much ado about nothing

Much Ado Much Ado about Nothingabout Nothing

Fabio PesaresiFabio Pesaresifpesaresi@alice.itfpesaresi@alice.it

English dramaEnglish drama

►Mistery PlaysMistery Plays

►Miracle PlaysMiracle Plays

►Morality PlaysMorality Plays

► InterludesInterludes

Elizabethan dramaElizabethan drama

► University WitsUniversity Wits

► Spanish Tragedy Spanish Tragedy

(1885 c.)(1885 c.)

► Popular theatrePopular theatre

► Propaganda theatrePropaganda theatre

Morality PlaysMorality Plays

►Moral teachingMoral teaching

► Allegorical storiesAllegorical stories

► EverymanEveryman

Jacobean LondonJacobean London

Visscher – c. 1616

The GlobeThe Globe

William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare

23rd april 156423rd april 1564

Is born at Stratford-upon-AvonIs born at Stratford-upon-Avon

15821582

Marries Anne HathawayMarries Anne Hathaway

15921592

Robert Greene:Robert Greene:

"...for there is an upstart Crow, beautified with "...for there is an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his Tygers hart wrapt our feathers, that with his Tygers hart wrapt

in a Players hyde, supposes he is as well in a Players hyde, supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blanke verse as the able to bombast out a blanke verse as the

best of you: and being an absolute best of you: and being an absolute Johannes fac totum, is in his owne conceit , is in his owne conceit

the onely Shake-scene in a countrey"the onely Shake-scene in a countrey"

15991599

Construction of the “Globe” TheatreConstruction of the “Globe” Theatre

'Totus mundus agit histrionem'

23rd april 161623rd april 1616

Dies at Stratford-upon-AvonDies at Stratford-upon-Avon

Much Ado About Much Ado About NothingNothing

(1598-99)(1598-99)

MessinaMessina

LeonatoLeonato

AntonioAntonio Hero Hero BeatriceBeatrice

Don Pedro of AragonDon Pedro of Aragon

Don PedroDon Pedro

Don JohnDon John Claudio Claudio BenedickBenedick

Don JohnDon John

CouplesCouples

Ideal love:Ideal love:

Claudio - HeroClaudio - Hero

The

skirmish

Benedick

and

Beatrice

The masqued ballThe masqued ball

►Don Pedro courts Hero for his friend Don Pedro courts Hero for his friend ClaudioClaudio

►Don John insinuates the Don Pedro is Don John insinuates the Don Pedro is in love with Heroin love with Hero

PlayingPlaying

Friends want Benedick and Beatrice to Friends want Benedick and Beatrice to fall in love with each otherfall in love with each other

The deceitThe deceit

Don John makes Claudio and Don PedroDon John makes Claudio and Don Pedro

Believe that Hero has a secret loverBelieve that Hero has a secret lover

The repudiationThe repudiation

Claudio believes his eyesClaudio believes his eyes

andand

rejects Hero on their wedding dayrejects Hero on their wedding day

The stratagemThe stratagem

Friar FrancisFriar Francis

proposes to pretend that Hero has died: proposes to pretend that Hero has died:

““what we have we prize not to the worthwhat we have we prize not to the worthWhiles we enjoy it, but being lack'd and Whiles we enjoy it, but being lack'd and

lost, lost, Why, then we rack the value, then we find Why, then we rack the value, then we find The virtue that possession would not show The virtue that possession would not show

us us Whiles it was oursWhiles it was ours””

Love declaredLove declared

Benedick declares his love to BeatriceBenedick declares his love to Beatrice

who reciprocateswho reciprocates

The proof of loveThe proof of love

Beatrice to Benedick:Beatrice to Benedick:

““Kill Claudio”Kill Claudio”

The revelationThe revelation

The guards discover Borachio boasting The guards discover Borachio boasting about the trick playedabout the trick played

RepentanceRepentance

Claudio repents for harming HeroClaudio repents for harming Hero

The “punishment”The “punishment”

Claudio accepts to:Claudio accepts to:

Declare publicly his mistakeDeclare publicly his mistake

Marry Leonato’s niece, without seeing herMarry Leonato’s niece, without seeing her

The double weddingThe double wedding

Claudio and Hero

Benedick and BeatriceBenedick and Beatrice

Shakesperian themesShakesperian themes

►Plots and sublotsPlots and sublots

►DeceitDeceit

►Evolution of charactersEvolution of characters

►Fight between good and evilFight between good and evil

►PunsPuns

►Mixture of genres and registersMixture of genres and registers

►Allegorical meaningAllegorical meaning