Theme of Deception in Much Ado About Nothing
Each of the main characters in Much Ado About Nothing is the victim of deception, and it is because they are deceived that they act in the ways that they do. Although the central deception is directed against Claudio in an attempt to destroy his relationship with Hero, it is the deceptions involving Beatrice and Benedick which provides the play's dramatic focus.
Nearly every character in the play at some point has to make inferences from what he or she sees, has been told or overhears. Likewise, nearly every character in the play at some point plays a part of consciously pretending to be what they are not. The idea of acting and the illusion it creates is rarely far from the surface - Don Pedro acts to Hero, Don John acts the part of an honest friend, concerned for his brother's and Claudio's honour; Leonato and his family act as if Hero were dead, encouraged to this deception by, of all people, the Friar who feels that deception may be the way to get at truth; and all the main characters in the plot pretend to Benedick and Beatrice so convincingly that they reverse their normal attitudes to each other.
In I.1 Don Pedro offers to play Claudio and win Hero for him. This plan is overheard, and misreported to Antonio. His excited retailing of the false news of Don Pedro's love for Hero to Leonato is, however, not without some caution: the news will be good as 'the event stamps them; but the have a good cover, they show well outward' (I.2.6). Leonato shows a sense here that he could well do with later in the play: 'Hath the fellow any wit that told you this?' . . . 'we will hold it as a dream' . . . 'peradventure this be true'. Admittedly he does not question the 'good sharp ...
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...ne else in the play the power of language to alter reality, and the issues of conscious or unconscious deceit.
It shouldn't be forgotten that in the body of the play those who are masters of a language of extraordinary wit and polish - language that seems to guarantee rationality and good judgement - get things almost completely wrong. The resolution of the play comes via the agency of the people whose discourse is an assault on language, who are dismissed - by Leonato - as 'tedious' when they should be patiently listened to. But, as Borachio says 'what your wisdoms could not discover, these shallow fools have brought to light' (V.1.221-222). And even more disturbing, that resolution comes by mere accident: by the chance overhearing of a conversation.
Works Cited:
Shakespeare, William. Much Ado about Nothing. Ed. A.R. Humphreys. New York: Routledge, 1994.
Have you ever been tricked or deceived? Have you ever been tricked into dating someone you like because you thought what you were told was true? In the book Much Ado About Nothing trickery and deceit is used a lot to get the characters to fall for one another even the ones who say they don’t love one another end up getting involved intimately with each other. For Example, trickery and deception takes place when Don Pedro tells Claudio that he will woo Hero for Claudio to marry her. Tricking her to believe that Don Pedro has feelings for Hero. Don Pedro says Claudio, I will assume thy part in disguise and tell fair Hero that I am Claudio, and in her bosom I’ll unclasp my heart, and take her prisoner with the force and strong encounter of
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.
These audiotapes represent a distinguished type of communication that requires no visual interaction, but an interface that involves understanding and empathy instead, something the narrator has not yet learned. At this point of the story the narrator believes that Robert could not have possibly fulfilled his now deceased wife’s, Beulah’s, aspirations as seen when he states, “I found myself thinking what a pitiful life this woman must have led,” (37). The narrator bases his reason solely on the fact that the man is blind, so how could he have ever interacted or contributed in their relationship. In reality, though, it is the narrator himself, who has not fully satisfied or even begun to fully appreciate his own wife. The audiotapes symbolize this absence of appreciation and reveals to the reader that the narrator has not even considered this “harmless chitchat,” (36) as he describes it, to be of importance to his own marriage. It is not until the end, when he finishes drawing the cathedral that he is capable of understanding what his wife and Robert share. The cathedral is the other major symbol in this story, since it is the pivotal turning point for when the narrator becomes a dynamic character. Without the cathedral the narrator would not have succumbed to his new acceptance of what it means to actually see someone or something. When the narrator says, “I didn’t feel like I was inside anything,” (46) this is the indication of that epiphany coming to him. Moments before, the narrator had just explained to Robert that he did not “believe in it [religion]. In anything,” (45) however, this insightful moment now contradicts that statement, supporting the notion that the narrator has advanced as a character. Furthermore, a cathedral, which is assumed to bring solace and a new light to those in pursuit of one, offered the
In this world rumors and dishonesty happen to be everywhere, no matter where you are. Nowaday people start rumors just to hurt and insult people’s feelings that later on lead to dramatic events. In the story “Much Ado about Nothing”, we encounter different scenes that lead to rumors and deception. One scene that we encounter is when Don John, the bastard brother spreads rumors about Hero being disloyal to Claudio and Don Pedro to corrupt Claudio’s and Hero’s relationship. Another scene that we run into is when Ursula and Hero have a talk in the garden about how Benedick has love affection towards Beatrice. Later on, these two scenes play a huge role and become dramatic elements of the story. We will encounter on how rumors and dishonesty can destroy and corrupt not just one person, but many.
Benedick is set out as one of the main characters in the play. This is probably because he has such a big personality and as 'Much Ado About Nothing' is a comedy, himself and Beatrice are essential to the plot. The play sees Benedick turn from a man who resents the very idea of trusting a woman and marriage, to one who falls in love with his equal and asks for her hand.
Tricking her to believe that Don Pedro himself has feelings for Hero: ‘I will assume thy part in disguise, and tell fair Hero that I am Claudio, and in her bosom I’ll unclasp my heart, and take her hearing prisoner with the force and strong encounter of my amorous tale. Then after, to her father will I break: and the conclusion is, she shall be thine.’ - Don Pedro. o (Act I, Scene I: Lines 276 - 282). It is reported to Don John by Borachio that “…The Prince should woo Hero for himself, and having obtained her, give her to Count Claudio.
In William Shakespeare's short play Much Ado About Nothing, he focuses on the social standings and the roles of women in 16th Century Europe. The female protagonist of the play, Beatrice, understands the restrictions placed upon her by society and how these restrictions should limit her as a woman, but she inexorably escapes them by refusing to succumb to the unifying hand of marriage. Throughout the play, Shakespeare displays his profound respect for woman as independent individuals who are fully capable of making their own decisions and suffering their own consequences. Through the plot, he proposes the idea that women who deviate away from the passivity that society expects them to perform attain a more active role in the determination of their future. Contrary to the roles of women of the 16th Century, Shakespeare depiction of Beatrice's independence is symbolic of his stance on the progression and transformation of women's reputation in society.
Raymond Carver’s, “The Cathedral” is a short story told by the narrator, whose actual identity remains unknown. The narrator tells of an evening where his wife invites an old friend and former patient, by the name of Robert, over to spend the night. The only thing that differentiates Robert from the rest of the group is the simple fact that he is blind. The narrative is seemingly flat and uneventful upon initial observation. Although this may be true, it is blatantly apparent that the narrator or bud, a nicknamed coined by Robert, is close-minded and quick to make preconceived notions and assumptions about circumstances that he is unfamiliar with, especially Robert’s inability to see. Upon deeper analysis it is discovered that Bud, the narrator,
Before Robert even arrives at the house, it is easy to tell that the husband is an incredibly prejudice man. When he hears that his wife has invited a blind guy over to his house, he is not happy in the least. He instead begins to think about the bizarre stereotypes which he believes come with being blind and reveals his ignorance through statements like, “In the movies, the blind moved slowly and never laughed. Sometimes they were led by seeing-eye dogs. A blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to.” He already begins to judge the man without ever having met him, and when Robert walks in the door, he becomes surprised that he doesn’t fit his stereotypical ideas. “He didn't use a cane and he didn't wear dark glasses. I'd always thought dark glasses were a must for the blind.” He continues to watch him, however, critically studying his appearance and mannerisms. It almost seems as if he believes the blind man does not have the right to certain things merely because he cannot physically see the world as he can. As the night wears on, however, Robert continues to put certain of the husband’s ideas to rest. During dinner the narrator watches with admiration as the he uses the knife and fork on his meat. "He'd ...
hardship of being the only woman in a ranch full of men who have no
As I began to read the short story called the "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver, the narrator describes his feelings towards Robert. He assumes what blind people are like from watching movies and he never meet a blind person before. The narrator at first feels hostile around him, but as time goes by he starts to open up. This all started when his wife says, "But if you had a friend, any friend, and the friend came to visit, I`d make him feel comfortable" (Carver 34). His view towards Robert changed when he knew where his food was when they were having dinner, he can sense that they had colored TV, and imagined what a cathedral looked like when the speaker was describing it. These events have taught him that you do not need vision to see the world`s
In the short story “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver, the seemingly judgmental narrator is faced with meeting a blind man, named Robert. The narrator sees himself as superior to others and in this instance especially to the blind. Due to the narrator’s pretentious attitude, tension between the blind and himself is revealed when the narrator says, “[m]y idea of blindness came from the movies” (279). In Carver’s short story “Cathedral”, the tension between literal and metaphorical blindness is most evident through the narrator’s insensitivity and bitterness towards the blind man. The character of the narrator progresses from a closed minded individual, to someone who can look outside of his own perspective.
In this context, the narrator finds himself unable to tell the blind man what he sees on the picture, he cannot describe a cathedral properly. To show him how perception actually operates, the blind man suggests drawing it at the same time allowing his hands to feel the lines and get to know the unfamiliar object. Closing his eyes, the narrator finally becomes conscious of the fact that to transform perception into experience, he needs more efforts and attempts. As an object, representing art, cathedral becomes the landmark by means of which Carver persuades the reader in his finding. However, it is not the only representation of art. As the story unfolds, the reader may observe that the narrator's wife writes poetry that makes her feel the environment deeply. The narrator, though, is astonished to find out how the blind man manages to live without the ability to look at the surroundings and his wife in
In the play Much Ado About Nothing, William Shakespeare explores the concept of lies and deceit. The outcome of the play was based on lies and deceit. To some, lies can be portrayed as harmful, but this play shows otherwise. Many lies are used for good in order to help keep harm away. In this play, some lies are made up, some are true, and some are not lies at all but rather a misunderstanding which turns into deception. Lying is a form of deception, but deception does not always involve lying. Lies can ultimately shape a relationship between people even though lies should never be the foundation of any relationship.
“This is not life, this is not life!” Victor stared at his creation with growing horror and revulsion. “Brother, forgive me.” Suddenly a shot rang out, I turned to see the detective had tried to shoot it. With a scream of rage, the monster charged him and knocked him into the machine, and the smell of burning skin filled my nostrils. I looked away to see the monster was holding Victor, choking him. I did the most idiotic thing I could have done. WIth a scream of rage, I grabbed a piece of metal and stabbed it through the monster, grinning triumphantly as it went down. However, Victor shouted “TWO HEARTS! TWO HEARTS!” I looked to see the beast getting up, and just before it reaches me a piece of metal went through his head. As he fell, I saw Victor standing behind him grinning at the victory, and we started celebrating.