Much Ado About Nothing Play Analysis

This essay is an exploration of the play Much Ado About Nothing, and the gender roles involved in the deceit and trickery that transpire and develop throughout the story. As gender is one of the main themes in the plot, identifying the expected gender roles of the characters, and how the contrast between characters highlights these expected roles. In Shakespeare 's time, known as the Elizabethan Era, men and women’s roles and expectations were starkly different. Elizabethan women, no matter what social class, were inferior to men. A female’s role in the family was to get married so they could increase their family 's wealth and power and to produce heirs. Men, on the other hand, had all of the power within a household. Males were expected

In Shakespeare’s play, Much Ado About Nothing, written in the early 15th century, the relationships between Benedick and Beatrice and Hero and Claudio are the key to the play and create a lot of tension and comedy. The two relationships are interesting in different ways, and this essay will explore this in terms of the language used, the plot, characterisation and how the two relationships stand thematically.

Italy, a lot of the plays written were set in Italy. This play has a

Shakespeare is so old-school. That is what most people think, but many do not know how some versions of Shakespeare's work can become more relevant to the audience. Each version may have their own unique way to show it can be relevant. That is great because some people may be more interested in only one version. Some people find comedy more amusing than others, while some would rather just see the original with the time period it should take place in.

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.

“One woman is fair, yet I am well; another is wise, yet I am well; another virtuous, yet I am well; but till all graces be in one woman, one woman shall not come in my grace.” This quote, spoken by Benedick, completely describes the need for feminism, men wanting to “customize” their woman. The Shakespeare play Much Ado About Nothing is an early work of feminism because, it showed how women were held to a different sexual standard than men, that women were being told that they had to submit themselves to men, and that men wanted something perfect, when perfection doesn’t exist. Both male and female roles in the play help develop the feministic plot, and show those who are wrong, the right way.

First the movie opening scene establishes a more cheerful mood, unlike what Shakespeare wrote in this scene, Beatrice is seen resting a poem and all the other settlers of Messina who accompany her are dancing and very happy. Shakespeare shows a comedy in a more conservative mood and present women in a role more respectful than the director of the film does . Another difference can be seen with the character of Dogberry who in the plays is shown as more idiotic than what it seen in the film. For example in the Act III scene 3 when he said “nay that were a punishment too good for them, if they should have any allegiance”with allegiance he means disloyalty ,and this dialogues ,as many others where he changed the meanings of words, are not in the movie .Other difference is that in the film from the beginning Hero is in love with Claudio,in the first scene they make an exchange of glances that cause us the impression that is not only Claudio who is attracted to her but she is too. In the play meanwhile when Claudio asked Benedick “Is she not a modest young lady?” It seems that they do not know each

The theme for honour and fidelity apply for both men and women in Shakespeare’s play ‘much ado about nothing’. Honour and fidelity is represented very differently for men and women as it would have been for the people in Elizabethan times. In this first section of the essay, I will be exploring double standards and Shakespeare’s awareness of the double standards between sexes and his feminist approach, the differences of honour and fidelity for men and women and upper class and lower class comparisons.

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

The result of the tricking scene and the way that they are so easily duped creates humour because they now seem desperately in love with each other 'Benedick love on. I will requite thee'. As a modern audience we feel satisfied at this union. Kenneth Branagh creates unity between Beatrice and Benedick with a montage. When Benedick is in the fountain splashing and laughing and Beatrice is on the swing smiling. These scenes make the audience smile and anticipate the positive ending.

A syndication of both tragedy and comedy, Much Ado About Nothing is one of William Shakespeare’s most loved comedies. The play was written in 1598 and was heavily influenced by the trends of the Renaissance period. And in order to cater to the trend of growing optimism in the Renaissance, Shakespeare wrote this light-hearted comedy. Renaissance, literally meaning rebirth, contributes to the scene where Hero is pronounced dead and then comes back to life. With inspiration coming from the ancient Greek and Roman writing styles, Much Ado About Nothing is a fine piece by Shakespeare. Carried by webs of misconceptions and misunderstandings, Shakespeare brings the perfect balance between tragedy and comedy, making it a fitting introduction to his

In conclusion, modern retelling of Shakespeare universally differ than the past. Shakespeare times and modern film differentiate for many reasons; language, gender roles and venue. In today’s film language, more formal “thou and “you” are commonly used, whereas In Shakespeare’s times “thee”, “thou”, “thy”, “thine” were vivid. In Shakespeare’s times, boys and young men played the women’s roles, now with both and female performers. Nevertheless, modern films will greatly not amuse spectators as in Shakespeare’s time.

Many of Shakespeare’s plays emphasize silence and the lack of language as an important dramatic feature. Particularly, this is in regards to characterization and the development of the composition’s theme. A character’s lack of words may signify the feeling of an emotion that is outside the limits of human understanding. It may also express that the character experiences a feeling of intimidation or communicates with defiance. Furthermore, the text of comedies and tragedies can display “silence” via the written work in regards to an activity or reaction that is not represented directly, such as the audience being aware of a character’s true identity while the characters within the play face this absence. There are various arguments that focus upon the ambiguity of whether a women’s silence in Shakespeare’s plays reflects passivity or resistance; the following analysis will argue both. The female characters of Shakespeare’s comedic and tragic plays, specifically Twelfth Night and Othello, fall silent at the periods in time when their speech would impair the writer’s effort at bringing attention to the social constructions of the seventeenth century. These moments, which manifest a strategic and vital development, exemplify the most common stereotype of females that is found within Shakespeare’s compositions: all members of this gender-based category should be

Shakespearean plays are complex, intricate pieces of work in which a diverse range of interpretations and readings can be made. This is particularly true of his comedies, where the light-hearted humour is often offset by darker, more serious undertones. In adapting these comedies it is for the director – in the cinematic context – to decide how to interpret the play and which elements are privileged and which are suppressed. This variance in interpretation is exemplified in comparing two of the more recent cinematic adaptations of Shakespeare’s comedies, Trevor Nunn’s Twelfth Night and Kenneth Branagh’s A Much Ado About Nothing [‘Much Ado’]. Although both films can to an extent be seen as