Hero he states “In mine eyes she is sweetest lady that ever looked on” (Shakespeare 61). Claudio is saying that Hero is one of the sweetest lady he has ever laid eyes on. Another quote is “I would scarce trust myself, though I had sworn the contrary, if Hero would be my wife” (Shakespeare 61). Here Claudio is saying that if he had ever sworn never to marry, he would break his promise to himself if Hero
Don John is the illegitimate half brother of Don Pedro in the play. Don Pedro is the Prince of Aragon and is highly respected throughout the play, whereas Don John is treated with cautious attention and indifference. In Act one scene three, Leonato greets Don Pedro rather enthusiastically and respectfully,
Don John is led to believe that his ‘blood’ and his origins as a bastard forces him out of society and renders him ‘evil’. Feeling that in acting the part of a villain he fulfils a role delegated to him by his own blood. Shakespeare informs the audience early on of the significance of Don John being a bastard. The society of Messina shuns Don John not solely due to his illegitimacy but also owing to his silence ‘I am not of many words’. Most of the characters in the play prove outgoing, talkative and social while such chattiness leads to problems when other characters overhear secrets. Don John’s silence emerges as more disagreeable than willing to divulge secrets. Shakespeare does not reveal much about Don John’s character until the third scene when Conrad asks ‘...
When being an illegitimate child like Don John, one begins to think of themselves the way people treat them. Therefore, when Don John acts in his villainous ways, one blame it on Don John or rather the people who made him feel that he is less than human. Don John believes that his only way to be acknowledged is to act in a way no one will forget, therefore he acts as the villain in Much Ado About Nothing, because that what society made him out to be.
I will delve into the moral issues that people have when they think about deceit. My personal definition of deceit is when someone manipulates another person into believing what they are saying is the truth even if it may not be. In this paper I will argue that there are different degrees of deceit that don’t always break someone’s trust. The evidence I provide will show that our definition of deceit in our Western culture is impaired. It will show people who believe that deceit is morally wrong and it can only bring about distrust may need to re-evaluate their definition of deceit.
There are many interesting characters in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, but one of the most important character is Don John. Don John is the play’s villain. He wanted to seek revenge on his brother, Don Pedro, for deleting him in the war. Don John spends his time trying to get revenge, not only on Don Pedro but everyone. Don John was vengeful and insensitive, but he was also hurting on the inside.
Claudio cannot come out and just say that he has feelings for Hero, he has to seek approval from his male counterparts first. While talking to both Benedick and Don Pedro, Claudio describes his feelings as passion first (I.i.219-220), and then he says, “That I love her, I feel” (I.i.228), indicating that he knows he feels something for Hero, but he is unsure of exactly what his feelings mean.... ... middle of paper ... ...