CWL320MuchAdoPart 2

8/13/2019 CWL320MuchAdoPart 2

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CWL 320

Much Ado About Nothing

Part I


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Themes

1. Courtliness/civility vs. warfare/soldiering

2. Inside/outside

3. The carnivalesque

4. Character types 2.05. Misrepresentation and misunderstanding

6. How love works

7. Loyalty

8. Comedy vs. tragedy

9. The pleasure of wordplay


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Civilians & Soldiers


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Relevant Quotes

Romeo and Juliet: Civil blood makes civil

hands unclean.

Hamlet: Such a sight as this/ Becomes the

field, but here shows much amiss.

Much Ado: There is a kind of merry war

betwixt Signior Benedick and her: they never

meet but there's a skirmish of wit between

them (I.i.59-62).


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Inside & Outside


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Inside & Outside


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Relevant Quotes/Plots

There is a kind of merry war betwixt SigniorBenedick and her: they never meet but there's askirmish of wit between them (I.i.59-62).

Leonato: Never came trouble to my house in thelikeness of your Grace, for trouble being gone,comfort should remain (I.i.97-99).

The masquerade

Don Pedro: The time shall not go dully by us(II.i.354-5) and We are the only love gods(II.i.378).


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Character Types

Authority Figure Don Pedro

Leonato (see I.i.156-7)Villain Don John

Trickster Benedick?

Boracchio?

Beatrice?Clever Slave Margaret

Boracchio?

Fool Dogberry

Young Woman Hero

Ugly Old Woman Beatrice?

Irresponsible Young Man Claudio


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Relevant Quotes

Don John: I cannot hide what I amI had

rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in

*Don Pedros+ graceIf I can cross him anyway,

I bless myself every way (I.iii.13,25-6, 66-68).

Beatrice: We must follow the leadersif they

lead to ill, I will leave them at the next

turning (II.i.148-9, 151-2).


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Misrepresentation and

misunderstanding The carnivalesque reveling (I.i.315) of Act II.

The Prince and Count Claudiowere thus overheardthePrince discovered to Claudio that he loved my niece your

daughter (I.ii.9-15). Leonato to Hero: If the Prince do solicit you in that kind,

you know your answer (II.i.66-7).

Beatrice and Benedick II.i (p. 45): That my Lady Beatriceshould know me and not know me! (II.201-202).

Leonato, Don Pedro, Claudio tricking Benedick (II.iii).(Benedick: This can be no trick *II.iii.223 and followingsoliloquy].)


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More Quotes

Borachio: And that is Claudio. I know him by

his bearing.

Don John: Are you not Signior Benedick?

Claudio: You know me well. I am he.

(II.ii.153-162).


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How love works

Benedick: It is certain I am loved of all ladies, only youexcepted; and I would I could find in my heart that Ihad not a hard heart, for truly I love none (I.i.122-125).

Claudio: When you went onward on this endedaction,/ I looked upon her with a soldiers eye,/ Thatliked, but had a rougher task at hand/ Than to driveliking to the name of love./But now I am returned andthat war thoughts/Have left their places vacant, in their

rooms/Come thronging soft and delicate desires,/ Allprompting me how fair young Hero is,/ Saying I likedher ere I went to war (I.i.292-300).


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More love quotes

Benedick: I do wonder that one man, seeing

how much another man is a fool where he

dedicates his behaviors to love, will, after he

hath laughed at such shallow follies in others,become the argument of his own scorn by

falling in loveand such a man is Claudio

(II.iii.8-13).


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Loyalty

Beatrice: He hath every month a new sworn

brotherHe wears his faith by the fashion of

his hat; it ever changes with the next block

(I.i.70-71, 73-75).

Beatrice: Indeed, my lord, he lent *his heart+

me a while, and I gave him use for it, a double

heart for his single one (II.i.273-4).

Don John: The lady is disloyal (III.ii.97).


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Comedy vs. tragedy

Don John: I cannot hide what I am. I must be

sad when I have cause, and smile at no mans

jestlaugh when I am merry (I.iii.13-16).


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The pleasure of wordplay

Benedick: The body of your discourse issometimes guarded with fragments, and theguards are but slightly basted on neither. Ere youflout old ends any further, examine your

conscience (I.i.279-83). Leonato: Niece, thou wilt never get thee a

husband if thou be so shrewd of thy tongue(II.i.18-19).

Beatrice: That I had my good wit out of TheHundred Merry Tales! (II.i.126-7).

Beatrice and Benedick I.i.109-142


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More Wordplay

Benedick: She speaks poinards, and every

word stabs (II.i.244-5).

Leonator: If they were but a week married,

they would talk themselves mad (II.i.344-5).

Act III, scene iii (Dogberry and the Nights

Watch).

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CWL320MuchAdoPart 2