In the play ‘Much ado about nothing’, Don John is a puppet whose strings are pulled by various characters and the society in which he lives. Although he does monkey businesses like every character in the play, he is the one who gets harshly judged and punished for it. His villainy is not an innate trait but rather, he chooses it to distinguish him from others. 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, “Never came trouble in the likeness of your grace; for trouble being gone, comfort should remain, but when you depart from me, sorrow abides and happiness takes his leave”(1.1.80-83). But he greets Don John civilly and Don John politely responds back, “I thank you. I am not of many words, but I thank you” (1.1.127). Immediately, both Leonato and Don Pedro exclude Don John in their conversation and walk away and Don John is not seen again in the play till Act one, scene three. Don John is pretty much isolated with all the main characters except for his two companions- Borachio and Conrad. In act 1, scene 3, Conrad enquires about Don John’s unbounded melancholy, and Don John explains himself as follows, “ I cannot hide what I am. I must be sad when I have cause, and smile at no man’s jests; eat when I have stomach, and wait for no man’s leisure; sleep when I am drowsy, and tend on no man’s business; laugh when I am merry, and claw no man in his humour” (1.3.10-14). As the scene progresses, Conrad warns Don John to be careful as Don Pedro took him in his ... ... middle of paper ... ...ck saying, “Think him not till tomorrow, I’ll devise thee brave punishments for him. Strike up pipers”(5.4.121-122). 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.
“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.
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 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.
John and Othello are physically and socially isolated from society. John is a self-imposed outcast because he doesn't want to
Shortly after Benedick spoke of Hercules, Don Pedro mentions his name but for good use instead of the unhappy end of Hercules.
In Brave New World, there are three societies: the civilized society of Bernard and Mustapha Mond, the savage society of John and Linda, and the old society, which is not explicitly in the book but is described by the characters. These societies are vastly different. The old society is 20th century Western society; the civilized society creates people and conditions them for happiness and stability; and the savage society is very far behind the civilized society technologically, and is very religious. John is a very important character in the novel because he represents the link between all three of these societies.
It is easy to place the blame on fate or God when one is encumbered by suffering. It is much harder to find meaning in that pain, and harvest it into motivation to move forward and grow from the grief. It is imperative for one to understand one’s suffering as a gateway to new wisdom and development; for without suffering, people cannot find true value in happiness nor can they find actual meaning to their lives. In both Antigone and The Holy Bible there are a plethora of instances that give light to the quintessential role suffering plays in defining life across cultures. The Holy Bible and Sophocles’ Antigone both mirror the dichotomous reality in which society is situated, underlining the necessity of both joy and suffering in the world.
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.
The next time we meet Don John in the play in is Act I scene III. We
He didn’t like lying to people it felt very wrong to him, unlike the other cowards in the town who have lied to stay alive. Towards the end of the play, he confesses to the court that he has had an affair with Abby saying “Elizabeth, I have confessed it!” (Miller 191). He knows that his wife Elizabeth is in trouble and he saves her because he knew she was going to lie for him. If John had not saved her then she would have died because of John’s mistakes. This shows what kind of a man John is, and shows how unselfish of a guy he also can be.
He began to boast and embellish the story of what actually happened in that moment. He became seemingly selfish, and self absorbed doing only what would advance him in the society. After the small infraction of lying about this event, he brought John and his mother from their home, only to use them for personal gain and blackmail. These moments reveal that he is not so much about defining himself as an individual but more about conforming. That he did, becoming calculating and cold for self-gain.
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.
This quote explains that Don John recognizes that many cannot fathom that he shows emotion or has feelings. This could be because he does not speak often to large sums of people, or because the town’s people grasp the idea that Don John too can express his mental state because they believe him to be a second class human. By using this quote Don John explains truthfully that since he is a person, even though he is treated as lesser, he still has emotions.
...so holds all things in his power, so rules by his authority and will, so governs by his wisdom, that nothing can befall except he determine it. Moreover, it comforts him to know that he has been received into God's safekeeping and entrusted to the care of his angels, and that neither water, nor fire, nor iron can harm him, except so far as it pleases God as governor to give them occasion. Thus indeed the psalm sings: "For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. Under his wings will he protect you, and in his pinions you will have assurance; his truth will be your shield. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the flying arrow by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at midday" (Calvin 224).