...How far can the relationship between Benedick and Beatrice in acts 1 and 2 in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ be seen as comedic? Comedy is firstly created in Act 1 when witty banter is exchanged between Beatrice and Benedick, this is first shown when Beatrice refers to Benedick as ‘Signor Mountanto.’ The use of the appellation ‘Mountanto’ implies that Beatrice sees Benedick as a farce, being over the top and flashy. At this point in the play the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick can be seen as comedic as before they have even met Beatrice is insulting him. Comedy is created by the use of the term ‘Mounanto’ not only by the obvious use of sarcasm, showing a clear dislike for Benedick, but also by the subversion of gender roles as in Shakespearean times it was very rare for a women to be so outspoken as they were usually under the notion to be ‘seen and not heard.’ The relationship between Benedick and Beatrice can also be portrayed as light hearted in act 1 when the pair speak and Benedick refers to himself as having ‘hard heart’ to which Beatrice replies, referring to herself as having ‘cold blood.’ By these comments the audience becomes aware of the parallel structure between the two, this is seen as comedic because of the fact that they are so alike and mirror images of one another yet insult each other so much shows a slight edge of humour as they are basically the same person so in effect can be seen as insulting themselves. Comedy is also shown in act 2 of ‘Much...
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...what makes a healthy relationship? Love, loyalty, trust, respect, forgiveness, and communication are some of the main qualities that strong relationships must have. In Much Ado About Nothing, written by William Shakespeare, Beatrice and Benedick, and Hero and Claudio, are both in romantic relationships. Their relationships are very different. Beatrice and Benedick have a healthier relationship than Hero and Claudio because Beatrice and Benedick have more respect, they communicate often, and they accept each other's flaws. Although they are both happy within their relationship, Beatrice and Benedick exhibit more of these essential qualities. Beatrice and Benedick have more...
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...secret.” This saying can be tied with the relationship of Beatrice and Benedick. Most movies or plays can attempt to portray a sweet relationship between two people, but in the matter of sensibility there happens to be more bitterness. There can be ups; however, there will also be many more downs, such as many arguments that will have to be fought out. Alongside the duration and timing of a relationship and the willingness to do anything for each other. In William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice and Benedick have the most realistic relationship compared to Hero and Claudio....
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...How does Shakespeare show the different moods and feelings of Beatrice and Benedick in act 2 Scene 1 and Act 4 scene 1? Shakespeare demonstrates Beatrice and Benedick's relationship as intricate and diverse so in this essay I'm going to delve into their relationship and different moods and emotions. The character of Beatrice is introduced as bright and having a Sharp-tongue in act two scene one. She is already shown sharp-witted and mocks Benedick’s uselessness as a soldier and friend. In this scene they compete to outdo each other in their ‘Merry war’ with clever jabs at each other. In this scene Shakespeare shows that they have many different emotions. In Act two Scene one, Shakespeare expresses Beatrice’s disdainful opinion that Benedick ‘is the Prince’s Jester, a very dull fool’. By using the nouns ‘Jester’ and ‘fool’ this expresses that Beatrice does not think there is much to Benedick and that he is not very smart. The use of this language from Shakespeare presents Benedick in a negative way in the eyes of the audience. In addition, by using the adjective 'dull' Beatrice shows that she finds Benedick very boring and tedious. Benedick is also shown as having some resentment towards Beatrice in Act two Scene one. He expresses that his ‘visor began to assume life to scold with her.’ This demonstrates that he believes an inanimate object would come to life just to tell her off. By using the verb ‘scold’ this shows that he is angry at her since ‘scold’ is a strong...
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...How do the authors establish the relationships in the first extracts? In ‘Much ado about nothing’ Shakespeare establishes the relationship between Benedick and Beatrice as one of which is filled with hatred. In act 1 scene 1 Benedick and Beatrice meet for the first time on stage and they immediately are in an argument. The first thing that Beatrice says to Benedick is, “I wonder that you will still be talking, signor Benedick; nobody marks you.” By addressing Benedick first it shows that she want to talk to him. Beatrice seems to be paying Benedick quite a lot of attention. Even by the first line that they meet it is clearly established that Beatrice and Benedick have a very confrontational relationship. This scene is written in prose, which shows that they could be hiding their true feelings, as prose is the language people use when they are tricking someone or being deceitful. In this scene Benedick refers to Beatrice as “lady disdain,” disdain means looking down on something so this could imply that Benedick looks down on Beatrice. This could be for a number of different reasons, including the fact that she is a woman and in Elizabethan time it was a patriarchal society and he is to be called ‘signor’. Beatrice is portrayed as an unusual woman as she is arguing back to Benedick and in Elizabethan times that wouldn’t have been acceptable. The audience would find this very shocking but also quite funny. ‘Much ado about nothing’ is a play and in Elizabethan times a play would...
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...In William Shakespeare's ' Much Ado About Nothing' how do the relationships between the characters evoke comedy? The play 'Much Ado About nothing' by William Shakespeare is a classic example of a Shakespearian comedy. There is love and a marriage which are all widely used by Shakespeare in order to evoke different emotions and reactions from the readers. Amongst other potential genres this play has also on many occasions been seen as a problem play due to the minor issues and set-backs the characters have to endure. There are no tragedies in the play and the closest it comes is during the scene where Hero has to be though dead in order to prove her innocence against the allegations being made against her. The relationships all add to the dramatic comedy of the play as we can see that it is, in a way, a reflection on how people in relationships behave, even to this day. The complexity of falling in love is clearly visible as we see both the positive and negative aspects of relationships and so called true love. There is a complicated love between Beatrice and Benedick as they are so alike they become too much for each other to face, a constant reflection of themselves. The relationship between Hero and Beatrice shows us that it is a tight- knit community where everyone looks after one another. All of the relationships throughout the play are complicated, for instance the relationship between Leonato and Hero. We see that although Leonato loves his daughter dearly, at the mention...
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...often pronounced the same way as "noting." The play is built around the process of "noting," which has myriad meanings. It can mean "to take notice of" something, to eavesdrop, to observe, or to write something down – but these notings aren’t necessarily accurate. A person can misunderstand a meaning, or mishear, or misreport something, in the process of noting too. The foibles that result from noting (and misnoting) are central to keeping the play spinning. If that wasn’t interesting enough for you, you might want to note that "nothing" was also an Elizabethan slang term for the vagina. "Much Ado About Vagina" makes sense as a title, right? After all, the highs and lows of the play revolve around men and their relationships with, suspicion of, and lack of relationships with…women. Reading the title this way puts women in a central and powerful role in the play: while the men are the ones working, the women are what they’re working for. Literature, Philosophy, and Mythology Troilus (5.2.31) – as in Troilus and Cressida Leander (5.2.30) – as in Hero and Leander Europa and Jove (5.4.46) Ovid: Metamorphoses viii – Philemon and his...
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...manner, however on the on the hand it can be portrayed in a benevolent and beneficial manner such as the fooling of Beatrice and Benedick and deceiving them into proclaiming their love for each other. The use of both forms of deception often makes it difficult to distinguish between the two, such as when Claudio announces his desire to woo Hero, however Don Pedro takes it upon himself to woo her for Claudio. However Shakespeare’s use of deception is neither completely a means of malice nor a mean of showing traits of kindness between characters, the use of deception aids the development of the plot and creates a path for other elements necessary in the play such as its comical elements. The plot of Much Ado About Nothing centrals around misunderstanding, as during the Elizabethan era “Nothing” was pronounced “Noting”, meaning to observe, to take notice of or to write something down – take note of something, as the reader learns the play revolves around observation and surveying, however often these ‘notings’ are not continuously accurate, they are often misinterpreted or misunderstood and also misreported. The title highlights the idea of how lack of careful noting habitually results in tragic consequences. Furthermore ‘nothing’ during the Elizabethan era was the colloquial term for vagina. As the plot also revolves around men, their relationships or lack of relationships with women, this places women as the main focus of the play as the title could be portrayed as revolving around...
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...with the passive expectations an Elizabethan audience would expect from the leading female, however comedy remains as the moment is unexpected. Furthermore, class and status issues can be identified in the play, an obvious example being the Prince’s brother a ‘bastard’, marginalised from society because of who he is, and a ‘watchman’ who is described as an ‘ass’. Through their comedic interchange of insults, two of Shakespeare’s main characters demonstrate the negative impact of gender issues in Elizabethan times. Benedick and Beatrice are constantly sparring with each other, starting from Act 1, Scene 1. It could be said that Shakespeare started his play with this couple to create an ambient and light mood for the opening. However this can be expanded to explore the idea of Shakespeare presenting these two characters as comedic from the outset but simultaneously presenting them in contrasting ways to demonstrate the gender differences. This is evident with Beatrice,...
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...In this essay I’m going to explore and explain my points of view on how Shakespeare portrays the irritable relationship of Beatrice and Benedick, their moods and feelings. When we are enlightened with the feisty and sharp character of Beatrice and her rivalry with the cheery and vexatious character of Benedick which then leads us to ‘merry – war’ of insults , as illustrated by Leonarto. Benedick’s and Beatrice’s battle of banter is unfathomable and is described by Shakespeare to show just how much they hate each other. The audience is probably even befuddled that Beatrice is as indiscreet and extroverted as she displays, because as we know that women in Elizabethan times were reputed to be humble and modest. Shakespeare also shows the different emotions they display towards each other. In act 1 scene 1, Shakespeare lays out just how much Beatrice and Benedick hate each other. I can infer this from the quotes, “Nobody marks you,” and, “My dear lady disdain! You yet living?” The quotes show how much loathing the couple have for one another. The use of the sentimental noun ‘dear’ coupled with the derogatory noun ‘disdain’ interprets a feeling of sarcasm from Benedick and shows how much disregard he holds for her. The quote “nobody marks you” meaning “nobody’s listening” shows shameless insolence. Shakespeare later uses personification, turning Beatrice and Benedick into birds and beasts, reinforcing the feeling of disrespect that has been portrayed to the audience, it shows...
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...attempt to destroy his relationship with Hero, it is the deception pertaining to Beatrice and Benedick which is the play's main focus. Almost every character in the play at some point has to make interpretations from what he or she sees, has been told or overheard. At the same time, nearly every character in the play at some point plays a part of consciously pretending to be what they are not. (Act I, Scene I) ”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 I will break with her and with her father, and thou shalt have her. Was't not to this end That thou began'st to twist so fine a story?” Here is when Don Pedro tries to put a spin on words making it sound like if Claudio really wants to be with Hero, they should first trick her into believing that Don Pedro is actually Claudio. They go on forward with the idea and as Don Pedro is swooning Hero with his words and charm at the masked ball and Claudio is actually eavesdropping near-by trying to make sure everything is going according to plan. Deception is one of the focal themes throughout the play which grows out of the love game. Deceit is not evil in nature; it can be used for the purpose good or bad outcomes. “In Much Ado About Nothing” the deception of Beatrice and Benedick being duped into falling in love would be considered a good form of deception and Don John's deceptive plan to disrupt Claudio and Hero's relationship would be a bad form...
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...Beatrice is a strong-willed, independent woman. How far do you agree with this statement? I would agree for the most part with this statement. Beatrice is indeed strong-willed, but her independence has its limitations. As with many Shakespearean characters, appearance can be deceptive, and what we see is only a facade, a mask to hide their true character or feelings. I believe that Beatrice uses her cleverness and quick wit to hide her real feelings, and that although she is independent to a certain extent, she is aware that she has limitations because of her gender. Although Beatrice states ‘I would rather hear my dog bark at a crow than hear a man swear he loves me’ she is ultimately fooled into believing that Benedick loves her. The fact that she is tricked so easily, and subsequently admits her reciprocal love, tells us that she views marriage in a more favourable light than she had previously led us to believe. Whether she gave in to the ‘social construct’ demanded by the patriarchal society in which she lived is questionable. What we do know is that Shakespeare has presented her as a wilful, self-confident, autonomous woman who appears to revel in her single status. In contrast we have Hero, the antithesis of Beatrice. She is meek, obedient and completely dominated by the men in her life. She is the perfect foil for Beatrice, her willingness to please further enhancing Beatrice’s character. It is clear from the start of the play that Beatrice is not an...
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...This about a man who is very cruel and cold about a girl named Beatrice and then his friend who is inlove with a girl named Hero, Later on a person named Don Pedro tries to ruin hero and claudio's relationship with each other. In much to do about nothing by William Shakespeare. (Claudio b) serves as the foil character of (Benedick a) by which (character a)’s are illuminated through (Claudio b) :thus, -ily influence. During the first part of the play Claudio and Benedick both witness the beautiful hero and Beatrice, and they both responded in both different ways Claudio is very lock sick and believes that Hero is the most beautiful girl he has ever seen and swear is in love with her, but with Benedick he was talking trash and telling Claudio...
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...from different periods in his life. I’m going to analyze the gender collisions in the following couples in Much Ado about Nothing: Hero and her father Signor Leonato, Hero and Claudio, Benedick and Beatrice. I. Hero and her father Signor Leonato Hero and Leonato’s relationship is the typical father-daughter relationship in the feudal patriarchy. Signor Leonato, the father, is an arbitrary male chauvinist, loves his daughter superficially but never truly care about Hero. Hero, like most women in that time, follows everything what her father says. Obedience is rooted in her life. Marriage and obedience are the only two things she could use to please her father. As a “useless” girl in feudal society, Hero accepts her fate. All these factors result in the chaos in wedding. When Claudio doubted Hero’S chastity and dishonored Hero, Leonato’S first response is feeling humiliated for himself, worrying about his reputation and wanting to kill his daughter to save his fame. Hero just cried and even cried to faint. The only thing she could do is sitting, crying and saying “no”. She never thought stand up, and tell her father Claudio bravely “No! You are wrong! I am innocent!” The arbitrary and arrogant father and the coward daughter are still exist in the world. The seemingly normal relationship is actually the gender discrimination and need to be eliminated. II. Hero and Claudio Hero and Claudio, female protagonist and male protagonist of Much Ado about Nothing, fell in...
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...inferior to their male counterparts. Shakespeare has used this concept of gender for creating humour in his play. The characters Benedict and Beatrice are involved in a complex relationship which contrasts between love and hate. Both Beatrice and Benedict are strong willed, intelligent characters, who fear that falling in love will lead to a loss of freedom and eventually heartbreak. Various theories have been proposed which govern humour and comedy. The superiority theory proposed by Plato describes the darker side of comedy that Is often laughed at over unfortunate situations and social standings. Infirmity in others as compared to our own is often laughed at. These same principles has been applied to the story of the play, and the inferiority of females has been used as the basis for creating humour. [quick quote & example to back this up?] The characters Shakespeare's “Much Ado about Nothing” contribute to build the humorous essence of play through their roles. Several characters of the play presented comical language and gestures such as Benedick and Beatrice’s unromantic backbiting. In addition, the high-mannered Elizabethan society in which the characters of the play lived in also played a part to make the play a comedy. Beatrice wants to remain an unmarried women which is going against the social norms at that time. Beatrice also speaks up when Hero is accused of violating chastity. She also rebels against the unequal status of women in the Renaissance society;...
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