Schoolwork week 10 ~ Much Ado About Nothing

1. Find out when the play, “Much Ado About Nothing”, was written and describe the storyline.

Much Ado About Nothing, was written in 1598-99, by William Shakespeare. In the novel, Beatrice and his daughter Hero are speaking with a messenger, who has come to tell Leonato that Don Pedro, the Prince of Aragon, is visiting Messina following some sort of battlem, and that he will be bringing a brave young soldier. Antonio tells his Brother Leonato about how he overheard Claudio admitting he loves Hero and wants to marry her. Don John, the brother of Don Pedro, with his followers, Borachio and Conrade, saying that he feels unwelcome in Messina and plans to cause unrest.

Identify some of the main characters, dividing them into two groups: ‘good’ and ‘evil’.

Good:

Claudio,

Hero,

Don Pedro,

Leonato,

Verges,

Antonio,

Evil:

Don John,

Margaret,
Borachio,
Conrad,

Dogberry,

Do some of them change for better or worse (give an example or two)? Do they change back?

Yes, Claudio changes for the worse and becomes mean and selfish, but soon realizes and changes back.

3. What seem to be the play’s messages? List below. Do you think the play is relevant today?

Don't listen to every thing you hear, there are two sides to every story.

Yes, in a way i think the play is relevant in todays society, and the message is also relevant with all the fighting and arguing that happens in everyday life, it is good to understand that there are two messages to every story.

4. What is the difference between classical tragedy and comedy? Into which category (if either)does this play seem to fit?

Classical Tragedy:

1) Emphasizes human suffering
2) Ends with rigid finality
3) Moves with solemnity and foreboding
4) Emotional Response (pity and fear)
5) Identification with the hero
6) Laments man's fate
7) Criticizes h ubri s , self-delusion,

Classical Comedy:

1) Emphasizes renewal of human nature
2) Moves from rigidity to freedom
3) Plays with prevailing high spirits
4) Intellectual response (ridicule and absurdity)
5) Scorn/approval of protagonist/others
6) Celebrates life
7) Criticizes folly, self-delusion, and complacency

({Acessed 17/9/09} http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/documents/Tragedy_Comedy.pdf)

I think the book falls into the catergory of classical comedy, because it is obvious that the novel, and movie is a comedy.