Much Ado About Nothin

Year 11 English Literature- Much Ado About Nothing Essay

Question

Much Ado About Nothing uses the stage to create a little world in order to examine the society at large. Discuss how the world created in the text allows the dominant ideologies of the time to be explored.

- Examine and make notes on Much Ado About Nothing focusing

on a selection of both male and female character.

- Attention should be paid to the manner in which the language and actions of the characters reflect the dominant values of Elizabethan society.

- Consider how the ideas either challenge or endorse the attitudes and values of the target audience.

- Evaluate the difference between Elizabethan and modern gender expectations.

Shakespeare's romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing is set in the seaport town of Messina in Sicily, and reflects the dominant values of an English Elizabethan society. The play tells the story of Claudio of Florence, Hero the young woman with whom he falls in love, her witty cousin Beatrice and her male counterpart Benedick. The Prince of Aragon, Don Pedro and the Governor of Messina, Leonato have an exalted status due to their positions of power thus they are in control of the gulling of both Benedick and Beatrice. The antagonist of the play, Don John who is the bastard brother of the regal Don Pedro, provides the deceit, lies and denigrations, which bring dark notes into the plot development of the play. The minor characters such as Friar Francis who is symbolic of the influence of the church and the serving class such as Borachio, Margaret, Dogberry and the sentries illustrating the entire range of social classes and thus reflecting the macrocosm of Elizabethan England. The dominant ideologies of the Elizabethan era are portrayed to the audience through the plot line, the actions and language of the characters. These ideologies include the divine social order, gender roles, role of the church and the state, war and loyalty. Shakespeare employs the stage to create a microcosm in order to examine the dominant ideologies of Elizabethan society.

The importance of social status in the Elizabethan era was portrayed in the small society of Messina through key characters and how they addressed one another. The rank order of Messina is like the system of Elizabethan England. There were respected figures such as Don Pedro at the top of the social ladder, who was addressed as "my lord". Leonato, as he is Governor and has the responsibility of acting as host to the prince and his knights for their month-long presence in his city, is addressed as "Signor", as is Benedick, as he is a companion of Don Pedro. Claudio is referred to as "Count" and he is also a companion of Don Pedro. The characters of lower class such as Verges and Dogberry are employed as comic relief for the lower class of Shakespeare's audience who would be able to relate to the characters and to most of the discourse. Dogberry's hilarious use of malapropisms is employed to illustrate his lack of education and his lower class status.

"Comparisons are odorous, palabras, neighbour Verges..." "If I were as tedious as a king, I could find in my heart to bestow it all of your worship."

The improper use of language provides comic relief from the darkening plotline as well as providing for the lower class audience members of the Elizabethan era. This world created on the stage is a hyperbolic representation of the class structure of the Elizabethan era.

In Shakespeare's plays the pronouns "Thou/thee/thine" and 'You/your' send clear social signals. The use of 'You' when addressing one person implies distance, signifying respect for your superior and courtesy to your social equal. For example, Beatrice throughout the play addresses Benedick in the 'you' form.

"I would not deny you, but by this good day I yield upon great persuasion, and partly to save your life, for I was told, you were in a consumption." (Act V, Scene IV; 93)

As Beatrice and Benedicks relationship is maintained with equal balance, this demonstrates that Beatrice is signalling courtesy to her social equal. This sample of the microcosm of Messina provides insight into the social order of the Elizabethan era.

In Much Ado About Nothing, the use of 'Thou' implies closeness or superiority. It can also suggest friendship towards an equal or superiority over a servant. However, if used to address a person of higher rank, it is considered aggressive and insulting. For example, when Hero addresses Margaret in Act 3, Scene 1

"Good Margaret, run thee to the parlour,

There shalt thou find my cousin Beatrice..." (Act 3, Scene 1; 1-3)

This signals that Hero the daughter of the Governor is the superior of Margaret, who is only a serving woman. In society today respect to a superior is shown through the use of "Ms, Mrs, and Mr" and the language is more relaxed and nonchalant than the language of the Elizabethan era. The language used in the play, Much Ado About Nothing, allows the Elizabethan ideology of class structure to be examined and established.

Wealth and inheritance were greatly valued factors of Messinan society, which was derived from the Elizabethan milieu where social status, wealth and inheritance were determining factors of a woman's worth. This aspect of Elizabethan ideology is shown through Claudio's questioning Don Pedro:

"Hath Leonato any son, my lord?

No child but Hero, she's his only heir:"

Don Pedro's direct response to Claudio's inquiry indicates that the objective was to obtain knowledge of the situation of inheritance, as it was an Elizabethan expectation that if she was the first-born only child and female, once she married her inheritance would be property of her husband. In society today it is a woman's choice to share inheritance with her husband and she has the right to not do so if she wishes. This depiction of the microcosmic Messinan society results in an examination of the milieus of Elizabethan era and the dominance of wealth and inheritance.

War and Military had been an influential component to Elizabethan society, which was portrayed throughout Much Ado About Nothing. Don Pedro won the civil war against his illegitimate