English final exam: Satire in Much Ado about Nothing

Much Ado about Nothing is by Shakespeare

Who is author of Much Ado about Nothing?

Beatrice is witty and bold. Constantly trading insults with Benedick. And secretly wants love but refuses to play by society’s rules

Who is Beatrice?

Benedick is a sarcastic bachelor who mocks marriage —- until he falls in love with Beatrice.

Who is Benedick?

Claudio is a young soldier. Falls in love fast, but believes lies even faster. Publicly shames Hero based on false gossip

Who is Claudio?

Hero is sweet, quiet, obedient. Wrongly accused of being unfaithful, faints from shock, then “dies” (but not really)

Who is Hero?

Don Pedro and Don John are half brothers

Are Don John and Don Pedro related?

Don Pedro is the prince and matchmaker. Likes stirring up drama to bring people together —- but sometimes makes things worse

Who is Don Pedro?

Don John is the villain. Jealous, bitter, and bored. Fakes a scandal to ruin Hero and Claudio’s wedding

Who is Don John?

Leonato is Hero’s father. Loves his daughter —- until he thinks she’s dishonored him, then gets dramatic

Who is Leonato?

Clueless cop who solves the crime of Don John’s plot to sabotage Claudio and Hero’s wedding

Who is Dogberry?

Shakespeare mocks how people blindly trust gossip, hide true feelings, and the obsession with honor and reputation

How does Shakespeare use satire in Much Ado about Nothing?

Shakespeare mocks how quickly society judges and shames women like Hero over their reputation

How does Shakespeare mocks society’s obsession with a woman’s reputation (satire)?

Shakespeare mocks how Beatrice and Benedick are too proud to admit they’re in love, even though its obvious to everyone else

How does Shakespeare mock romantic denial and irony (satire)?

Shakespeare mocks how characters like Claudio care more about honor and reputation than truth, even if it means shaming the innocent

How does Shakespeare mock obsession with honor and reputation?

Deception and Eavesdropping: Characters trick each other, secretly listen in to manipulate love or uncover the truth

What is the main motif?

Appearance vs Reality: Things often aren’t what they seem —- false accusations, hidden feelings, and misunderstandings show how easily people are fooled by appearances

What is the main theme?

Who said it, what’s happening (context), and what it means (theme or satire)

What is passage identification?

Claudio falls for Hero

Who does Claudio fall for?

Beatrice and Benedick have a love-hate relationship

What kind of a relationship does Beatrice and Benedick have?

Don Pedro plans to help both couples get together

What does Don Pedro plan to do with both Beatrice and Benedick and Claudio and Hero?

Don John plots to ruin Claudio and Hero’s relationship out of jealously of his success

What is Don John plotting to do?

Hero is proven innocent and “comes back to life” after faking her death

Is Hero proven innocent or guilty?

Claudio marries Hero (again)

Who does Claudio marry at the end?

Beatrice and Benedick finally admit they love each other and agree to marry too

What happens for Beatrice and Benedick at the end?

Everyone celebrates —- except Don John, who gets arrested

How does Much Ado about Nothing end?

Claudio believes him after seeing it from afar and publicly shames Hero at the wedding like Don John wanted

Does Claudio believe Don John?

Beatrice demands justice for Hero and shows her strong sense of honor and gender frustration in Act 4, Scene 1

“Kill Claudio” (Act 4, Scene 1)

Benedick finally admits he loves Beatrice and shows love by overcoming his pride in Act 4, Scene 1

“I do love nothing in the world so well as you —- is not that strange?” (Act 4, Scene 1)

After shaming Hero, Claudio reflects in guilt (shows theme of rash judgement) in Act 4, Scene 1

“O, what men dare do! What men may do! What men daily do, not knowing what they do!” (Act 4, Scene 1)

Hero is helping trick Beatrice into loving Benedick (shows the motif of deception used for love) in Act 3, Scene 1

“Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps” (Act 3, Scene 1)

Margaret is Hero’s maid who accidentally helps Don John’s plot by flirting with Borachio (his servant), causing Hero to be wrongly accused after Claudio sees

Who is Maragret?

Hero pretends to be dead in order to fix her reputation and protect herself after Friar Francis suggests it

Why does Hero pretend to be dead?

Third person dramatic: the audience sees everything through characters’ actions and speech, with no narrator

What is the point of view?

Comedy or play

What is the genre?