Much Ado About Nothing: ALL Revision

Beatrice and Benedict's relationship is described using an oxymoron; it shows that they enjoy each-others company but use ridicule and mockery to disguise this.

"...merry war..."

Hero is a traditional Elizabethan woman who abides by societal expectations in a demure fashion the use of "modest" implies that she recognises her place in society and feels that she needs to clarify that in her language.

"I will do any modest office..." "Is she not a modest young lady?"

Claudio can be very performative with his emotions which may display his immaturity, recklessness and indiscretion this also may indicate that he is rather melodramatic and eager to receive external validation.

"There I will shame her." "I will join thee to disgrace her."

What is Benedick's final line and how does this compare to another line? This emphasises how far he has come by the end of the novel; he has anew appreciation for love and women (particularly Beatrice) that he didn't have before.

"He would rather hear the trabar and pipe." "...strike up the pipers"

Benedick displays his mistrust for women which potentially shows that he has been hurt by a previous relationship like Beatrice also.

"I do myself the right to trust none."

Benedick declares to Claudio and Don Pedro that he will never know how it feels to be in love with a woman when they are talking about Claudio's love for Hero.

"...fire cannot melt out of me"

Don Pedro declares that Benedick is incorrigible despite how wrong he is about love.

"...obstinate heretic..."

"I will live

a bachelor."

Benedick shows his appreciation for women and what they contribute to society

"I give her most humble thanks."

Beatrice realises that being with Don Pedro would cost her what little power she has as a Shakespearean woman.

"Your Grace is too costly to wear everyday."

Beatrice believes that love is fleeting in nature potentially because of how Benedick once betrayed her. She warns Hero of this.

At first love is "...hasty like a Scotch-jig"

Both Beatrice and Benedick downplay their mutual love at the end of the play potentially because they are in front of everyone.

"...no more than reason."

"Thou and I

are too wise to woo peaceably."

"I'd rather

be a canker in his hedge than a rose in his grace."

Shows a more manipulative and dark side to Beatrice; she immediately takes advantage of their mutual love confession by attempting to gain power by convincing Benedick to kill Claudio.

"There's no love in you." "Kill Claudio."

These quotes use metaphors of love leading to physical pain across the play.

"She speaks poniards and every word stabs." "I am sunburnt" "I have the toothache." "I am exceedingly ill."

Suggests that Beatrice and Benedick had a disastrous previous relationship as well as the allusion of their relationship being a mere game and Beatrice's heart being an object to be 'won'. There is also imagery of gambling here further implying that Benedick may have wronged her and treated her unfairly. Beatrice expresses herself poignantly at times without ever losing her humour and charm.

"...he won it off me with false dice."

Leonato disparages Beatrice by viewing her sole purpose to be to get married.

"...thou wilt never get thee a husband of thou be so shrewd of thy tongue."

Shows Beatrice as an unconventional woman.

"Father as it please me."

The verb 'fitted' may allude to the idea that Beatrice is currently incomplete without a husband. Beatrice also disregards all men on earth here showing her disregard and cynicism.

"I hope one day to see you fitted with a husband... Not till God make men of some other mettle than earth."

We see here that Beatrice may have given Benedick more affection than he did to her. She shows that she truly loved him but that the relationship was unequal.

"...a double heart for his single one."

Shows Beatrice's disdain of love. B and Bs language also parallel here.

"I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me." "...he had been a dog that should have howled they would’ve hanged him." (about Balthasar)

There are many instances where animalistic imagery is used to insult Beatrice or Benedick.

"...rare parrot-teacher."

Beatrice continuously acts feigns non-chalance when it comes to Benedick.

"...nobody marks you."

This is Beatrice's first line in the play where she feigns disregard for Benedick but is truly worried about him.

"Is Signior Montanto returned from the wars...?"

Beatrice admits that she has changed and realised the true value of love again.

"I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest."

Beatrice is willing to change for Benedick.

"...taming my wild heart to thy loving hand."

Beatrice describes married men as nothing more than dust that are burdensome to women.

"...valiant dust."

"Would you

buy her...?" "Can the world buy such a jewel?"

Beatrice plays on words and suggests that Claudio is like a Seville orange which is a really sour orange; it shows that she thinks he is quite a jealous person. This parallels with a moment with Hero later in the play.

"[Claudio] civil as an orange" "...rotten orange..."

"Leonato,

take her back again..."

"Done to

death by slanderous tongues..."

"Silence

is the perfectest herald of joy."

Hero's own father wishes for her to die.

"Do not live, Hero; do not open thine eyes." "Death is the fairest cover for her shame!"

Beatrice shows that all marriage leads to is regret.

Later in marriage "comes repentance."

Beatrice uses the imperative quite a lot which is unconventional for a woman of her time.

"Speak, Count..." "Speak cousin..." "Kill Claudio."

Benedick also shows that he has been opposed to marriage for all of his life.

"I have railed so long against marriage."

"I am loved

of all ladies... truly, I love none."

5 stages of Benedick's attitude towards love (tbf the middle one is not in public).

"...fire cannot melt it out of me." "I will live a bachelor." "...see with these eyes [of love]? I cannot tell: I think not." "I did never think to marry" "When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married."

"I do believe

your fair cousin is wronged."

There is an expectation for Hero to abide by what everyone else wants for her.

"I trust you will be ruled by your father."

Claudio doesn't even question the reliability of Don John.

"...the prince woos for himself."

Benedick uses 'my' in Act 2 Scene 1

"...my Lady Beatrice..."

Nobody mentioned getting married babes...

"I would not marry her..."

Claudio promises an equal relationship but look where that ended up...

"Lady as you are now mine, I am yours."

Another parallel in the perception of B and B.

"I speak all mirth and no matter." "he is all mirth" (DP)

Shows that deep down Beatrice may be sad as she uses humour as a coping mechanism.

"She is never sad but when she sleeps."

Don John plans to deceive Claudio so that he can ruin not only Hero's reputation but his brother's and Leonato's.

"...he hath wronged his honour in marrying Claudio." "...to kill Leonato."

Don Pedro about Beatrice there is a suggestion that love is something bad that damages one.

"...invincible against all assaults of affection."

Benedick's speeches in Act 2 Scene 3 despite their closeness largely contrast each other. At the beginning he is making fun of Claudio for being 'Monsieur Love' but by the ending he likes the idea of Beatrice being in love with him and marrying.

"Monsieur Love" "I will be horribly in love with her."

Beatrice struggles to accept love from others.

"She cannot love nor take no project of affection."

Shows how Hero and Beatrice contrast in terms of their attitudes towards society.

"...nature never framed a woman's heart of prouder stuff than that of Beatrice."

Hero foreshadows her own demise as well as recognises Beatrice's toxicity.

"...an ill word may empoison liking."

Hero poeticises Benedick's internal conflict. Parallels to Beatrice's language; the fire symbolises what they both realise is there but don't want to admit.

"...like covered fire, waste inwardly." "What fire is in mine ears?"

Beatrice and Benedick both go through physical and emotional changes as their attitudes towards love change. Benedick accepts Claudio and Don Pedro's teasing with 'the toothache' and has appeared to have shaved and 'painted himself'. Beatrice also vows to 'tame' herself. Why is this ironic?

After realising that they are in love with each other, they both try to conform to what they think someone in love should look and act like but ironically, in the process they lose what they originally loved within each other.

Claudio would be considered unhonourable if he stayed with Hero and Don John knows this.

"But it would better fit your honour to change your mind."

"...every

man's Hero"

"O God

defend me!"

"I cannot be

a man with wishing so I will die a woman grieving."

Shakespeare shows that woman gain power in love.

"Use your love for me some other way than swearing by it."

Don Pedro uses his honour to verify the claim on Hero despite that it is not true- irony.

"But on my honour she was charged with nothing but what was true..."

"What your wisdoms

could not discover, these shallow fools brought to light..."

Shakespeare shows that people like Brochario can change for the better.

"I desire nothing but the reward of a villain."

Leonato uses sarcasm to highlight that despite their high honour, Claudio and Don Pedro are not truthfully honourable in this instance.

"Here stand a pair of honourable men."

Despite all that she has been through, Hero must still prove that she is a virgin. They have also both changed.

"One Hero died defiled but I do live. I am a maid." "I was your other wife... other husband."

While both B and B have changed, their dynamic by the end survives and comes back to life.

"I take thee for pity..."

Benedicks final monologue where we see his final change.

"For man is a giddy thing..." "...nothing that the world can say against it." "...a college of wit-crackers cannot flout me out of my humour."

Antonio in Act 5 Scene 1 hints that Leonato is acting childishly.

"Therein do men from children nothing differ."

Claudio doesn't want to be associated with Leonato any longer as it is bad for his honour.

"I will not have to do with you."

Despite being calm at the beginning of the scene, Antonio is willing to die to defend Hero's honour along with Leonato; it shows that they both care deeply for Hero.

"...you will kill yourself..." "He shall kill two of us... but that's no matter."

Despite Benedick directly confronting Claudio along with Leonato and Antonio, he still doesn't believe them showing his ignorance and naivety.

"You are a villain, I jest not." "I will meet you, so I may have good cheer."

Benedick has matured and has become more serious because of Beatrice. He is also willing to end male friendships showing the power that woman gain in relationships.

"...gossip-like humour." "I must discontinue your company."

Claudio shows his immaturity and disregard for what is happening around him as he brushes off what people are trying to tell him.

"care killed a cat..." "...two old men without teeth..."

What in Act 5 Scene 2 shows that B and B speak naturally with each other?

They don't speak in verse but prose (every line doesn't start with a capital).

Shows that Claudio truly feels remorseful and has somewhat matured. Also how important it is that Hero's honour is reinstalled despite her being 'dead'.

"Yearly I will do this rite." "...Lives in death with glorious fame."

Shows that Claudio still does have respect for women.

"I am your husband, if you like of me."