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The struggle between good and evil in Shakespeare
The struggle between good and evil in Shakespeare
Villains in literature essay
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The relationship between two half brothers in Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” is tragic and funny at the same time. Don John, the outcast and the popular Don Pedro are foils because of their disposition in life, their demeanor towards others and their dialogue which speaks volumes in this tragic/comedy.
The first way Don Pedro and Don John are foils is their disposition in life. Don Pedro is held in high standing because of his birth right and hailed a hero in his leadership of men in battle. Don John never had a chance in society, born a bastard and therefore, a second class citizen no matter what he accomplished or battle he won. Don Pedro’s demeanor towards others is empathic and helpful almost to his demise because he would
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This quote from Don Pedro establishes the reason he helped Claudio because he believes in true friendship and knows Claudio would do the same for him. Don Pedro supports his friend by trying to get Hero to marry Claudio and offers to help arrange their marriage. Whereas, Don John is miserable and wants people to feel like him so he can thrive on their losses. Self centered and deceitful, he carries a chip on his shoulder because his lot in life is set in defeat. By his very position in Don Pedro's household, Don John recognizes he is a second-class citizen. When he is unsuccessful at gaining recognition through military battle with his brother, he turns his frustration toward conspiracies to hurt those he envies. He convinces and orders people to do his dirty work so he is not suspected. “Any bar, any cross, any impediment will be medicinable to me. I am sick in displeasure to him, and whatsoever comes athwart his affection ranges evenly with mine. How canst thou cross this marriage?” (Shakespeare 30). This is the part of the story where Don John is ruining the marriage of …show more content…
Don Pedro always sounds cheerful and bold with his words while Don John is contempt and appears to be shy in his first words in the book. “I thank you. I am not of many words, but I thank you.” (Shakespeare 6). This is when Don John, Don Pedro and the rest of the soldiers in the company first enter Leonato’s mansion. “Good Signor Leonato, are you come to meet your trouble? The fashion of the world is to avoid cost, and you encounter it” (Shakespeare 4). Because of what Shakespeare has written for them to say in his play this is how you can tell what kind of character the two brothers are and how they are both foils of each other. Don Pedro is the one who is always happy and knows what to say to help a person and Don John focuses on not saying much and thinking about what to do to ruin what his brother is doing so he can feel better about
Evidence to support this reason says, “How you know he loves her? I heard him swear his affection. . . But hear these ill news with the ears of Claudio. ‘Tis certain so; the prince woos for himself. . . trust no agent; for beauty is a witch. . . Farewell, therefore, Hero” (Shakespeare pg. 23). This quote shows how Claudio was easily convinced to believe that Don Pedro loves Hero for himself, even though there wasn’t anything to prove of this, and how he doesn’t even try to ask Don Pedro if this is true or not. Another piece of evidence says, “If I see anything tonight why I should not marry her tomorrow, in the congregation where I should wed, there will I shame her” (Shakespeare pg. 50). This quote shows how again, Claudio was easily convinced by Don John that he will not wed Hero if he sees her being disloyal towards him. This quote also shows how he’s easily convinced to do something due to someone telling him to do so. To sum this all up, Claudio’s manipulation is his second most major tragic
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.
William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is a play involving by deception, disloyalty, trickery, eavesdropping, and hearsay. The play contains numerous examples of schemes that are used to manipulate the thoughts of other characters; it is the major theme that resonates throughout the play. Ironically, it is one of these themes that bring serenity to the chaos that encompasses most of the play.
Rossiter, A.P. "Much Ado About Nothing." William Shakespeare Comedies & Romances. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986.
With its entangled double 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 for which carries the drama from beginning to end. For example, when we look at Act 1 Scene 1 of the play ...
2. In some ways, Don Pedro is the most elusive character in the play. He never explains his motivations--for wooing Hero for Claudio, for believing Don John’s lie, even for setting up Beatrice and Benedick. He also seems to have no romantic interest of his own, though, at the end of the play, without a future wife, he is melancholy. Investigate Don Pedro’s character, and explain your interpretation of his actions. Why does he woo Hero for Claudio? Is he joking when he proposes to Beatrice, or is he sincere? Why is he melancholy at the end of the play? Why should Shakespeare create a character like Don Pedro? Cite evidence from the play in your essay to support your claims.
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.
First, Don Pedro is the opposite of Don John because of his loyal personality. As a dear friend to Claudio, Don Pedro is by his side as they shame the innocent Hero at the wedding with
“Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit (Matthew 7:17).” If you are truly a Christian, than you would bears good characteristic. Don John is a bastard in his family, so William Shakespeare give him a greedy characteristic. Don John’s greed makes him do many disgusting things, and he almost kill Hero, the wife of Claudio, using his words. Readers could not find any Christian attitude on Don John. Don John in Much Ado About Nothing did not exhibit Christian attitudes because of his revenge, his dishonesty characteristic, and he is a gossip monger.
Hero is resembled by Claudio as a “well-mannered young lady” who is content with her own unchangeable, elegant personality. This quote shows Hero is matron, and consistent of her elegance throughout the book and it is because of her personality that causes Claudio to be drawn to her. Claudio on the other hand, admits to Don Pedro that he is “hasty in (his) emotions”, which resembles his skeptical and uncertain personality when it comes to actually admitting his love for Hero. This evidence supports how Claudio is unsure of himself, and because of Claudio’s doubtful and unsure qualities he is quick to believe Don John when he says Hero has been unfaithful. Nevertheless, Claudio and Hero’s differences in the play it stirs up the plot and conflict, but it is their similarities and strong willed love that draws them together in the
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 ‘...
Don John dislikes Don Pedro because Don John is the illegitimate brother, a bastard child. This means that he isn’t recognised by the court of Messina or by anyone. Although Don John is of royal blood, his royal blood would’ve been respected but not him. In those times, Don John would have had the social status of a prostitute. This is no fault of Don John, but only because his parents weren’t married when he was conceived. Don John is always so gloomy because he isn’t respected, he says to Conrade “There is no measure in the occasion that breeds, therefore the sadness is without limit”. Don Pedro the legitimate brother is highly respected by everyone and is probably very wealthy, Don John would have had nothing. Don is jealous of his brother because of all the admiration he gets from others. In Shakespearean times, everyone would have expected Don John to be evil because he was a bastard. No one would been surprised when Don John tried to ruin Claudio’s hopes of mar...
In Much Ado About Nothing, Don Pedro, Benedick, and Claudio are all friends and are all even when it comes to wit. However, Don Pedro has power and the positions of the other two depend on Don Pedro’s favor. He uses manipulation throughout the play in order to generate outcomes in either his favor or his friend’s favor and there are cases where the outcomes work out for many others as well. In one situation, Don Pedro offers to woo Hero for Claudio while masked instead of having Claudio profess his love to Hero himself, “ I will assume thy part in some disguise/And tell fair Hero I am Claudio, /And in her bosom I’ll unclasp my heart”. (1.1.110-111) Although there is much speculation of why Don Pedro so badly wants to court Hero, everything turns out right and we find out that Don Pedro’s motives are for a positive outcome in favor of his friend. He also helps out his friend Benedick by developing a plan to convince Beatrice and Benedick that each one is in love with each other, a relationship everyone in the audience is wanting, and as a result both characters that previously despised each other end up together. With this, you can see the contrast in the way same-sex friendships affect other relationships within the
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.
To commence, Don Pedro is drastically distinct from Don John in terms of his loyalty and benevolent character throughout the entire play. For example, Don Pedro states,”Thou wilt be like a lover presently, and tire the hearer with a book of words. If thou dost love fair Hero, cherish it, and thou shalt have her was’t not to this end