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Much Ado About Nothing Free FREE MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING PDF William Shakespeare,Richard Appignanesi,Emma Vieceli | 207 pages | 01 Aug 2009 | Amulet Books | 9780810943230 | English | New York, NY, United States Summary of Much Ado About Nothing | Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in and Through "noting" sounding like "nothing", and meaning gossip, rumour, overhearing[2] [3] Benedick and Beatrice are tricked into confessing their love for each other, and Claudio is tricked into believing that Hero is not a maiden. Claudio therefore rejects Hero at the altar. But Hero is vindicated, and marriages are arranged for both pairs. In Messinaa messenger brings news that Don Pedro will return that night from a successful battle, along with Claudio and Benedick. Beatrice asks the messenger about Benedick, and mocks Benedick's ineptitude as a Much Ado about Nothing. Leonato explains that "There is a kind of merry war betwixt Signor Benedick and her. On the soldiers' arrival, Leonato invites Don Pedro to stay for a month, and Benedick and Beatrice resume their "merry war". Pedro's illegitimate brother, Don John, is also introduced. Claudio's feelings for Hero are rekindled, and he informs Benedick of his intention to court her. Benedick, who openly despises marriage, tries to dissuade him. Don Pedro encourages the marriage. Benedick swears that he will never marry. Don Pedro laughs at him, and tells him that he will when he has found the right person. A masquerade ball is planned. Therein a disguised Don Pedro woos Hero on Claudio's behalf. Don John uses this situation to get revenge on him, [ clarification needed ] telling Claudio that Don Pedro is wooing Hero for himself. Claudio rails against the entrapments of beauty. But the misunderstanding is later resolved, and Claudio is promised Hero's hand in marriage. Meanwhile, Benedick and Beatrice have danced together, trading disparaging remarks under cover of their masks. Benedick is stung at Much Ado about Nothing himself described as "the prince's jester, a very dull fool", [ citation needed ] and yearns to be spared the company of "Lady Tongue". They arrange for Benedick to overhear a conversation in which they declare that Beatrice is madly in Much Ado about Nothing with him but too afraid to tell him. Hero and Ursula likewise ensure that Beatrice overhears a conversation in which they themselves discuss Benedick's undying love for her. Both Benedick and Beatrice are delighted to think that they are the object of unrequited loveand both resolve to mend their faults and declare their love. Meanwhile, Don John plots to stop the wedding and embarrass his brother and wreak misery on Leonato and Claudio. He Much Ado about Nothing Don Pedro Much Ado about Nothing Claudio that Hero is "disloyal", [ citation needed Much Ado about Nothing and arranges for them to see his associate, Borachio, enter her bedchamber and engage amorously with her it is actually Hero's chambermaid. Claudio and Don Pedro are duped, and Claudio vows to publicly humiliate Hero. The next day, at the wedding, Claudio denounces Hero before the stunned guests, and he storms off with Don Pedro. Hero faints. A humiliated Leonato expresses his wish for her to die. The presiding friar intervenes, believing Hero innocent. He suggests that the family fake Hero's death to inspire Claudio with remorse. Prompted by the day's stressful events, Much Ado about Nothing and Beatrice confess their love for each other. Beatrice then asks Benedick to kill Claudio as proof of his devotion. Benedick hesitates but is swayed. Leonato and Antonio blame Claudio for Hero's supposed death and threaten him, to little effect. Benedick arrives and challenges him to a duel. On the night of Don John's treachery, the local Watch overheard Borachio and Conrade discussing their "treason" [ citation needed ] and "most dangerous piece of lechery that ever was known in the commonwealth", [ citation needed ] and arrested them therefore. Despite their ineptness headed by constable Dogberrythey obtain a confession and inform Leonato of Hero's innocence. Don John has fled, but a force is sent to capture him. Claudio, remorseful Much Ado about Nothing thinking Hero dead, agrees to her father's demand that he marry Antonio's daughter, "almost the copy of my child that's dead". After Claudio swears to marry this other bride, this Much Ado about Nothing is revealed to be Hero. Claudio is overjoyed. Beatrice and Benedick publicly confess their love for each other. Don Pedro taunts "Benedick the married man", [ citation needed ] and Benedick counters that he finds the Prince sad, advising him: "Get thee a wife". The couples dance and celebrate as the play ends. In the sixteenth century, stories of lovers deceived into believing each other false were common currency in northern Italy. The earliest printed text states that Much Ado About Nothing was Much Ado about Nothing times publicly acted" prior to It is likely that the play made its debut in the autumn or winter of — The play is predominantly written in prose. Benedick and Beatrice quickly became the main interest of the play. They are considered the leading roles even though their Much Ado about Nothing is given equal or lesser weight in the script than Claudio and Hero's situation. It seems that comic drama could be a means of calming such anxieties. Several characters seem to be obsessed with the idea that a man has no way to know if his wife is faithful and that women can take full advantage of this. Many of the males easily believe that Hero is impure, and even her Much Ado about Nothing readily condemns her with very little proof. This motif runs through the play, often referring to horns a symbol of cuckoldry. In contrast, Balthasar's song " Sigh No More " tells women to accept men's infidelity and continue to live joyfully. Some interpretations say that Balthasar sings poorly, undercutting the message. In the Branagh film, Balthasar sings it beautifully: it is given a prominent role in the opening and finale, and the message seems to be embraced by the women. There are many examples of deception and Much Ado about Nothing in the play. The games and tricks played on people often have the best intentions: to make people fall in love, or to help someone get what they want, or to lead someone to realize their mistake. These modes of deceit play into a complementary theme of emotional manipulation, the ease with which the characters' sentiments are redirected and their propensities exploited as a means Much Ado about Nothing an end. Characters are constantly pretending to be others or are otherwise mistaken for others. Margaret is mistaken for Hero, leading to Hero's disgrace. During a masked ball in which everyone must wear a maskBeatrice rants about Benedick to a masked man who is actually Benedick, but she acts unaware of this. During the same celebration, Don Pedro pretends to be Claudio and courts Hero for him. After Hero is Much Ado about Nothing dead, Leonato orders Claudio to marry his "niece" who is actually Hero. Another motif is the play on the words nothing and noting. These were near- homophones in Shakespeare's day. Nothing is also a double entendre : "an O-thing" or "n othing" or "no thing" was Elizabethan slang for " vagina ", derived from women having "nothing" between their legs. This attention is mentioned directly several times, particularly concerning "seeming", "fashion", and outward impressions. Claudio: Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of Signor Leonato? Benedick: I noted her not, but I looked on her. Borachio: Thou knowest that the fashion of a doublet, or a Much Ado about Nothing, or a cloak is nothing to a man. A triple play on words in which noting signifies noticing, musical notes, and nothing, occurs at 2. Or if thou wilt hold longer argument, Do it in notes. Balthasar: Note this before my notes: There's not a note of mine that's worth the noting. Don Pedro: Why, these are very crotchets that he speaks —. Don Pedro's last line can be understood to mean: "Pay attention to your music and nothing else! Claudio: I pray you leave me. Benedick: Ho, now you strike like the blind man — 'twas the boy that stole your meat, and you'll beat the post. Claudio: Now you talk of a sheet of paper, I remember a pretty jest your daughter told us of. Leonato: O, when she had writ it and was reading it over, she found Benedick and Beatrice between the sheet? The play was very popular in its early decades, and it continues to be a standard [ clarification needed ] wherever Shakespeare is performed. The great nineteenth-century stage team Henry Much Ado about Nothing and Ellen Terry counted Benedick and Beatrice as their greatest triumph, [ citation needed ] and Charles Kemble also had a great success as Much Ado about Nothing. The title of the album is also a Much Ado about Nothing from the play. The first cinematic version in English may have been the silent film directed by Phillips Smalley. The first sound version in English released to cinemas was the highly acclaimed film by Kenneth Branagh. The Hindi film Dil Chahta Hai is a loose adaptation of the play. InJoss Whedon completed filming of an adaptation[30] released in June Whedon's adaptation is a contemporary revision with an Italian-mafia Much Ado about Nothing. In a filmed version of the live performance at The Globe was released to cinemas and on DVD. There have been several screen adaptations of Much Ado About Nothing, and almost all of them have been made for television.
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