A dramatic comedy villain should resemble someone of a horrid disposition whose main goal in life is to ruin others. Horace Walpole once said ‘This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel’ . Don John as the most passive villain in Much Ado seems to settle directly upon this line. The man of few words emerges as the most disagreeable and wicked character in the play. Yet Shakespeare assigns Don John the redeeming quality of his honesty and ensures that he receives a lot of sympathy from the audience through Don John’s description of himself announcing his ultimate punishment by a hypocritical society which rejects him from the very moment of birth. This is due to Don John’s honest and emotional character …show more content…
Shakespeare uses a considerable amount of dramatic irony throughout the play with most of the characters including Hero being naïve towards Don John’s personality and behaviour resulting in dramatic irony being added to the play throughout this consequently adding comic effect to the play of Much Ado about Nothing through the character of Don John trying to act how he is expected to act but not always succeeding. In addition in Shakespeare’s comedy play Merchant of Venice the villain was the character of Shylock who ultimately wanted revenge for the loss of his daughter much like Don John who wants revenge for his brother Don Pedro winning the battle. However it is questioned whether Shylock was a villain or a victim much like the character of Don John, causing the audience to have mixed opinions as to whether Don John is a victim or a villain. Arguably Due to Don John’s ‘illegitimacy’ Bastards are automatically labelled as ‘trouble’- ’Bastards are envious: For he that cannot possibly mend his case will do what he can to impair others.’ Don John acted the way that was expected of him due to social values during the Elizabethan time period the play was set in. Therefore values have changed and people tend to be less stereotypical this not only adds dramatic effect to the play through Don John’s social status it also adds comic effect as Don John does not adequately succeed in playing the role of a villain.
When thinking about the well known comedy Much Ado About Nothing, by William Shakespeare the audience is quick to focus on the wit and comedy that the play has to offer, rather than the understated villain who easily disappears in the background. While reading the play, one can posit that Don John is not the typical villain who acts with a specific motive in mind, rather, he is acting out of an obligation he feels to serve as an antagonist considering his position as a bastard. This is demonstrated in his dialogue, which reveals his inner turmoil on being chained to the villainous role and his willingness to act on any malicious opportunity that presents itself to him. This is significant in that, it provides another layer to our villain and causes the audience to think beyond the first layer that is easily presented, and into the true inner motives of the character.
The depth of characters in a story build off of each other as they highlight each other character’s strengths. This is called character foils. In William Shakespeare’s book “Much Ado About Nothing” the characters Don Pedro, Claudio, Benedick, and Don John come back from the war to return to Messina, Italy. Claudio falls in love with Hero, and with the help of Don Pedro, Claudio is able to marry Hero. However, Don Pedro’s brother, Don John, deceives everyone with his mischievous lies to ruin the marriage. Throughout the book, there are many character foils, Don John and Don Pedro are character foils of each other because of their social status, their reactions, and their personalities.
In the play “Much Ado About Nothing” Don Pedro and Don John’s actions are different from each other. An example from Shakespeare is Don John saying, “Will it serve for any model to mischief on?” and “If I can cross him any way, I bless muss myself every way. You are both sure, and will assist me?” (16-17).
In traditional comedic plot structure, there is typically a build-up of tension and quarreling that leads to a crisis towards the end of the play which has the potential to end tragically. In the case of Much Ado About Nothing, such tension centers around the pairs of lovers and is built up as a result of all the characters ‘noting’ each other throughout the play and thus misreading reality entirely. This tension, in fact, leads to the generic comedic convention of ‘death’ when Hero ‘dies’ after being falsely accused of adultery, though Leonato says of this, “Death is the fairest cover for her shame that may be wished for” (4.1.______). Hero’s ‘death’ brings forth the potentially tragic tipping point of the play: Benedict pledges to duel Claudio, Leonato is heartbroken and angry with Don Pedro and Claudio, and all pairs of lovers are effectively broken off.
Bastard, a child born out of wedlock, an illegitimate descendant that "deserves to be slapped." Don John, coined as “Shakespeare’s most passive villain” is plagued by the society of Messina that rejected him from the very moment of birth. Looking through the idea of predetermined roles in life, we can come to realize the roots of Don John’s agitation arises from his illegitimacy, stacking him at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Here he feels obliged to act the part of the villain, delegated by his very own blood.
“Good comedy is tragedy narrowly averted”: these words were spoken by Jonathon Bate and Eric Rasmussen in their publishing of ‘William Shakespeare: Complete Works’. They show how many elements of comedy could be interpreted as almost tragic. The comedy in Much Ado About Nothing is often created when the audience can see that something could go horribly wrong, however it is saved in the nick of time. A sense of relief and light-heartedness is created, as customarily comedy is known to end in a meeting of characters at a gleeful point in time or occasion; most frequently with a wedding.
Shakespeare’s comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, is a play that follows a small group of friends from a high-class society in Massina. Two of this group are friends are Claudio and Benedick. In the beginning of the play they are seemingly similar, in that they both are of an upper-class upbringing and do their best to maintain their social reputation. The characters are made as to enhance their differences by the end of the play; they are foils to one another. Both Benedick and Claudio find themselves fooled by other characters in the play and have to decide what they are willing to believe is true and what is false, furthermore both
Shakespeare sprinkles subtle lines alluding to Hamlet’s apparent cowardice and failure as a classical revenger. In addition to this, Shakespeare may intentionally delay Hamlet’s revenge and remove emphasis from his passion to break the trend of morally blind, obsessive, psychopathic avengers as traditionally depicted in plays such as “The Spanish Tragedy”.
Many people get sucked into gripping books, or jaw dropping movies as they know certain things that other characters in the story are not aware of, which is the main reason why famous authors use the notorious technique of dramatic irony to engage the audience and provide agony along with conflict in their pieces of work. In the play, Much Ado About Nothing, by William Shakespeare, there are a number of moments like these among innocent people in love by the names of, Claudio and Hero, as they navigate their struggles with other characters in the little town of Messina, Italy. Dramatic irony provides suspense, confusion, and conflict in Much Ado About Nothing by providing destruction and happiness among these hopeless romantics. Shakespeare
“Some men just want to watch the world burn,” (Alfred [Michael Caine,] Batman; The Dark Knight). William Shakespeare uses a variety of literary devices throughout his works, but his use of dramatic irony specifically puts his readers at the edge of their seats. Being full of jealousy and betrayal, the plot of Othello is guided by this playwright’s usage of dramatic irony. Through the use of dramatic irony and characterization Shakespeare creates Iago, the most sinister character in all of literature.
Although the word tragedy is often depicted as an occurring event that leads to catastrophic calamities and misfortunes, the Greek philosopher Aristotle determined that a tragedy, like all poetry, is a kind of imitation that aim’s to bring about the “catharsis” of the spectators and arouse in them a sensation of pity and fear. Shakespeare is very well known to uses these elements in his plays to display emotion in the audience. The play Much Ado About Nothing should be considered a Shakespearean tragedy due to several elements that take place throughout the play. These elements include Catharsis, A struggle between Good and Evil, and External Conflicts that are all present in the play and that are essential to a tragedy.
This essay is an exploration of the play Much Ado About Nothing, and the gender roles involved in the deceit and trickery that transpire and develop throughout the story. As gender is one of the main themes in the plot, identifying the expected gender roles of the characters, and how the contrast between characters highlights these expected roles. In Shakespeare 's time, known as the Elizabethan Era, men and women’s roles and expectations were starkly different. Elizabethan women, no matter what social class, were inferior to men. A female’s role in the family was to get married so they could increase their family 's wealth and power and to produce heirs. Men, on the other hand, had all of the power within a household. Males were expected
what I am: I must be sad when I have cause, and smile at no mans jest:
Italy, a lot of the plays written were set in Italy. This play has a
Each of the main characters in Much Ado About Nothing is the victim of deception, and it is because they are deceived that they act in the ways that they do. Although the central deception is directed against Claudio in an attempt to destroy his relationship with Hero, it is the deceptions involving Beatrice and Benedick which provides the play's dramatic focus.