For Wednesday: Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Act II
Answer TWO of the following...
1. Compare the two long speeches
Benedick has in Act II, Scene Three, on pages 32 and 39 of the Pelican
Shakespeare edition (the speeches that begin “I know that, but I would have
thee hence again,” and “This can be no trick.”
In both he reflects upon love and his opinion of marriage. What changes in these two speeches, and is
there any sense in the first that he might eventually come to the opinion of
the second? In other words, have they
‘brainwashed’ him into marriage, or was he merely looking to be convinced?
2. Shakespeare inserts a very
cynical song in Act Three, Scene Three, right when everyone is wooing and
making preparations for marriage.
Though no one seems to pay it close attention, why might this be
Shakespeare’s sly way of making a point in the comedy? What might be the message of this song and
this particular moment of the play?
3. Where do we see verse (imabic
pentameter) in Act 2? Why do you think
it is used and what it the effect it should have on the audience? In class we discussed how language is the
one way to change a character’s clothing and make the audience take
notice. How might the use of verse in
this act in one particular scene do this?
3. In Act 2 Scene 3 we see Leonato, Don Pedro, Claudio and Balthasar speak in verse while they let Benedick overhear their constructed conversation about him. Verse is used because they are pretending to have something important to say, and they want someone to take notice. Benedick is surely fooled because that is how men of high status typically converse with one another, but the group definitely uses verse to get his attention. Because the guys are friends, they could easily have the conversation in prose, but they choose to dress up their language so Benedick will take their words seriously and play their game.
ReplyDelete4. Borachio is the catalyst that spurs the nonsense. He explains his deceitful plan to Don John in Act 2 Scene 2 line 43-44, "hear me call Margaret Hero, hear Margaret term me Claudio." In reality it doesn't matter even a little bit that Borachio gets with Margaret, but because the others are convinced by window disguises and false names, they react passionately and the action of the rest of the play is put into motion.
Jacob Anderson
ReplyDelete1. In Benedick's first speech he talks about how love turns a man fool and changes his priorities. He does not seem to understand how a man can fall in love after he once despised it so much. Also in the first speech, Benedick is acting like the only way he could ever fall in love is if the woman possessed all the qualities that make her perfect. However n the second speech, when he is talking about maybe being in love, Benedick is making exceptions for these qualities and not being so picky. Instead of saying he is a fool for thinking about love he comes up with reasons to support it. I believe Benedick was just waiting to be convinced by somebody to fall in love and was just trying wanted people to see him as the guy that never falls in love.
3. We see verse when Benedick is hiding in the arbor while Don Pedro, Leonato, and Claudio are talking over him. By talking in verse they up their status from sounding like regular civilians to higher class. It makes them sound more important as well as making what they are actually talking about more important. Prose would have worked but by using verse it seems to get Benedick's attention more.
Andrew Reeves
ReplyDelete1. In Benedick's first speech he talks about how love makes men foolish and how he never wants to fall in love. He would rather not become more of a fool than he already is and the only way he could fall in love is if he found the perfect woman. In his second speech he has just heard that Beatrice loves him and ponders how he should respond, and starts to realize he may have some affection for her.
4. All the characters in this play other than Beatrice and Benedick do this. They all create much ado about nothing because they are characters that are hardly even more than names. They are just plot devices to create drama with Beatrice and Benedick. The entire plot line is basically nothing but a tool to get Beatrice and Benedick together. These characters are filled with naught but air, and are hollow shells. None of them have any real defining qualities or features to make them unique, and thus they are "nothing".
1.In first speech Benedick he talks about how love turns a man fool and changes his priorities. He does not seem to understand how a man can fall in love. Acting like hes the only person that could ever fall in love and qualities that will possessed to a woman to make her seem more perfect. In they second speech Benedick was trying to make exceptions for qualities and not be so picky when it comes to woman and love. Benedick didn't want to a fool and instead found reasons to support his reasoning. Benedick was wanting to be on love but never really found it before.
ReplyDelete3.We see verse when Benedick is hiding in the arbor while Don Pedro, Leonato, and Claudio are talking over him. By talking in verse they up their status from sounding like regular civilians to higher class. It makes them sound more important as well as making what Don Pedro, Leonato, and Claudio they are actually talking about more important. It would have worked but by using verse it seems to get Benedick's attention more.
2) I think the he puts it in the play because everybody can take something for the song. The ladies should listen to the song because the song is telling then to be careful in the guys that are at the party. You never know who they really are portraying. Every class that Shakespeare was writing to can relate to music and the meaning behind it.
ReplyDelete3) They are trying to show that they are higher then regular citizens. They knew that if Benedict could really understand them then he would really pay attention to what they are saying. They are trying to get him to woo Beatrice without coming put and saying it directly to him.
2. It is an interesting song that illustrates the fickleness and promiscuity of men of the age. Since men travel a great deal and illicit their dying love to women all over the world, women should be on guard and expect this from men. Women should throw off men by not being hurt over men and by being cavalier in their relations and their reactions to the infidelity of their so-called lovers. It is interesting also because it somewhat foreshadows the coming events of the wedding and the following scenes.
ReplyDelete4. It is extremely easy to create a false representation of someone while disguised. I relate much to the internet. You can say anything you want, for the most part, without having to be truly responsible or accountable for those words. You can fall behind a vail of illusion and pretend to be something you are not. It empowers you to say what you could not say to somebody’s face and allows you to throw inhibition and self-doubt out the window. This sets up the “much ado about nothing” scenario at its finest. You are free to say what benefits your own position under the guise of using someone else’s name. It also provides the opportunity to proliferate the story through other people as well. You can tell one person something and another something completely different to stir up controversy.
Kasia Connel
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2.
He switches to verse before the song to announce to the audience something is about to happen and they need to take notice of it. The song is talking about death and the sadness of men`s death and how you need to forget your woes. It also introduces the deceit and fraud of men, which is what Benedick is about to witness. Don Pedro, Leonato, and Claudio are going to trick Benedick into thinking Beatrice is madly in love with him.
Question 3.
In Act 2, scene iii, it is changing the scene, setting the mood for what is about to happen. It draws the audience back in. Before, they would be listening but now they begin to hear, fore they know something important is about to happen. The style of the language is changing from the norm of the rest of the play, also denoting that the audience needs to remember this part for later understanding. Plus when characters change clothes it is entertaining and gives the eyes something new to look at, in the same way changing to verse makes the ears listen more carefully and gives a musical tone which is pleasant to the ears.
1. In his first speech he is talking about how he does not want to be in love with anyone unless that person is perfect for him. He talks about how love makes men act foolish and basically blinds them. In his second speech he is talking as if he can overlook the qualities that he does not like about Beatrice. He seems more relaxed about the idea of being in love. I think Benedick was looking to be convinced. Maybe just the realization that he actually has affection for someone was enough to change his belief.
ReplyDelete3. You see this when Don Pedro, Leonato and Claudio are talking about Beatrice having feelings for Benedick while he hides and listens. They want Benedick to listen and take their words seriously. Also it highlights an important scene in the play. It shows that this is a time to pay attention and the verse is intended to capture the ears of the audience.
2. Most people like songs for the way they sound. They don't usually listen to the words until they are feeling a particular emotion. Shakespeare inserting the cynical song makes it makes it suggest that it you might as well give up everything if you're going to get upset over what a man did to you. It's known that they do it to everybody. The song also suggest, with this part of the play, that people are constantly looking for somebody better. Benedick has this particular women in mind, and I believe he will always be searching for her even if he has an amazing women.
ReplyDelete4. The disguises in the play really help people say things they wouldn't. Back in the day, all people had was their word so while in a disguise, anybody could say anything and people would not know if it were true or not on who said what, but they would usually take it just because people don't "lie". It creates error for deceit and how you never truly know a person. It makes you question peoples true character and morals. The play creates the plot out of disguises because it sets people up for bad things to happen.
Albanie Beck
ReplyDelete3. We see verse in Act 2 Scene 3. Leonato, Don Pedro, Claudio, and Balthsar speak in verse. they speak loudly so Benedict is able to hear them. benedict starts to listen when he hears his name and they are talking about how much Beatrice loves him. so he stops to ease drop. the guys talk in verse because they are acting like they have something interesting to say but in all reality they just did to so benedict will notice and pay attention. the whole reason why they are having this talk is so that benedict will woo Beatrice. talking in verse just means you up your speech so to speak from middle class talk to higher class talk. I guess they could have talked in prose but that probably wouldn't get benedict attention as talking in verse.
4. people used disguises in the play to say things that they wouldn't really say in person without their disguise. if they had their disguise they could say anything to anybody without that person knowing it was them. its almost like when someone talks bad about you behind your back except they are saying it to your face you just don't know who it is. it almost makes you wonder if people are lying or being their true self.
3. We see verse in scene three when Claudio and Don Pedro and Leonato are discussing Beatrice and how she is actually quit fond of Benedict, ans benedict is "spying" on them and listening to their conversation. The verse is important because it changes the entire mood of the play, it is suppose to be comical, but it makes this part of the play more serious and memorable. It also makes to conversation more noticeable. Also it makes the people speaking in verse more fancy and of higher ranking class.
ReplyDelete4. Disguise's can be helpful and hurtful all at the same time. People use disguises to say things to people they normally wouldn't say or to reveal things to a person without them knowing who they are. It can be helpful in the sense that you can tell someone a secret or something very important but then it is hurtful because people can use disguises just to stir up drama and trouble for others. and even though no one knows who you are, it might be hard for someone to view as reliable and truthful since they have no clue who told them.
1.In the first speech that Benedict gives, he tells us all the positive things that he used to see in Claudio, that he doesn't see now that Claudo is married. He has a negative outlook on marriage in my opinion during the first speech, and in the second speech he is positive towards marriage, and has a love for it. He claims he will fall "horribly in love" This tells me that he had already loved Beatrice some, or he would probably not suspect himself to fall horribly in love. I see this in the first speech that he was looking for it when he is talking about Claudio being married then says "May I be so converted and see with these eyes?" I see that as Benedict thinking what if that happened to me, or would it be possible for me to ever be like that.
ReplyDelete4.During the play when they put the masks on and many of them pretend to be other people, leading to them finding something out that they wouldn't have had they had the mask off. When people have masks on it gives them a confidence boost, and an opportunity to make people say things that they wouldn't say to the real person. For example, Claudio and Benedict both act as other people, and now the plot of the story changes, because they know more than what the other characters want them to.