Analysis of Act 1 in Much Ado About Nothing Essay

The Dramatic Significance of Act 1 in Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

In Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing", he uses a lot of dramatic significances in Act 1 of the text. Shakespeare wrote Much Ado About Nothing in 1598 and was published in 1600. Shakespeare uses themes in the play to draw the audience in, these themes are: love, battle of the sexes, mis noting, deception, entertainment and counterfeiting. All these themes play an important part in the play and signifies dramatic scenes with the characters. In Shakespeare's time, the "Nothing" of the title would have been pronounced "Noting." Thus, the play's title could read: "Much Ado About Noting." Indeed, many of the players participate in the actions of observing, listening, and writing, or noting. In order for a plot hinged on instances of deceit to work, the characters must note one another constantly. When the women manipulate Beatrice into believing that Benedick adores her, they conceal themselves in the orchard so that Beatrice can better note their conversation. Shakespeare also uses a lot of language devices to make the first act dramatic.

At the beginning of the first act, Shakespeare introduces us to the characters: These friends include Don Pedro of Aragon, a highly respected nobleman, and a brave young soldier named Claudio, who has won much honour in the fighting. Leonato's young daughter, Hero, and her cousin, Beatrice, accompany him. Beatrice asks about the health of another soldier in Don Pedro's army, a man named Signor Benedick. Beatrice cleverly mocks and insults Benedick. A messenger from Don Pedro defends Benedick as an honourable and virtuous man, but Leonato explains that Beatrice and Benedick carry on a "merry war" of wits with one another, trading jibes whenever they meet. Now this letter is classified as a letter and it is important as it introduces the characters on stage. The first opening line "I learn in this letter, that Don Pedro of Arragon comes this night to Messina" (act 1, scene, lines 1 +2) The letter places the action into context and starts the play off with a dramatic symbol; the letter. In line 11, Shakespeare uses imagery for the first time and is talking about Claudio: "He hath borne himself beyond the promise of his age, doing in the figure of a lamb the feats of a lion" (act 1, scene 1, lines 11 - 12). This point that Shakespeare has made, has introduced Claudio as a young boy. Shakespeare is comparing the young boy (Claudio) who is young and innocent to the features of a lion, who is brave and bold. The question being asked here is, is Claudio a wimp? There is an example of mis-noting comes in the first act. When the messenger said that he

had already delivered the letters to Don Pedro, he says that he saw him with so much joy in him, but the sight is unreliable. This is because he may look happy with joy, but in fact he is the opposite,

bitter. This was an example of mis-noting. Mis-noting is a key part in the play as it turns the characters against each other later on in the play. The mis-noting is a significant part in the play, because it makes the play what it is in context. Next, Beatrice comes in the play and speaks her mind about Benedick, who is a gentleman of Padua. She implies that he is big-headed in terms of s swordsman. Mountanto thinks he is a ladies man, but Beatrice disagrees with him. Shakespeare has used sarcasm to add more drama into the play as he talks of the messenger saying: "O he's returned, and as pleasant as ever he was" (act 1, scene 1, line 27). This sarcastic comment adds drama in to the play as he was talking about Benedick. Benedick is a ladies man and does not think of anyone else but himself. Beatrice then chips in talking about Benedick in lines 29-33. Beatrice is a very honest woman who speaks her mind about everything and anything and she thinks that Benedick is too good for anyone. Lines 29-33 can be seen a lot of ways metaphorically. Shakespeare uses a lot of

comparison to animals and people and in this case, he is using Cupid who is the god of love. Beatrice is also implying that Benedick is greedy; she is giving him a hidden compliment of his talent as he has just come back from battle.

In this play, Shakespeare uses setting very wisely. Setting is important to the play, because it puts the play into perspective. The setting changes from time to time and all the scenes are taking place

in the day, apart from Don John's plotting, the masquerade dance and the balcony scene with Margaret. The play is written in prose, but changes into blank verse when talking about love.

On page 70, there is a duologue between Claudio and Benedick. This scene is all about Claudio telling Benedick that he loves Hero, Leonato's daughter and Benedick says that Claudio is too good for her

"She's too low for such a high praise" (1,1, 126). In lines 155-7, Benedick has been tasked on his loyalty and his response and also Shakespeare has used rhetorical devices to structure the scene. This makes it comedic between the characters. Rhetorical devices are the art of speaking a writing to inspire and persuade. The use of rhetoric devices can include: questions, repetition, imagery, invocation of gods/heroes and the use of alliteration and assonance. The use of rhetorical devices in Benedick's part,is alliteration: "…Count Claudio". Shakespeare also uses a rhetorical question as well: "With who?" He has used this because he wants the audience to not know the

answer and they don't know. This makes the play so dramatic, because Shakespeare uses these devices to engage with the audience and he uses them cleverly so that the audience can understand the significance of the first act. In line 168, Shakespeare uses the rule of 3 - this is

syntactic parallelism which is word order is the same, but the words are different. Lines 166-168: "I speak my thought, I spoke mine, I spoke mine". At this moment of time, Claudio is intense of Hero and Benedick is mocking Claudio. In line 174, Don Pedro basically doesn't succumb to beauty. In line 184, Shakespeare uses the rule of 3 again. Shakespeare uses a lot of rule of 3 throughout the play, because he is making the audience read the play or if they are watching it on stage and to make them feel that he has a strong role of love: "With anger, with sickness, or with hunger".

In line 187-8, Shakespeare is using comparatives again to Cupid as he did earlier on in the play "..for the sign of blind Cupid". The old saying "Love is blind" is coming from the play with Cupid. Cupid is

blind in the play, because cupid is not representing love because of the enemies Beatrice and Benedick. These words are signs that are accepting meaning. Referring back to the title of play "Much Ado About Nothing" - this could be a signpost to what's in the text (the play). Most writers play with titles that signpost on what is going to be in the text and that is what exactly Shakespeare did with this play. In line 191, Shakespeare uses imagery again and a comparison with an animal. He uses a lot of animal imagery in comparison with the characters, which is why the audience likes the play, especially this first act. The audience wants to be and needs to be engaged with the play and understand well, as if they watch the play on stage when the characters come to life in the play. Shakespeare uses the cat to compare with Benedick when he is having a conversation with Don Pedro and Claudio. The quote: "If I do, hang me in a bottle like a cat, and shoot at me". This is also a simile comparing Benedick to a cat.

In Act 1, scene 2 introduces the first mis-noting by hearing: "The prince and Count Claudio walking in a thick-pleached alley to mine orchard, were thus much overheard by a mine of mine" In Act 1, scene 3, this is a duologue between Don John and Conrade. In line 6, Shakespeare uses religious imagery; "And when I have it, what blessing brings it?" - Shakespeare has used this because it draws the audience in the dramatic significances in the act, along with animal imagery. In line 10, Shakespeare uses another rule of 3: "I cannot hide what I am: I must be sad when I have cause, eat when I have stomach". These lines of Don John are building up to be a villain towards Claudio and Hero. Don John has little emotion and not afraid to commit something of awful use. In line 25, is the use of rhetoric again, which makes it a natural instinct to bite: "If I had my mouth, I would bite". When Borachiocomes into the scene, this becomes a triumberate, which is a duologue with 3 people (characters). In line 42, Claudio and Don Pedro are in sad conference? There is also mis-noting in this bit in the scene by seeing: "Being entertained by a perfumer, as I was smoking a musty room, comes me the prince and Claudio, hand in hand, in sad conference: I whipped me behind the arras, and there heard it agreed upon, that the prince should woo Hero for himself, and having obtained her, give her to Count Claudio"

To conclude, Shakespeare has used a lot of language devices and rhetorical devices to create an atmosphere and dramatic significances in Act 1. Shakespeare has used all of the devices cleverly and carefully to create tension between the characters, especially Beatrice and Benedick.