The Character of Don John in William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing

“Much Ado About Nothing” is set in Messina, the Isle of Sicily, where Shakespeare depicts Hero as a typical unmarried Elizabethan character. Shakespeare shows that Hero comes from a wealthy background with an important family. In this essay, I am going to write about: Shakespeare’s characterization of Hero, Hero’s contrast to Beatrice, and her relationship with Leonato and Claudio. The two characters, Hero and Beatrice, go hand in hand, despite their many differences.

The worst in others, sometimes brings out the best in people. The differences in the characters sometimes even brings them closer together. William Shakespeare’s characters in Much Ado About Nothing are complete opposites, character foils. Don John and Don Pedro are brothers in Much Ado About Nothing. Don Pedro is advised as the greater brother, the more auspicious one. Don John is contemplated as a knave, the one who is less fortunate. Don Pedro also gets the name as the Prince of Aragon and the winner of the war they had just come back from. Don John is seen as a loser. Not only did he lose in the war he fought against his brother, but he also was not able to live up to being a prince. Don Pedro is considered the hero and a leader while Don John is considered as a villain.

People always contradict themselves. They say that trickery is bad and that you should always tell the truth, but if they are fooled for something like a surprise birthday party, they have a different opinion. Much Ado about Nothing is a play by William Shakespeare. It is a comedy about two different couples. The first couple, Hero and Claudio, are in love and are trying to get married. Claudio loved Hero at first sight and got Don Pedro, the prince of Aragon, to woo her for him. The second couple, Benedick and Beatrice, hate each other at first. They constantly insult each other. Don John, the Prince’s bastard brother, tries to destroy Claudio, while Don Pedro tries to bring together Beatrice

The definition of a tragic flaw is, “a personality trait that ultimately leads to a character’s own downfall.” Much Ado About Nothing clearly displays to the reader that Don John’s actions coming from his tragic flaws negatively affect him along with others around him. He is extremely jealous of the success in Don Pedro and Claudio’s lives, and is attempting to ruin Claudio and Hero’s happiness in their upcoming marriage. In the book, Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, Don John appears to be the character who is the most tragically flawed by being jealous and deceiving.

and Beatrice (Act 2 Sc 3 & Act 3 Sc 1). The second, when the Watch

Act 2 of Much Ado About Nothing is divided up into a set of 3 scenes and it’s plot is quite distinct from the previous act. The first scene of Act 2 is quite longer than the rest and it starts of with a amicable conversation between Hero, Beatrice, Leonato, and Leonato’s brother. Beatrice and Hero discuss about their ideal example of a husband and the conversation leads off to a tangent and they talk about if Beatrice will ever get married. In the meantime, the party is starting and the people are ready to start dancing. Don Pedro dances with Hero and Beatrice and Benedick also together. Once again Beatrice insults Benedick while having no knowledge that she is talking to him because his face is hidden behind a mask. In addition, a little bit after Beatrice and

William Shakespeare’s play Much Ado about Nothing traverses the complex social, and emotional trials and triumphs of romantic relationships; Shakespeare’s perspective on the subject is both very similar to ours today, and different. Although filled with sexual innuendos, and humorous trickery and shenanigans, Much Ado about Nothing also dives into the complexities of social anxieties, defense mechanisms to cope with the social pressures, and the emotions involved.

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.

After taking a closer look at the two female main characters as well as a few of the minor characters, their respective development and personal relationships, it should be possible to draw some general conclusions concerning Nothing Much To Do as an adaptation and interpretation of William Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing, even though a detailed analysis of the male characters in the series was not possible within the scope of this paper.

‘Shakespeare wrote his play in accordance with the conventions of an easily identifiable genre – history, comedy or tragedy.’

During the late 16th and early 17th century, women were expected to be submissive, calm, quiet, and uneducated. A woman’s duty was to stay home and take care of their husbands, children, cooking, and cleaning. Women during this time were not viewed as intelligent members of society; they were viewed as emotional human beings whose only purpose was to nurture the home. Deep, intellectual thoughts, language, or actions were deemed as masculine characteristics. Regardless of schooling, women during Elizabethan times were not expected nor granted the opportunity to work. They were, however, expected to uphold duties as “woman” by submitting their livelihood to their husband and household.

Hero, the unfortunate damsel in distress, sacrificing her own marriage and pretending to perish in order to ameliorate the reputation of her family, compelled to work upon the words of other’, Hero is actually a hero according to the denotation of the word “hero” in “Much Ado About Nothing.” Born into royalty, Hero endures a traumatic incident, but eventually achieves her destiny. One of Shakespeare’s major themes is deception regarding gender roles. With his use of characteristic archetypes, he evokes that deception is what lies between perception and reality, which in this case drives Claudio to misconstrue the reality. A man’s superiority towards a woman is prominent throughout the play and Shakespeare recognizes that a woman’s place in society is much more than standing inferior to men. By portraying Hero’s death, he shows the immense guilt Claudio suffers form and merely suggests that Hero is more than just an object. She is a hero, who, with her sacrificial death, cleanses her family’s reputation and marries the man of her drema. Overcoming the abominable deception imprinted upon Hero, she proclaims herself a hero by fulfilling her goals and through her role, Shakespeare portrays the role of women via society’s views on gender roles.

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare "Much Ado About Nothing" in fact has a great deal to say about love and marriage. What is Shakespeare trying to tell us about relationships between men and women? Compare the play's treatment of love with that in "Silas Marner" In "Much Ado About Nothing" there are many different forms of love and relationships that range from youthful infatuation to parental love. Shakespeare makes many comments about men and women and shows the audience a variety of both romantic and platonic relationships.

what I am: I must be sad when I have cause, and smile at no mans jest:

Act III Scene V - This is a very important scene. Select and comment on