Play Analysis Of 'Much Ado About Nothing'

Much Ado About Nothing Theorist Project “Much Ado About Nothing” is a very famous comedic play written in 1598 by William Shakespeare. Set in Messina, this play focuses on important topics that are relevant to everyone, such as love and relationships. More specifically, the relationships among the main characters, Beatrice and Signior Benedick as well as Hero and Count Claudio. These relationships develop a lot throughout the play and are very different and unique. Although they do share a few similarities, such as in both instances their friends and family get involved and trickery and deception are used in both positive and negative ways, one engages the reader in a much simpler way than the other.

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ophelia’s love for Hamlet ultimately leads to her madness. In order for Ophelia to build her relationship with Hamlet, she must go against her father’s orders considering he strictly prohibited her from seeing him. Hamlet then breaks up with Ophelia saying, “I did love you once,” and then tells her to go “to a nunnery,” causing Ophelia to feel a great amount of betrayal. Ophelia is already heartbroken, and now Hamlet murders her father which was too much for her to handle.

Through terms of contrast, Shakespeare characterizes Romeo as naive in the beginning of the play. Romeo makes mistakes by killing Tybalt and this destroys Juliet. She becomes heart-broken from this because her true love had just killed her cousin. This reveals Romeos dark side.

At one point in the play, the Friar decides to turn a simple plan into something complicated that results in both Romeo and Juliet dying. When Juliet demands Friar give her a solution for her problem, he responds: “A thing like death to chide away this shame, / That cop’st with death himself to scape from it” (4.1.74-75). The friar could have taken the situation of Juliet wanting to die by telling her that death is not the solution and to talk with her parents and tell the truth. Instead, the Friar decided to take this simple situation and made it complicated by telling Juliet she needs to fake her own death. Then, when Romeo and the Nurse are concerned about Romeo and Juliet’s Marriage, the Friar thinks he can fix the situation by saying: “To blaze your marriage, reconcile your friends, / Beg pardon of the Prince, and call thee back” (3.3.151-152).

What Francis does not know is that Stanley and Rachel are dating and are trying to get in contact with one another. The play mainly uses slapstick comedy to entertain the readers; this form of comedy is the most easily recognized by all age groups and is the most basic form of comedy. Slapstick includes physical comedy, dirty jokes, and what is commonly known as, “Bathroom humor.” My favorite example of this from the play was when Francis was talking with Stanly about Patty’s previous employer would was diagnosed

For instance, Friar Lawrence, Romeo's mentor, indirectly caused the two lover's deaths by enabling their spontaneous marriage to one another, "In one respect / I'll thy assistant be; For this alliance may so happy prove To turn your households' rancor to pure love" (2.4 90-92). Although the Friar had had good intentions, his aid only worsened the situation further. The agreement to marry the pair of lovers, sealed their tragic fates in holy matrimony. Shakespeare emphasizes the Friar’s failure in this very decision, further foreshadowing to the audience of a conflict to come as a result of disastrous impetuosity. As in this case, the Friar’s amenable demeanor accompanied his hasty decision, ultimately dooming Romeo and Juliet.

The word bewitched, as used in the play, means to enchant, charm, or fascinate (2.Prologue.6). Romeo and Juliet did not have the time to get to know each other so they were enchanted by looks not personality. This quote also implies that both Romeo and Juliet are charmed by each other, which means that both of them rushed into the relationship. A rushed relationship is one that is not firmly founded. A rushed relationship, like Romeo and Juliet’s, will crumble, but a relationship that has been matured, will stand like the firm foundation of a house.

Aside from the dominant repetition of those themes throughout the comedy, there is another crucial motif in this play: ‘deception’ as a “two-sided coin”. (Lawson, 2009) Richard Henze outlines in his article, ‘Deception in Much Ado about Nothing’, that, “… deception in Much Ado is of two sorts – one leads to social peace and the other breeds conflict and distrust.” Deception itself is not candidly condemned by the play – but the negatives of this attribute by far exceed the ‘truth of deception’, and effectively portrays that deception, as a whole, is a caustic thing. A clear representation of destructive deception is shown through the characterisation of Don John, “the Bastard”, who believes that “any impediment [to others] would be medicinal” to him.

From understanding the interaction between Hamlet and Ophelia it’s clear that Hamlet loved Ophelia which is evident in the play from his own words "I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers, if you added all their love together, couldn't match mine" (Act 5). This confession was said by him when the play was nearly to end but for most of the play Hamlet expressed bashful words towards Ophelia. Hamlet treats Ophelia like she did not count or in other words he treated her like a doormat. During the interaction based off realization you can see that Ophelia probably loved Hamlet but if it wasn’t for being under the supervision of her brother and father, she might have been able to influence Hamlet and this would lead to a change in the play.

The role of fool in Renaissance drama with Specific reference to Touchstone Fools in Shakespeare’s plays are unique. The clowns or fool figures are one of the most fascinating stage characters in Shakespeare’s work of art. A few of his fools have major roles in his works. Their importance and personalities may vary according to the play but their frequent appearance shows how noteworthy and relevant they are in Shakespeare’s theatre.

Are Benedick and Beatrice the Ideal Couple? Beatrice and Benedick are the ideal couple, I will be explain them in four different quotes why they are. Also, by their attitude towards love and their romance is more satisfying than Claudio and Hero’s. How they get tricked into confessing their love to each other by the help of their friends and family.

The Foil How can a man go from hate to love in one second? In Much Ado About Nothing By William Shakespeare Beatrice is the foil of Benedick. Evidently , Benedick and Beatrice are antipodal. They are the complete opposite Benedick being moonstruck and beatrice being Contemptuous.

Love is an important and dependable topic. Exploring the experiences of love in different surfaces and how it is experienced in different people. The topic of love spreads throughout the play as the central characters go through the phases of their relationships. Love is important because, it’s a natural part of life. The ups and downs in relationship between Hero and Claudio and Beatrice and Benedick as Shakespeare uses the idea of love to show us how essential trust and loyalty are in any relationship.