Critique of Much Ado about Nothing - Essay Example

Critique of Much Ado about Nothing Much Ado about Nothing refers to a play which was written by the legendry William Shakespeare between the years 1598 and 1599. It presents a story of Beatrice and Benedick on one hand and Claudio and Hero on the other hand. These are couples who underwent a lot of agonies and turbulent experiences as they sought to establish and maintain their romantic relationships. However, as the play unfolds, Claudio and Hero separates on suspicion of infidelity. However, Beatrice and Benedick end up a happy couple because they finally wed to solemnize their marriage. The stories of these couples are used by the author to develop the play and clearly bring out its themes. This paper presents an in-depth and critical analysis of the play. It does this by looking at its themes, characterization, plot and stylistic devices. The play centers on the theme of sexual orientation. Having been set in a highly patriarchal society, the play depicts a clear picture of the antagonism between the people of the opposite sexes. To accomplish this, the author uses Benedick a male) and Beatrice (female) as the protagonists. From their interactions and behaviors, the audience manages to have a deeper understanding of the kind of relationship that existed between the male characters and their female counterparts. Another example of a relationship that helps in exploring the gender issues in this society is Hero and Claudio’s. From such relationships, I was convinced that Shakespeare wanted to express the desire for domination of men over the females. It was the idea behind the contention over the issue of fidelity in which the females are forbidden to engage in extra marital affairs which is of course enjoyed by men. To explain these points, Shakespeare uses brilliant, witty and comical characters. Therefore, through their interactions, it becomes much easier to see how the society has constructed structures that had to be broken through the efforts of rebellious minds like Beatrice who could tolerate male domination any longer. Indeed, the author succeeded in delivering his main message to the audience. The other important feature of this play is that it adequately explores the use of characterization. Having known the kind of message to deliver to his audience, Shakespeare took his time to creatively come up with appropriate set of characters that would be relied upon to help in doing this. So, the author chose to use a large number of characters consisting of protagonists and antagonists. In the list of the protagonists were Beatrice, Benedick, Don Pededro and Claudio. On the other hand, minor characters included Don John, Margaret, Leonato, Borachio, Antonio, Balthasar, Conrade, Messengers and Attendants. Each of these characters was given a specific role to play in the comedy. In fact, all of them did an excellent job because they knew how to behave and interact with others based on their gender, social class and position in the society. Thus, they perfectly contributed to the development of the plot and thematic concerns in the play. Surely, if it were not for their comical, witty, pleasant, romantic and tensed interactions, the play would not be a success. Their contribution was significant in the continuity of the play. In terms of style, Shakespeare wrote this play using a unique set of stylistic devices that he had been using in some of his comical literary works. First, he ensured that the play is written in a prose form. This was quite unique from the rest of his compositions because it appeared that the book took a different approach. It also had other sections in which verses were used. Therefore, it made the play to accomplish the impulsive energies and decorum that would be suitable for this kind of genre. At the same time, to make the work more outstanding, Shakespeare used the elements of Hillary and meditations on various issues that were at play at the time. Therefore, he managed to produce a play which encompasses the elements of politics, shame and dignity. Also, the play incorporated the use of figurative language which was evidenced in the use of rich words such as ‘noting.’ ‘Noting’ or ‘nothing’ as it was popularly known during Shakespeare’s time is a word that was used to symbolize rumor. Its skillful use in the play greatly contributed into the development of its plot and themes. For instance, it is because of unsubstantiated ‘noting’ that the two sets of couples take a different turn in their relationships. Had it not been for the treacheries and rumors, Claudio would not have rejected his sweetheart Hero. It was purely based on rumors. Therefore, by using such a language, the author enabled the audience to know much about the behaviors and inner thoughts of the characters. When it comes to setting, Shakespeare was quite sure of the kind of environment in which the play had to be set. Having been written at a time when the society was battling challenges like male chauvinism, conservative behaviors and urge for revolution in the society, the author chose to put the setting of the play in Messina. This was a small island located in Sicily, Italy. Messina was a right choice for this play because it provided an appropriate environment that could make it much easier for the play to bring out a true picture of the ways of life of the people in this place. In fact, by setting every activity at the premises of Leonato’s Estate, no one needs to struggle to comprehend different aspects of Italian culture particularly at this time when it was under the autocratic leadership of Aragon. It was indeed a better way of reflecting the way these people treated women and behaved in their day to day interactions. In conclusion, Much Ado about Nothing is a well written play. From the above discussion, it is quite clear that Shakespeare succeeded in writing an educative, entertaining and challenging comic. Despite using a bit complex language, the choice of the characters, themes, stylistic devices and setting made the play to be a success. Having thoroughly read it, I would like to express my satisfaction with it. It has got all that it takes to be an outstanding play. After all, it was written by a great authority whose credibility in the composition of plays is not in doubt. In this regard, I recommend it to anyone who is interested in enjoying such a publication. It is worth consuming one’s time since it is rich in information and incorporates suitable elements to make it have a continuous and flowing plot. Read More