How Far Do You Agree That Good Comedy Is Tragedy Narrowly Averted

Much Ado about Nothing is a famously known comedy, by William Shakespeare. This novel features two characters, who are to be wed, but because of a wacky plot and deceit these married to be couple takes a surprising turn. There are two weddings, however, there is nothing similar about these weddings. These weddings both have different moods, different outcomes, and different plans.

Claudio and Hero are the idealised Elizabethan couple in the book because of the patriarchal society that the story is based on. This is because Hero is shown as a weak and powerless young woman while Claudio is described as a powerful and honourable man. In the wedding Claudio decides to shame her and says ‘There, Leonato, take her back again Give not this rotten orange to your friend’. Even when Hero is being insulted and accused of being a prostitute she does not defend herself and says ‘Is my lord well, that he doth speak so wide?’ Instead of defending herself she asks if Claudio is alright which displays a sign of weakness in her.

Directors sometimes change the approach of the story. The story, written by Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing is a romantic-comedy, which means it is supposed to be funny and to be romantic. The movie version of this focuses more on the romance, and uses 1500’s humor, which many may not understand. They focus on the romance making the movie more serious but settle. In the play version of Much Ado About Nothing, they seem to focus more on the comedy. For example, when Beatrice overhears the other girls talking about Benedick liking her, she hides under a blanket and accidentally gets flown into the air dangling. They use relevant comedy the audience will be able to pick up on and enjoy. This keeps the audience engaged to the play wanting to see what crazy thing will happen next.

Human nature is often considered in isolation from the rest of the world as if it would be an exception or a special case. In Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing, the complexities of human nature are explored in depth. This essay will explore in particular how Shakespeare dramatises the concepts of human misunderstandings, deception and dichotomy through effective dramatic techniques.

Shakespeare uses both Claudio and Leonato to represent the males of the time and the honor code they were held to. Claudio is in no way held to the same pre-marital expectations as Hero, which, at the time, was the case for all men. For instance, when Hero is accused of being with a man prior to her marriage, no one questions what man and, quite frankly, no one cares what man. Shakespeare also shows how men are judged and given honor based on how their women act. When Leonato learns of the accusations his daughter receives on her wedding day he scolds her and says,

Claudio also says that Hero has known a “luxurious bed”, a shocking accusation which implies that she has slept with another man just the night before their wedding; something extraordinarily shameful for Hero as women at that time were valued for being a virgin up to the time they got married. Claudio then refers to Hero explicitly as an “approved wanton” in line 41 provides extra shock as his rage is now very high. Calling her a proven whore in front of every one at the wedding is very mean and at the same time scandalous.

Drama text, Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare is a romantic comedy revolved around marriage, dishonesty and love. In 2007, the original play had been interpreted and adapted into a new film text; Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare Retold. This new film version is an adaption for the modern audience who’s views around love and marriage have changed since Elizabethan times. Brian Percival ‘Retold’ the original play, first published in 1623 by reinterpreting it into his own understanding of modern society with the focus of women’s roles nowadays. Whilst doing this Percival has maintained many of Shakespeare’s intentions.

            Hero does not get a chance to mull over the idea of Claudio as a husband.  Even the audience knows little about her going into the now famous “shaming scene.”  Details about Hero’s virtues and personality are purposely left out, partially to satisfy the dominant male perspective in the play, but also to give more clout to the heinous claim that Claudio makes during the wedding.  The reactions of Hero’s father and others indicate that a woman’s virtues are only as good as a man says they are.

Earlier in the play, a scene was described where Borachio and Don John plan to trick Claudio into thinking that Hero is diwsloyal because of a man in her chamber the night prior to her wedding. After the stated quote, the intent is to try and trick Claudio and show that Hero is disloyal when she is actually not. This quote presents significance by describing the overall trait of the entire act and scene which is the trickery and sabotage of Borachio and Don John upon the hapiness of all of the other characters in the play. Overall, the previouly described scene, in part with an already confused Claudio, makes this quote important to the wedding of Claudio and

Blindness is only a disability to those that are mentally eyeless. Shakespeare being a man of keen mental sight, he has had the ability to portray mental blindness in several of his plays. Being one of the best writers, he is actively able to capture the four elements of a well-made play being peripetiea, denouement, timely entrances and exits and incredibly gripping scene entrances and conclusions. Having written 38 plays with two original plots, Shakespeare expresses his themes through passionate romance, sorrow filled tragedy, inviting history and hilarious comedy. One of his most famous comedies is the play called, Much Ado About Nothing. In this play the comedic aspects greatly emphasize the important theme of self-knowledge.

In traditional comedic plot structure, there is typically a build-up of tension and quarreling that leads to a crisis towards the end of the play which has the potential to end tragically. In the case of Much Ado About Nothing, such tension centers around the pairs of lovers and is built up as a result of all the characters ‘noting’ each other throughout the play and thus misreading reality entirely. This tension, in fact, leads to the generic comedic convention of ‘death’ when Hero ‘dies’ after being falsely accused of adultery, though Leonato says of this, “Death is the fairest cover for her shame that may be wished for” (4.1.______). Hero’s ‘death’ brings forth the potentially tragic tipping point of the play: Benedict pledges to duel Claudio, Leonato is heartbroken and angry with Don Pedro and Claudio, and all pairs of lovers are effectively broken off.

To continue, the majority of Much Ado about Nothing humorously exhibits natural defense mechanisms against social fears. Wit, sarcasm, and humor tend to shroud these fears. For instance, Beatrice mockingly claims, “I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me” (pg. 57). Women of Shakespeare’s time fear men’s infidelity–or maybe more so their unwillingness to commit–more quietly. The women are perfectly aware of the imperfections of men–Beatrice for one declares she will trust men after “God make men of some other metal” (Shakespeare, pg. 89). Beatrice expertly mocks this dread that she most likely carries with humor. Like, when Leonato prods Beatrice about relationships, she laughingly claims she would gladly go to Hell to avoid being bound to a man and says, “there [Hell] the devil meet me like an old cuckold with horns on his head, and say ‘Get you to Heaven…So I deliver up my apes and away to Saint Peter. For the heavens, he shows me where the bachelors sit, and there live we as merry as the day is long” (Shakespeare,

In Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing, there are the usual characters that show up in most of Shakespeare’s pieces. For instance the characters Hero and Claudio could easily be compared to Romeo and Juliet. Both Hero and Juliet are innocent, quite, and beautiful young women who fall in love instantly without conversing with the other person. Likewise, Claudio and Romeo decide to marry these women within twenty-four hours. Because of these characters’ lack of unique and interesting qualities, I

 Much Ado About Nothing is one of William Shakespeare’s best comedies and love stories.  What is not to like about a play that is hilarious, romantic, and has a happy ending?  In this play the foremost and most intriguing character is Benedick, a man who is a devout bachelor and who does not believe he will ever find the perfect woman; --because perfect is exactly what he must have.  This may seem to be a harsh and pessimistic outlook on life, but the way Shakespeare brings this character to life portrays Benedick as a funny and caring man who really is not that certain about what he wants for the future.  Benedick’s counterpart in the play is Beatrice who is an independent woman

To begin with, the play Much Ado About Nothing should be considered as a tragedy because it contains a rich amount of catharsis which is essential to a Shakespearean tragedy. In his plays, Shakespeare uses catharsis as one of the main elements of a tragedy in the sense of the purification and purgation of emotions, particularly pity and fear or any extreme change that allow the audience to feel and release emotions. It permits the spectators to identify with the characters of the play, hence take their losses more personally. Throughout the play, several events of catharsis take place that allows the audiences to expresses their emotions for the characters. Death is one if the intrinsic identities of a