Much Ado About Nothing 2

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Overview of

William Shakespeare’s

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Boy-Meets-Girl

Boy

_Romances

Girl

Boy

Romances

Girl

Boy Gets

Girl

Boy Gets

Girl

Girl Loses

_Boy

Girl Loses

Boy

Boy and

Girl find

each other

again

Boy and

Girl find

each other

again

Comedy or

Tragicomedy?

Comedy or

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• _{Much Ado About Nothing}

Key Facts

• _{William Shakespeare}

AUTHOR

• _Comedy

GENRE

• _{DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION}

1600

• _{TIME AND PLACE WRITTEN}

1598, England

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Setting

Messina, a city on the

island of Sicily in southern

Italy, sometime in the

16th century

The men returning from

battle with Don Pedro

would likely view Messina

as a welcome respite from

the battlefield.

The whole point of the

soldiers coming to Messina

is that they’re in an idyllic

setting, away from the

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Beatrice

• _{She is cousins and good friends with Hero,} Leonato’s daughter.

• _{She is the niece of Leonato, a wealthy governor of} Mesina.

• _{She is cousins and good friends with Hero,}

Leonato’s daughter.

• _{She is the niece of Leonato, a wealthy governor of}

Mesina.

High born lady.

• _{She loves to participate in a “merry war” of wits} with Benedick. “I had rather hear my dog

bark at a crow, than a man swear he loves me.”

• _{She loves to participate in a “merry war” of wits}

with Benedick. “I had rather hear my dog

bark at a crow, than a man swear he loves me.”

Feisty, cynical, witty, and sharp.

• _{Her comments suggest that she and Benedick may} have tried to have a relationship in the past but Benedick may have “led her on.” Now she is wary of him.

• _{Her comments suggest that she and Benedick may}

have tried to have a relationship in the past but Benedick may have “led her on.” Now she is wary of him.

Single by choice.

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• _{Beatrice has a relentless and brilliant wit that}

could easily be mistaken as the role of a jester

in the play, but her barbs are laced with

insightful commentary and often inspired by

penetrating understanding.

• _{Beatrice has a relentless and brilliant wit that}

could easily be mistaken as the role of a jester

in the play, but her barbs are laced with

insightful commentary and often inspired by

penetrating understanding.

Beatrice as comic relief.

• _{Instead of being melancholy or sad, she}

chooses to laugh at it, which is a sure sign of

wisdom.

• _{“He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that}

hath no beard is less than a man. He that is more than a youth is not for me, and he that is less than a man, I am not

for him.”

• _{Instead of being melancholy or sad, she}

chooses to laugh at it, which is a sure sign of

wisdom.

• _{“He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that} hath no beard is less than a man. He that is more than a youth is not for me, and he that is less than a man, I am not

for him.”

She sees the absurdity of the world.

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Benedick

• _{Benedick Mountanto is in the service of Don Pedro, Prince of}

Arragon.

• _{Benedick Mountanto is in the service of Don Pedro, Prince of}

Arragon.

He is young lord of Padua.

• _{He is a good soldier, but a bit of a mischievous knave.}

He is a good friend of Count Claudio.

• _{While Beatrice thinks no man will ever be good enough for}

her, Benedick seems to be more hung up on not being tied

down.

“When I said I would die a bachelor, I did

not think I should live till I were married.”

• _{While Beatrice thinks no man will ever be good enough for}

her, Benedick seems to be more hung up on not being tied

down.

“When I said I would die a bachelor, I did

not think I should live till I were married.”

He vows that he will never marry

.

He vows that he will never marry

.

“

Shall I never see a bachelor of three-s core again?

”

“

Shall I never see a bachelor of three-s core again?

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Beatrice & Benedick -- They both fight love; however

by the end of the play, the audience knows they are destined for each other.

“

Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps. ”

Or, watch this video here and here

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Claudio

Claudio has distinguished himself as a

soldier under Don Pedro, Prince of Arragon.

He is a young

Count from

Florence.

He is a young

Count from

Florence.

He’s a friend of Benedick , and the groom, of Hero. When Claudio loves Hero, he loves her to distraction. When he hates her, he hates her with fury.

Passionate

Claudio’s actions throughout the play reveal that he has quite a bit of growing up to do – he quickly falls in love with Hero and can’t even court her on his own.

He is a little

immature.

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Don Pedro

• _{Don Pedro most}

often uses his

power and

authority toward

positive ends.

But like his

half-brother, Don

Pedro

manipulates

other characters

as much as he

likes.

• _{Don Pedro most}

often uses his

power and

authority toward

positive ends.

But like his

half-brother, Don

Pedro

manipulates

other characters

as much as he

likes.

He is the Prince

of Aragon

He is the Prince

of Aragon

• _{He is the noblest}

character in the

social hierarchy

of the play, and

his friends

Benedick and

Claudio, though

equals in wit,

must always

defer to him

because their

positions depend

upon his favor.

• _{He is the noblest}

character in the

social hierarchy

of the play, and

his friends

Benedick and

Claudio, though

equals in wit,

must always

defer to him

because their

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Is he or isn’t he?

• _{At one point, Don Pedro proposes to Beatrice.}

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Hero Hero

•Hero is Leonato’s daughter.

•She is Beatrice’s cousin.

•Hero is Leonato’s daughter.

•She is Beatrice’s cousin.A gentle,

loving girl. A gentle, loving girl.

•The beloved (and slandered) fiancée of Clau dio.

•She gives many of her big decisions over to other people.

•The beloved (and slandered) fiancée of Clau dio.

•She gives many of her big decisions over to other people.Female

lead? Female lead?

•Though she is supposed to be the female lead of the play, Hero has the fewest lines of the four primary characters.

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Don John

• _{The illegitimate brother of Don Pedro; sometimes called “the Bastard.”} • _{Don John operates as a plot-device more than a fully fleshed out character.} • _{The illegitimate brother of Don Pedro; sometimes called “the Bastard.”} • _{Don John operates as a plot-device more than a fully fleshed out character.}

The Dispossessed Son

• _{He does give us a little speech about how he’s a bad guy – and likes being a bad guy} – but there’s not much that we say about him because we never really know his motivations, or even his reaction to all of the chaos he’s caused.

Second Best

• _{He is second to his older brother.}

• _{He is recently back in his good graces but doesn’t like the burden of}

“behaving” properly.

• _{He is second to his older brother.}

• _{He is recently back in his good graces but doesn’t like the burden of}

“behaving” properly.

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Leonato

• _{A respected, well-to-do, elderly}

noble at whose home, in Messina,

Italy the play is set.

• _{Leonato is the father of Hero and}

the uncle of Beatrice.

• _{As governor of Messina, he is}

second in social power only to

Don Pedro.

• _{A respected, well-to-do, elderly}

noble at whose home, in Messina,

Italy the play is set.

• _{Leonato is the father of Hero and}

the uncle of Beatrice.

• _{As governor of Messina, he is}

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Margaret

Balthasar

Antonio

Hero’s serving woman, who unwittingly helps Borachio and Don John deceive Claudio into thinking that Hero is

unfaithful.

A waiting man in Leonato’s household and a musician. Balthasar sings the song, “Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more” about accepting men’s infidelity as natural.

Leonato’s elderly brother and Hero's uncle. He is

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Borachio

He is a “henchman” of Don John. Borachio is the lover of Margaret, Hero’s serving woman. He conspires with Don John to trick Claudio and Don Pedro into thinking that Hero

is unfaithful to Claudio.

Borachio

He is a “henchman” of Don John. Borachio is the lover of Margaret, Hero’s serving woman. He conspires with Don John to trick Claudio and Don Pedro into thinking that Hero

is unfaithful to Claudio.

Conrad

One of Don John’s more intimate associates, entirely devoted to Don John.

Conrad

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Dogb erry

•He is he constable in charge of the Watch.

•He is chief policeman, of Messina.

•Dogberry is very sincere and takes his job seriously.

•He has a habit of using exactly the wrong word to convey his meaning.

Ver ges

•_{The deputy to}

Dogberry

•_{Chief policeman}

of Messina.

“Marry, sir, they have committed false report;

moreover, they have spoken untruths; secondarily, they are slanders; sixth and lastly, they have

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Themes, Motifs &

Symbols

• _{Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored}

in a literary work.

• _{Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices}

that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.

• _{Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colors used to}

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The Ideal of Social Grace

• _{The play pokes fun at the fanciful language of love that courtiers used.} • _{The play pokes fun at the fanciful language of love that courtiers used.}

Language of Love

• _{When Claudio falls in love, he}

• _{tries to be the perfect courtier by using intricate language. As Benedick notes:}_“His words are a very fantastical banquet, just so many strange dishes.” • _{When Claudio falls in love, he}

• _{tries to be the perfect courtier by using intricate language. As Benedick notes:}_“His words are a very fantastical banquet, just so many strange dishes.”

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Deception

• _{Decption is used as a means to an end.} • _{Decption is used as a means to an end.}

The Importance of Honor for Women

• _{In Shakespeare’s time, a woman’s honor was based upon her virginity and chaste behavior.}

For a woman to lose her honor by having sexual relations before marriage meant that she would lose all social standing, a disaster from which she could never recover.

• _{In Shakespeare’s time, a woman’s honor was based upon her virginity and chaste behavior.}

For a woman to lose her honor by having sexual relations before marriage meant that she would lose all social standing, a disaster from which she could never recover.

The Importance of Honor for Men

• _{For men, on the other hand, honor depended on male friendship alliances and was more}

military in nature.

• _{For men, on the other hand, honor depended on male friendship alliances and was more}

military in nature.

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Public Shaming

• _{Hero’s public shaming at the wedding ceremony is too terrible to be}

ignored.

• _{Shame is also what Don John hopes will cause Claudio to lose his place}

as Don Pedro’s favorite.

• _{Hero’s public shaming at the wedding ceremony is too terrible to be}

ignored.

• _{Shame is also what Don John hopes will cause Claudio to lose his place}

as Don Pedro’s favorite.

Noting

• _{In Shakespeare’s time, the “Nothing” of the title would have been}

pronounced “Noting.” Thus, the play’s title could read: “Much Ado About Noting.”

• _{Many of the players participate in the actions of observing, listening, and}

writing, or noting what others do and say.

• _{In Shakespeare’s time, the “Nothing” of the title would have been}

pronounced “Noting.” Thus, the play’s title could read: “Much Ado About Noting.”

• _{Many of the players participate in the actions of observing, listening, and}

writing, or noting what others do and say.

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Entertainment

• _{The characters of}_{Much Ado About Nothing}_{spend much of their time engaging in}

elaborate spectacles and entertainments.

• _{Beatrice compares courtship and marriage to delightful court dances.}_{“There was a} star danced, and under that was I born.”

• _{The characters of}_{Much Ado About Nothing}_{spend much of their time engaging in}

elaborate spectacles and entertainments.

• _{Beatrice compares courtship and marriage to delightful court dances.}_{“There was a} star danced, and under that was I born.”

Counterfeiting

• _{The idea of counterfeiting, in the sense of presenting a false face to the world, appears frequently throughout the play.} • _{After Claudio thinks he is betrayed, he says of Hero:}

• _{She’s but the sign and semblance of her honour.}

Behold how like a maid she blushes here! O, what authority and show of truth

Can cunning sin cover itself withal (IV.i.31–34)

• _{The idea of counterfeiting, in the sense of presenting a false face to the world, appears frequently throughout the play.} • _{After Claudio thinks he is betrayed, he says of Hero:}

• _{She’s but the sign and semblance of her honour.}

Behold how like a maid she blushes here! O, what authority and show of truth

Can cunning sin cover itself withal (IV.i.31–34)

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In Shakespeare’s day,

marriage was sometimes

perceived as a burden.

Marriage was

represented as a yoke

(often joked about in the

play) but also as a "clog,"

which is basically a

wooden block that was

attached to the neck or

legs to prevent escape.

Thus the "yoke and clog"

were an equivalent to

the modern day "ball and

chain."

Trivia

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Symbols

Taming of Wild Animals

• _{In the case of the courtship between Beatrice and Benedick, the symbol of a tamed savage animal represents the social}

taming that must occur for both wild souls to be ready to submit themselves to the shackles of love and marriage.

• _{“In time the savage bull doth bear the yoke.”}

• _{In the case of the courtship between Beatrice and Benedick, the symbol of a tamed savage animal represents the social}

taming that must occur for both wild souls to be ready to submit themselves to the shackles of love and marriage.

• _{“In time the savage bull doth bear the yoke.”}

War

• _{Leonato relates to the other characters that there is a “merry war” between Beatrice and}

Benedick: “They never meet but there’s a skirmish of wit between them.”

• _{Leonato relates to the other characters that there is a “merry war” between Beatrice and}

Benedick: “They never meet but there’s a skirmish of wit between them.”

Hero’s Death

• _{She must symbolically die and be reborn pure again in order for Claudio to marry her a}

second time.

• _{She must symbolically die and be reborn pure again in order for Claudio to marry her a}

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Works Cited



_{Material taken and paraphrased from the}

following sites:

 _{http://www.shmoop.com/much-ado-about-nothing}  _{http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/muchado}

 _{http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/much-ado-about-nothing/character-analysis/claudio.html}



_{Images from:}

 _{http://brittanyrichardson.cgsociety.org/gallery/461445/}  _{http://mangashakespeare.ning.com}