Deception, Trickery, and Concealment in Much Ado about Nothing and Macbeth
William Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy, Much Ado about Nothing and tragic history, Macbeth revolve around the theme of deception, trickery, and concealment. There are portrayals within these two plays that depict deception and trickery as merely harmless and even beneficial. In some cases the characters are thoroughly masked in their lies; for ill or well, they are hiding who they truly are. In other cases, the person they attempt to hide is merely obscured, the masks being only a slight deterrent from their real personalities. Sometimes they are harmless diversions; sometimes they are even beneficial tools to be utilized for one's
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She professes to scorn romance in general, but her romantic side is revealed, not only when she confesses her previous love for Benedick (278-282), but in her constant support of Hero's romantic attraction to Claudio at the start of the play--most notably in this scene when she encourages Hero to kiss her knew fiancé. Despite her earlier depiction, she is clearly hiding a more tender, even conventional side than is often assumed.
Benedick is himself much like Beatrice. As she professes to scorn men and marriage, he does likewise with women. As she seems to mock and reject the common custom, so he does as well. For her every condemnation of men as undeserving of women, he has a parallel condemnation for women. He seems to be the masculine mirror of her, hiding a similarly dualistic character whose romantic side and attention to convention will become apparent once he is told that Beatrice loves him. Then he will spend his time musing on her perfection--"wise" as she is "but for loving [him]" and undeniably "fair" and "virtuous"--and writing her poetry he cannot manage to rhyme. This
They are consistently brought up throughout the entirety of the play, especially when it comes to Benedick getting married. He himself declares that “if ever the sensible Benedick bears [marriage], pluck off the bull’s horns and set them on [his] head” (Shakespeare), allowing the reader to better see into his mind and thoughts on marriage. Clothing also becomes a symbol to show that Benedick is in love, Claudio telling that “[Benedick even] brushes his hat o’ mornings” to impress Beatrice (Shakespeare). Looks are the only means to determine a woman’s worth (Myhill). Claudio bids Hero goodbye calling her “…most foul, [yet] most fair…” (Shakespeare), declaring that even though Hero is beautiful, she has ruined her beauty with her betrayal, and he now cannot see her as he once did. No one is safe from these changing feelings in the play. Even Benedick and Beatrice went from not being able to be in the same room to being “…the sweet [youths] in love…” (Shakespeare). Looks also helped to prove Hero’s innocence when Friar Francis “[noted] of the lady…a thousand blushing apparitions…a thousand innocent shames…” and were alluded to when Hero’s father (Shakespeare), Leonato, attempted to further
The change in Benedick's character is accompanied by the change in his relationship with Beatrice, as they move from 'merry war' and 'skirmish of wit' to become lovers, though Benedick does still protest that he 'love thee (Beatrice) against my will'.
Beatrice and Benedick, however, in much contrast to Hero and Claudio are the ideal couple who are both equal in the relationship. Beatrice is an opinionated and stubborn woman who will have no one if she doesn't have the one she wants, which she makes clear throughout the play by refusing to marry lightly and by the conversation in Act One between her and Pedro. She chooses
Hero, just like her suitor, follows the model, at least in the eyes of Claudio, of the perfect ideal woman. Even though Benedick does not like her and thinks that she is "too low..., too brown..., too little..., [and] unhandsome" (Shakespeare 1.1.138-141), Claudio thinks that she is "the sweetest lady that ever [he] looked on" (Shakespeare 1.1.151-152). Throughout the play, Hero is a model of speechless modesty. She has very little to say or do in the play except live up to the expectations of the courtly lover. For example, rather than violently or angrily objecting to the false accusations made against her by Claudio at the alter, she, as would be considered proper for the ideal woman, only swoons, blushes, and blanches.
Claudio falls in love with Hero upon his return to Messina. His unfortunately suspicious nature makes him quick to believe evil rumors and hasty to despair and take revenge.
The love story is quite obvious to our eyes where she starts insulting Signor Benedick, even when he wasn’t speaking to her, ‘’I wonder that you will be talking, Signor Benedick, nobody marks you.’’ She is trying to pick a fight just to get a ruse out of him. She is directly insulting him in a manner ‘unsuitable’ of a lady in Elizabethan times, ‘’scratching could not make it worse an ‘twere such a face as yours were.’’ Everyone in Shakespeare’s audience would have
QUOTE From this quote we can tell that while all the other characters in the essay have been given a similar, regular personality, Beatrice and Benedick stand out as the two individuals that are different from the rest therefore we can tell that they are the two most important characters and that their love story is more interesting and less expected than the rest. As individuals, Beatrice is a stronger character who sticks to her own ways and is changed less by love than Benedick is. We can see this in the last scene when Beatrice comes close to rejecting Benedick’s love. On the other hand, Benedick changes dramatically after coming to terms with his own affection, specifically after he finds out that Beatrice loves him. This is shown by him trying to prove that he is not scornful and proud through the love poems that he writes which make us sympathetic towards Benedick as a sweet, hopeless lover instead of the heartless joker that we remember him as.
Claudio had an interest to marry Hero before he got to know her better, while Benedick has known Beatrice for a long time and he is constantly quarreling with her because that is the only way he can express his feelings for Beatrice. “ Silence is the perfectest herald of joy. I were but little happy if I could say how much. [ To Hero ] Lady, as you are mine, I am yours. I give away myself for you, and dote upon the exchange.” (Shakespeare 27) After the party Claudio is confessing his love for Hero. Claudio also just met hero a few days ago, and he is already wanting her hand in marriage. Benedick on the other hand is taking his time to get to know Beatrice, but there is a twist in the plot about a plan created by Hero, Don Pedro, Claudio, Leonato and Margaret to make sure Beatrice and Benedick fall in love. “ [Coming forward] This can be no trick: the conference was sadly borne. They have the truth of this from Hero. They seem to pity the lady: it seems her affections have their full bent. Love me! why, it must be requited. I hear how I am censured: they say I will bear myself proudly, if I perceive the love come from her; they say too that she will rather die than give any sign of affection. I did never think to marry: I must not seem proud: happy are they that hear their detractions and can put them to mending. They say the lady is fair; 'tis a truth, I can bear them witness; and virtuous; 'tis so,
Explore and compare the romantic relationships in the play; Beatrice and Benedick, Claudio and Hero The theme of love is the fundamental premise in this play. Shakespeare has shrewdly created two relationships intertwining and unfolding throughout the play that contrast with each other dramatically and comically. The story of Beatrice and Benedick takes centre stage in the play and because of there witty and extroverted personalities we immediately warm towards them. Hero and Claudio however are more conservative
Shakespeare has written many interesting plays, both comedic and tragic. One specific play, Much Ado About Nothing, is a comedy about two couples. In it, deception, as sometimes portrayed by the use of masks, is an important theme that propels all of the events of the play, but the deception shown in this play is neither positive nor negative, for it depends on the intentions of the deceiver. Whether it is during a masked ball, people pretending to be other people, or simply telling lies, deception is the main theme since it allows the characters to have fun, match-make, harm others, or make them understand the depth of slander. Deception can be used for both teasing, fun, and harm.
Sixty percent of people cannot have a ten minute conversation without lying at least once. Deceit and illusion are present everywhere. This is portrayed through many literary arts including those of William Shakespeare. Through the famous tragedy Macbeth, Shakespeare shows a tale of deception; a story conveying that certain matters are not always as they seem due to the influence of malicious forces and their intentions in the world. Macbeth illustrates that physical situations are often deluded to hide evil. Secondly, it depicts that people’s character may often be false in order to gain power and hide objectionable intentions. Lastly, it shows that evil, in its purist form, is even able to make fate seem as something that it is not.
Benedick: He is one of the soldiers who recently came from the war. He is a good friend of Claudio and Don Pedro. He, as well as Beatrice, likes to laugh of other people. He claims he will never fall in love because he doesn’t trust women. Benedick in his particular conflict of love and hate with Beatrice uses figurative language in abundance giving the first scene of the play a lot of amusing moments.
Each of the main characters in Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing, shows to be the victim of deception, and it is because they are deceived that they act in the ways that they do. It is the deceptions involving Beatrice and Benedict which provides the play’s dramatic focus, although the central deception is directed against Claudio in an attempt to destroy his relationship with Hero.
In Shakespeare’s Much ado about nothing, there are many instances of deception, which seem to encompass the plot of the play. The deception may be evil or sometimes benevolent but the entirety play depends on these deceptions and how they affect the other characters. The characters in Morley Callaghan’s “Getting on in the World”, use deception for their own benefits. Both Ado about Nothing and “Getting on in the World” examine the idea of how deception depends on the intentions of the deceiver, it could either promote happiness, intend harm on another or even for self-benefit.
In William Shakespears play ‘’Much Ado About Nothing’’ theres many instances of trickery and deception which seems to be the main tention in the book. In the book Don Pedro wooing hero for claudio. Don Perdo wooing hero for himself, Claudio pretending to be benedick to find out information from Don Pedro and Borachino. Both Don John and Borachio knew that claudio wasent benedick but tricked claudio