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Much ado about nothing character analysis
Much ado about nothing character analysis
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Cunning, scheming, and unscrupulous, especially in politics or in advancing one's career, that is what it means to be Machiavellian. The adjectives used to define Machiavellianism are also used to describe Don John. Don John is far more Machiavellian than Borachio in Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare due to Don John from the start of the story tries to spoil relationships and then he doesn't admit to it unlike Borachio. To begin with, Don John from the beginning is the guy who says he is as corrupt as a sinner and he plots to raze Don Pedro's plan to woo Hero. He also uses Borachio to get what he wants. Don John after learning about Don Pedro's plan says, “If I can cross him any way, I bless myself every way. You are both sure, and will
The idea of Machiavellianism has been around since the 16th century and played a role in how people try to get what they want. Machiavellianism refers to a person who only has their best interests in mind and will do whatever is needed to get what they want. In the play “Much Ado About Nothing”, there are characters that display Machiavellian traits. Two of those characters are Don John and Borachio. Don John is more Machiavellian than Borachio because he pays others to help him come out on top and he fights people that have what he never had.
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 and Don Pedro are so different it’s surprising they're even brothers. The Book Much Ado about Nothing by William Shakespeare has a wide cast of characters. They all go through the same story while experiencing very different changes, and in some cases are complete opposites to each other. But there are two very different characters that stood out to me, Don Pedro and his brother Don John. Don Pedro is very calm and friendly to just about anyone while Don John is sly and doesn’t care about anyone other than himself. Don John (DJ) is a character foil to Don Pedro because he highlights all the good characteristics of Don Pedro (DP). The specific places in which they are character foils are in their actions, personality, and social status.
BP1-Even before Much Ado begins, the main character Don Pedro is described in the cast as the Prince of Aragon, while Don John is noted as his illegitimate brother. These words show the difference in the two characters as one brother being seen as noble and and strong and the other being seen as an undesirable in those times. In Act 1, scene 3, we learn how Don John sees himself. “I had rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in his grace,”(Shakespeare 23) about not wanting to be in Don John’s favor. “And it better fits my blood to be disdained 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.” Don John is not looking to be loved and accepted but instead accepts his role and his place in the shadows of his brother.
This is brought out by the character foil of Don Pedro and Don John because it is Don John’s deceit that is highlighted by Don Pedro’s honesty that creates this conflict that truly makes this meaning clear. Also, Don Pedro’s honesty could have also solved the situation. If he was immediately honest with Leonato and told him of Don John’s accusation, Leonato could have dug deeper and found out that it was untrue. This brings out even more the ease with which the problem could have been avoided. Without this character foil, the meaning would not be as clear as it was.
by using it as a comic device, but also to sort out situations so that
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.
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.
middle of paper ... ... One final and resounding difference between Don John and Iago has to do with the past of each character. Shakespeare portrays Iago as an intelligent and sometimes caring character until Othello supposedly wrongs him. On the other hand, Don John has more of an evil aura about him, and shows his hatred for Claudio right from the start. Overall, the characters of Don John and Iago are very similar, although the latter is much more intelligent and complex These two men are what draw the reader’s attention to the novel, and share so much in common that the two seemingly unrelated works are read in tandem constantly.
In 1513, an Italian politician by the name of Niccolo Machiavelli distributed, though privately, a political treatise called The Prince. This treatise was, essentially, a guide on how to effectively rule one's country. It's important beforehand to define exactly what a Machiavellian is, before describing one. A Machiavellian is a leader who, through his power and influence, works toward the common good of his people. This can be done through fear, through deceit, even through manipulation. It is important to understand the main principle of a Machiavellian; the end justifies the means. The end being the common good of his people. Vladimir Putin is a Machiavellian in the ways he retains power, institutes reform, and executes economic recovery domestically; and also in the ways he manages international affairs, such as the issues with Syria, Snowden, and the 2014 Winter Olympics.
With this ending and the treatment of Don John throughout the play, it is clear that he will never be able to mingle positively without suspicion, and with other characters. His harsh sentencing for deceit is hypocritical as almost every character in the play, from Don Pedro to Leonato himself have deceived people, albeit not with bad intentions like Don John. His reputation ever since he was born has dictated his life and his only alternative to being called an untrustworthy bastard is to become a “plain-dealing” villain, to forge himself his own identity. Although everyone believes he is a conniving villain, Don John’s just forcing himself to be one; to prove he has his own identity among the “posh” people of Messina even if it is antagonistic.
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.
William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” is a play that’s plot revolves around heterosexual romantic relationships. Despite its status as a comedy, it contains some serious social commentary about these relationships. An example of this commentary is seen in act 2 scene 3, when Balthasar sings a song to Don Pedro, Leonato, Claudio and Benedick. While the song is short, it is full of meaning as it both offers commentary on the gender roles within relationships and foreshadows much of the conflict that happens later in the play. Through this short song, Shakespeare is both acknowledging and critiquing both the treatment of women, and the values of men within romantic relationships.
Machiavellian politics describes how politicians achieve power through their own selfish needs by denying the morality of political affairs to maintain their political power. In Othello, Machiavellian traits are seen through the
To conclude, it would seem that a renaissance machiavel is anyone who uses machiavellian ideas to effect others, whether it be for good or for ill. These machiavellian ideas and strategies range from subtlety and concealment, to murder and witness eradication. In essence, then, machiavellianism, in terms of the renaissance, is the process by which one person attempts to influence others by diverse means. Machiavellianism is not restricted to villains, as the heroic characters also make use of it.