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Nature of shakespeare comedies
Comedy in william shakespeare's twelfth night
Comedy in william shakespeare's twelfth night
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William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing is clearly a classic comedy; lots of wit, puns,
a group of stupid characters (Dogberry and the Watch) and although
there are complications during the middle Acts, everything turns out
right in the end.
The first scene contains a lot of witty jokes and uses puns to show
that right from the start of the play it is a comedy.
Messenger: 'And a good soldier too, lady.'
Beatrice: 'And a good soldier to a lady.'
Beatrice and Benedick appear to have a 'teasing relationship'. They
are both very witty characters and are often making jokes of each
other.
Beatrice: 'I pray you, is Signor Mountanto returned from the wars, or
no?'
The word montant is a fencing term and she implies that Benedick lives
for fencing and not real fighting in a battle. She is mocking Benedick
and confusing the messenger, as of course, there isn't really anyone
called Signor Mountanto.
Beatrice: 'But how many hath he killed? For I promised to eat all of
his killing.'
Again she is mocking Benedick as she is confident that Benedick will
not have killed anyone and therefore she will not have to eat anyone.
When Benedick enters, the mocking continues and it amuses others that
watch.
Benedick: 'Well you are a rare parrot-teacher.'
Beatrice: 'A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours.'
Benedick is teasing Beatrice by saying that she would be good parrot
teacher as she talks so much she would give a parrot something to
mimic. But as always Beatrice has something to come back with.
In Act Two, at the masked ball, we again see the relationship between
Bea...
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... that none is left to
protest.'
The scene is very affectionate and we like what is happening between
Benedick and Beatrice. Benedick says he will do anything for Beatrice.
Benedick: 'Come, bid me do anything for thee.'
At this point the love scene is broken by the harsh words that then
come from Beatrice's mouth.
Beatrice: 'Kill Claudio.'
The alliteration of the harsh 'k' sound makes the words even more
severe. Also, the sharpness of the words and the fact that the
sentence is so short makes them stand out and has a great effect
especially in the middle of a love scene.
In conclusion, I think much of the play is filled with comical scenes
and it is very amusing but we mustn't forget that there are some dark
undertones which add great effect and help to make it a play of such
wonderful contrasts.
Shakespeare represents Beatrice as a very feisty, cynical and sharp woman during the play. We can especially see this when she uses her wit to shock the messenger saying, in act one scene one, that ‘he is no less than a stuffed man.’ This is exceedingly disrespectful to fashion such a rude comment about a man who is just about to arrive back from war. One thing Shakespeare clearly shows us is that Beatrice would not be the ideal woman for most men. To emphasize this he contrasts Beatrice with a weak and quiet character such as Hero who acts upon every mans instruction, we can see this when Beatrice says to Leonato that its her ‘cousins duty’ to say ‘father as it please you.’ Shakespeare makes such a clear contrast between the two women to the extent that Beatrice steals most of Hero’s attention from the other male characters in the play. Furthermore he shows us how Beatrice is perhaps a threat to the patriarchal society at the time, we can see this on page fifty-nine where she implys that it is her duty to please herself, whether or not her father consents. This is unlike Hero, who cannot do anything unless a man is fighting her corner, however Beatrice is willing to
The characters, Beatrice and Benedick have a very complicated relationship. They are always exchanging words and calling each other names. They call each other names from the very beginning of the play to the very end. In act 1, Benedick says “ If Signior Leonato be her father, she would not have his head on her shoulders for all of Messina, as like him as she is ” (1.1.111-113). Beatrice follows by saying, “ I wonder that you will be talking, Signior Benedick, nobody marks you ” (1.1.114-115). These quotes show that they have always had a complicated relationship because they insult each other without them expecting it.
Benedick and Beatrice both benefit from the deceit that they encounter. At first, both are enemies in a battle of insults and wit, until they are each fooled into thinking that the other loves them. When Benedick hears that Beatrice is supposedly attracted to him, he thinks that it is “a gull, but that the white-bearded fellow speaks it: knavery cannot, sure, hide itself in such reverence” (111). Little does he know, Leonato, the "white-bearded fellow," is also in on the joke (111). Benedick starts to admire her when he is aware that Beatrice might actually be attracted to himself, as well. She is also astonished when she first hears that he loves her. However, when Beatrice comes to terms with their affection, she hopes "Benedick [will] love on... And [she] Believe it better than reportingly" (134). In other words, she falls in love with Benedick as soon as she believes that he, too, is fond of her. They each start to fall in love with one another under the pretense that other was hiding their affection from them. Now that they are both in love, they start to open up to each other and prove that the deception they endured was worth it in the end.
She adds that she’s agreeable with everyone, with him as an exception. Benedick retorts that she’s lucky that she doesn’t love him like all the other women he knows, because he loves no one, especially not her. Beatrice responds, “A dear happiness to women, they would have been troubled by a pernicious suitor.... ... middle of paper ...
Throughout Act one and two, Benedick repeatedly says that he will never love a woman or get married. At some stage in the duration of the play his mindset changes. In the end he is head over heels in love for Beatrice whom he once quarreled with habitually. The turnabout in his behavior was brought about by the deceiving Claudio and Pedro who indirectly told Benedick that Beatrice loved him.
Beatrice and Benedick show their apparent distaste for each other right from the first scene. Beatrice mocks Benedick to the Governor of Messina, claiming that she always beats him in a battle of wits and the last time they crossed paths Benedict’s “five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man governed by one” (1,1,50). Clearly relishing resuming their ‘merry war’, Beatrice cuts Benedick down at the first opportunity, telling him “I wonder that you still will be talking, Signor Benedick, nobody marks you” (1,1,105). Incredulously, Benedick retorts, “what my dear lady distain! Are you yet living?” (1,1,95). So, the dynamic of the two is set and it goes on from there in the same vein. Yet, the reader, even at this early stage may ponder if the lady doth protest too much.
Set in the sixteenth century, Much Ado About Nothing is revolved around the thought of love and marriage. Primarily, this is prevalent in the two main characters, Beatrice and Benedick. They have once been courted which suggests more maturity than the majority of couples in Shakespeare’s various plays. In the duration of the play, the violent language between Benedick and Beatrice is most evident through their ridicule. Both characters always speak critically regardless of whether they are talking to each other or out loud about one another. This is highlighted when Beatrice exclaims, “What should I do with him—dress him in my apparel / and make him my waiting gentlewoman? He that hath a / beard is more than / a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a/ man; and he that is more than a youth is not for me, and he that is less than a/ man, I am not for him...
In the opening scene of Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice says some harsh things about Benedick (1.I.37-43). She seems to be unprovoked but very rigid in her opinion of him. In Leonato's house, the discussion of Beatrice and marriage leads her uncle to conclude that, "Thou...
Beatrice is the ever-witty Lady Disdain, outspoken and opinionated niece of Leonato. She and Benedick are involved in a "merry sort of war". Always ragging on each other in a sort of easy going way, but never the less hurting each other's feelings. Both are cynical about Love. Beatrice is described by her uncle to mock all of her wooers out of suite.
This is part of her “merry war” with Benedick. Beatrice appears to loathe Benedick and vice versa; they engage in many “skirmishes of wit.” However, although Beatrice appears hardened and sharp, she is vu...
William Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare, tells the story of too unfortunate lovers caught up in their family’s hatred which in the end leads to the tragic deaths of both lovers. Classical Greek tragedy influenced Renaissance writers greatly Shakespeare was no exception. According to the dictionary, fate is ‘the supposed force, principle, or power that predetermines event.’ Which means that it is out of our hands.
Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing While Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing have the same author, they both have similarities and differences in themes. Some people live their life looking for love and never finding it, it is often said that you will find love when you least expect it. Both plays have common beliefs of love, marriage, however, death is viewed very differently. Love in Hamlet is often depressing, even though love is wanted by all. What is the point in loving somebody if they are going to die anyway?
The first scene gives good insight to Beatrice’s character. Benedict is telling Beatrice how he will never marry a woman, and he will be a bachelor forever. To this Beatrice responds: “A dear happiness to women. They would else
...o asks Hero about Claudio she responds with: "So you walk softly, and look sweetly, and say nothing, I am yours for the walk, and especially when I walk away." (2.1.81-83). Beatrice is what a woman should be. A more modern view of feminism would have had Beatrice not only make her own decisions but follow through with them on her own. While Much Ado About Nothing seemingly questions the traditional gender roles of men and women in Messina through Beatrice's resistance to them, at the same time, the play decidedly ends Benedick saying, "Peace! I will stop your mouth" (5.4.96), silencing Beatrice with a kiss. Still, it cannot be denied that Beatrice, for a time, equates herself with men and the power they hold. Unfortunately, she gives in to love and in so doing, she relinquishes her independence and self-control in the male-dominated world of Much Ado About Nothing.
In the play Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, love is a very important and a consistent theme; which the play is based on. The theme if love is important because, from a very young age people feel love. We want to know what love is. Where does it come from? How do I get it? What does it feel like? When will I have it? What do I need to have love? Love is something we wait for. We imagine our first kiss. Our first “I love you.” Our first heartbreak. The truth is love is made up of many things: Pain, Joy, Compassion, understanding, longing, and tears. Shakespeare uses the notion of love to show how important trust and loyalty are in any relationship.