The purpose of this paper is to review William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. For the purposes of this paper, I have divided into two parts. In part one, I will review two quotes, and in part two, I will answer one of the long answer questions we got to choose from.
Part One
As a part of this assignment, we were instructed to pick two quotes, identify the speaker, explain the meaning of the quotes, and then explain how it relates to the play in general. The first quote that I chose, was:
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“By my troth, niece, thou wilt never get thee a
husband if thou be so shrewd of thy tongue.”
This line is delivered by Leonato, in Act 2 Scene 1, in response to his niece, Beatrice’s rough comment about how any man can get a wife if he has money. In today’s English, Antonio is basically saying “Oh my goodness, niece! You’re never gonna get a husband if you keep talking like that!” This is important to the show because Beatrice has built up a reputation for hating men. In this line, Leonato is once again shedding light on his niece’s reputation. The following line is spoken by Antonio, who agrees with his host, stating:
“In faith, she’s too curst.”
Or, in modern English: “It’s true, she’s cursed.”
The second quote I chosen to respond to is spoken by Benedick, in Act 2 Scene 10. It goes:
““I may chance have some odd quirks and remnants of
wit broken on me because I have railed so long
against marriage, but doth not the appetite alter?”
If you translated that to today’s English, it would read: “I may be made fun of since I’ve hated on marriage for so long, but come on. A guy’s got a right to change his mind, right?” In my opinion, this quote is a turning point in Beatrice and Benedick’s relationship. Benedick is finally coming around to the idea of being in love with Beatrice…now he just needs to convince her that she’s in love with him too.
Part Two
For part two, I will compare Beatrice and Benedick to Ron and Hermione from Harry Potter. Like Ron and Hermione, Beatrice and Benedick have known each other for quite a while, and have never seemed too interested in each other. But it is made clear by both authors, Rowling and Shakespeare, that underneath each character’s skin, there grows a fondness for the each other. Both authors also decide to tease their readers (or audience) by building up tension between the couples, making us more excited to see the two individuals come together than the individuals themselves.
Because of this, Much Ado About Nothing is the equivalent of a romantic comedy we could go see in a movie theater. This is why Shakespeare’s work has lasted so long in the spotlight. The subject matter is familiar, funny, and in the end, heart-warming. Who doesn’t want to experience that when going to the theatre?
