Courtly Love
Courtly love is the highly conventionalised tradition of a knight devoting himself to a noblewoman, typically seen in the renaissance period of literature. It is clear to see that within Much Ado there are two very perplexing and intertwining love stories; that of Claudio and Hero and of Benedick and Beatrice. Although deemed a sweet young couple, Claudio and Hero are found victim to arguably the biggest deceit in the play. By staging the disloyalty of Hero, Don John strips her of her honour. In the time in which the play was set a woman's loss of honour would poison her name and brand her family also. After the supposed infidelity is disclosed at the wedding ceremony Leonato states, 'Hence from her, let her die.' - Shakespeare is showing us in the character of Leonato that the treachery of his daughter leads him to abandon her as it flourishes his honour also and by doing this Shakespeare is enforcing the traditional gender roles that were present in this time, that a mans loyalties lied with honour, camaraderie and a sense of superiority over women. However not only does he enforce them but he challenges them also as he shows in the characters of Beatrice and Benedick when Beatrice urges Benedick to duel Claudio in order to regain Hero's honour. By doing this it diminishes Benedick's superiority over women as he has turned his back on all these gender cliches in order to defend the honour of a woman who, as far as he knows, has been untrue to a man who in fact is his best friend and is now about to duel him - all for the woman he loves. Plus the woman he loves would not hold that title without the gulling aided by Claudio, so in essence Claudio's assistance in this deceit has helped emanate this duel. Therefore ridiculing the idea of courtly love because in order for courtly love to be found in the couple of Benedick and Beatrice deception had to be used, like many animalistic metaphors used in the play, Beatrice will, 'tame' her heart for Benedick, as quite often the couple are compared to wild animals in a sense that they will never be tame enough for their hearts to feel love. It shows that the love between the characters needed work and wasn't as effortless as the ideal of courtly love. It can be argued that the idea of courtly love being problematic is seen in Claudio and Hero, however without the deception there wouldn't have been such problems. But you could suggest that it ridicules the idea of courtly love because surely a mans devotion would allow him to believe the woman he loved and not scorn her instead.
Tuesday, 26 February 2013
Monday, 18 February 2013
Is 'Come hither, Leonato' meant for Benedick's ears or as a signal to start the gulling?
In this scene I don't think that it means either. Don Pedro has the control in this scene as can be shown by his addressing of Leonato and that after he has said that he says, 'What was it you told me of today? That your niece Beatrice was in love with Signior Benedick?', Don Pedro needs no prompting from Leonato and proceeds to start the gulling on his own. However without Leonato, Don Pedro would be unable to do this as he has to incorporate him as it is his niece but this doesn't act as a signal but more of an indication that Leonato is an accessory to Don Pedro's gulling.
I also don't believe that it was for Benedick's ears because it the actual line holds no significance to Benedick whatsoever, I think his eavesdropping would have been aroused by the mention of his name within the second line.
Does Benedick react to this, if so, how and how large is his reaction?
Benedick does react as '(Benedick is still eavesdropping)', if he wasn't concerned about what was said then he wouldn't continue eavesdropping therefore he must show an interest. However he does not intervene in the conversation which could reflect of his character as the 'bragging soldier' as he has heard one nice thing about himself, he doesn't want to disrupt it and wishes to know what other things have been said about him. On the other hand, as love is a sensitive topic for him, he may be waiting to hear more as he needs reassurance because he can't bear to make a fool of himself in case he got it wrong.
'Is't possible? Sits the wind in that corner?' - is this a moment for audience contact?
I don't think this a point for audience contact but a moment where he must have some self reflection upon what he has just heard. The audience at this point must watch the actions of Benedick as this is his own 'little bubble' time. Audience contact would also diminish their overview as it would mean they are in the same position as Benedick and therefore being gulled also, which ruin the humour at him being gulled.
In this scene I don't think that it means either. Don Pedro has the control in this scene as can be shown by his addressing of Leonato and that after he has said that he says, 'What was it you told me of today? That your niece Beatrice was in love with Signior Benedick?', Don Pedro needs no prompting from Leonato and proceeds to start the gulling on his own. However without Leonato, Don Pedro would be unable to do this as he has to incorporate him as it is his niece but this doesn't act as a signal but more of an indication that Leonato is an accessory to Don Pedro's gulling.
I also don't believe that it was for Benedick's ears because it the actual line holds no significance to Benedick whatsoever, I think his eavesdropping would have been aroused by the mention of his name within the second line.
Does Benedick react to this, if so, how and how large is his reaction?
Benedick does react as '(Benedick is still eavesdropping)', if he wasn't concerned about what was said then he wouldn't continue eavesdropping therefore he must show an interest. However he does not intervene in the conversation which could reflect of his character as the 'bragging soldier' as he has heard one nice thing about himself, he doesn't want to disrupt it and wishes to know what other things have been said about him. On the other hand, as love is a sensitive topic for him, he may be waiting to hear more as he needs reassurance because he can't bear to make a fool of himself in case he got it wrong.
'Is't possible? Sits the wind in that corner?' - is this a moment for audience contact?
I don't think this a point for audience contact but a moment where he must have some self reflection upon what he has just heard. The audience at this point must watch the actions of Benedick as this is his own 'little bubble' time. Audience contact would also diminish their overview as it would mean they are in the same position as Benedick and therefore being gulled also, which ruin the humour at him being gulled.
Thursday, 7 February 2013
Misunderstanding and Deception
Throughout the whole play there is deception equally shared by the characters and the audience. Nova Myhill said, ' The theater (sic) audience's assumption of its own privileged position as eavesdropper is undercut by the frequency with which the play's characters are deceived by their assumptions that eavesdropping offers unproblematic access to truth.' By saying this its implying that the audience think they have the upperhand as they have a whole overview of the play but at the same time they are deceiving themselves just as the characters are. Beatrice deceives herself throughout by showing the audience her witty attitude towards love and her constant jeering with Benedick. In Act 1 Scene 1 she is talking to a messenger and constantly manipulating his words to try and mock Benedick, she address' him as, 'Signior Mountanto', ridiculing his stance and further carries on by saying, 'In our last conflict, four of his five wits went halting off.' showing she thinks Benedick is no match for her wit. This ongoing playful conflict is an indication towards Shakespearean comedy as there are often two characters in conflict.
In Act 2 Scene 3 and Act 3 Scene 1 the audience can see Benedick and Beatrice being gulled. At the end of her gulling Beatrice breaks into a paragraph that is much alike that of a sonnet when confessing her love for Benedick. She says, ' And, Benedick, love on; I will requite thee', she is now no longer deceiving herself but without the deception of fellow characters into making her think Benedick has loved her all along she would still be deceiving herself therefore showing deception to be a theme that would run through the entire play. Without this deception the characters would not allow themselves to love or be loved.
This is also seen in Act 3 Scene 2 until the very end of the play. Don John, Margaret and Barachio all deceive Claudio into believing that Hero has been disloyal. Don John says, 'Even she - Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's Hero.' here, Don John plays on the word 'hero'. He uses the word hero as in the term for someone who is inspirational and you look up to but also uses her name, Hero, to show a belonging. So when he says 'every man's Hero' he is implying that she is now a hero to men as she is having sexual relations with them but also that she belongs to them now and not Claudio. He is now placing deception upon Hero's character even though he is the one deceiving.
Back to the earlier quote by Myhill, the audiences privileged position is undercut as there is many a time when we see characters we believe to be true but then deception is used to overthrow this view. But then again when the play ends we realise the characters we thought to be true all along are infact the characters we saw all along.
Throughout the whole play there is deception equally shared by the characters and the audience. Nova Myhill said, ' The theater (sic) audience's assumption of its own privileged position as eavesdropper is undercut by the frequency with which the play's characters are deceived by their assumptions that eavesdropping offers unproblematic access to truth.' By saying this its implying that the audience think they have the upperhand as they have a whole overview of the play but at the same time they are deceiving themselves just as the characters are. Beatrice deceives herself throughout by showing the audience her witty attitude towards love and her constant jeering with Benedick. In Act 1 Scene 1 she is talking to a messenger and constantly manipulating his words to try and mock Benedick, she address' him as, 'Signior Mountanto', ridiculing his stance and further carries on by saying, 'In our last conflict, four of his five wits went halting off.' showing she thinks Benedick is no match for her wit. This ongoing playful conflict is an indication towards Shakespearean comedy as there are often two characters in conflict.
In Act 2 Scene 3 and Act 3 Scene 1 the audience can see Benedick and Beatrice being gulled. At the end of her gulling Beatrice breaks into a paragraph that is much alike that of a sonnet when confessing her love for Benedick. She says, ' And, Benedick, love on; I will requite thee', she is now no longer deceiving herself but without the deception of fellow characters into making her think Benedick has loved her all along she would still be deceiving herself therefore showing deception to be a theme that would run through the entire play. Without this deception the characters would not allow themselves to love or be loved.
This is also seen in Act 3 Scene 2 until the very end of the play. Don John, Margaret and Barachio all deceive Claudio into believing that Hero has been disloyal. Don John says, 'Even she - Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's Hero.' here, Don John plays on the word 'hero'. He uses the word hero as in the term for someone who is inspirational and you look up to but also uses her name, Hero, to show a belonging. So when he says 'every man's Hero' he is implying that she is now a hero to men as she is having sexual relations with them but also that she belongs to them now and not Claudio. He is now placing deception upon Hero's character even though he is the one deceiving.
Back to the earlier quote by Myhill, the audiences privileged position is undercut as there is many a time when we see characters we believe to be true but then deception is used to overthrow this view. But then again when the play ends we realise the characters we thought to be true all along are infact the characters we saw all along.
Act 1 Scene 3
'I cannot hide what I am.' - Don John is basically trying to say that there is no way he can escape that he is inarticulate and because of this thinks the only thing he can resort to is being the bad guy. However I think that this quote isn't him accepting this fact but instead it's a quote that holds an undertone of shame. He says, 'cannot' implying that something is stopping him whereas I think if he had the choice to hide who he was then he would. Evidence towards suggesting that he is a very weak character.
'There is no measure in the occasion that breeds, therefore the sadness is without limit.' - he is saying that his sadness has no limit because there is no limit to the things that are causing his sadness. He believes his inarticulacy will burden him forever and therefore disallowing him to be happy. However it can be questioned as to whether this is the cause of his sadness. As he is a self-proclaimed villain, I think, all he wants is to be accepted and that can never happen because he cannot speak properly. I don't think that his articulation makes him sad but the by products of it.
'I had rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in his grace; and it better fits my blood to be disdained of all, than to fashion a carriage to rob love from any.' - here Don John is saying that he had rather be a weed in a hedge than a rose in the presence of his brother and that it suits him better to be hated by everyone rather than to fool people into loving him. This shows Don John's refusal to conform to anything that puts him in a position where he feels vulnerable. I think he is scared to be a rose and therefore turns to something where he is in a position that he cannot feel love and by doing that not get disappointed by love either.
'I am trusted with a muzzle and enfranchised with a clog: therefore I have decreed not to sing in my cage.' - he is saying that only if he is muzzled like a dog and with a big block chained to his foot will he be trusted and therefore refuses to sing. As singing evokes happiness in people and a song has the power to make you feel emotions that we are so unwilling to give into without the accompaniment of a song. Don John has lost his happiness and so what is there for him to sing about? As he says he is a villain and is it ever commonly known for a villain to sing?
'In the meantime, let me be that I am and seek not to alter me.' - basically he is saying that until the time comes let him carry on how he is and try not to change him. But I think within that sentence there is a cry that he wants to be altered. But as he does not want to be 'a rose in his grace' he will keep pushing this bravado to push people away.
'I cannot hide what I am.' - Don John is basically trying to say that there is no way he can escape that he is inarticulate and because of this thinks the only thing he can resort to is being the bad guy. However I think that this quote isn't him accepting this fact but instead it's a quote that holds an undertone of shame. He says, 'cannot' implying that something is stopping him whereas I think if he had the choice to hide who he was then he would. Evidence towards suggesting that he is a very weak character.
'There is no measure in the occasion that breeds, therefore the sadness is without limit.' - he is saying that his sadness has no limit because there is no limit to the things that are causing his sadness. He believes his inarticulacy will burden him forever and therefore disallowing him to be happy. However it can be questioned as to whether this is the cause of his sadness. As he is a self-proclaimed villain, I think, all he wants is to be accepted and that can never happen because he cannot speak properly. I don't think that his articulation makes him sad but the by products of it.
'I had rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in his grace; and it better fits my blood to be disdained of all, than to fashion a carriage to rob love from any.' - here Don John is saying that he had rather be a weed in a hedge than a rose in the presence of his brother and that it suits him better to be hated by everyone rather than to fool people into loving him. This shows Don John's refusal to conform to anything that puts him in a position where he feels vulnerable. I think he is scared to be a rose and therefore turns to something where he is in a position that he cannot feel love and by doing that not get disappointed by love either.
'I am trusted with a muzzle and enfranchised with a clog: therefore I have decreed not to sing in my cage.' - he is saying that only if he is muzzled like a dog and with a big block chained to his foot will he be trusted and therefore refuses to sing. As singing evokes happiness in people and a song has the power to make you feel emotions that we are so unwilling to give into without the accompaniment of a song. Don John has lost his happiness and so what is there for him to sing about? As he says he is a villain and is it ever commonly known for a villain to sing?
'In the meantime, let me be that I am and seek not to alter me.' - basically he is saying that until the time comes let him carry on how he is and try not to change him. But I think within that sentence there is a cry that he wants to be altered. But as he does not want to be 'a rose in his grace' he will keep pushing this bravado to push people away.
Monday, 4 February 2013
How is language presented as being central to power in Act 1 Scene 3?
What significance does Don John's reference to music have in this scene?
In this scene Don John says, 'If I had my mouth, I would bite;' by saying if I had my mouth it shows that he has problems communicating and by further saying I would bite it suggests that if he could communicate he would use it and not positively as biting is aggressive. As he feels 'muzzled' and therefore cannot speak it retracts his element of power because to hold power you must be able to enforce it upon others which, without words, is near impossible. Camille Wells Slights said, '...and language as an articulation of power.' implying that a persons ability to orate impacts on the power that they possess - as seen in Don John's character. It can also be seen that in both quotes he refers to things that would usually be associated with a dog, 'muzzled' and 'bite', by doing this it could be comparing him to the likes of a dog who has no will of its own because of it's inability to communicate but also that a dogs allegiance is to its owner which could suggest that Don John cannot lead but must follow - which could be seen by the fact his brother is the Prince of Araggon who overshadows him. Due to his inability to articulate he then refuses to speak at all, 'I have decreed not to sing in my cage.' the fact that he feels caged could imply that he feels trapped and secluded. Also there is reference to music as he will not, 'sing'. This could symbolise his emotion at his loss of words because when Beatrice learns of Benedick's love, in her final paragraph of Act 3 Scene 1 she begins speaking in a form similar to that of a sonnet (traditionally associated with love) and the rhythm gives musicality to her words, presenting it like a song. So Don John's refusal to sing could show his lack of love because he cannot articulate and therefore he feels trapped in a play that is full of love.
What significance does Don John's reference to music have in this scene?
In this scene Don John says, 'If I had my mouth, I would bite;' by saying if I had my mouth it shows that he has problems communicating and by further saying I would bite it suggests that if he could communicate he would use it and not positively as biting is aggressive. As he feels 'muzzled' and therefore cannot speak it retracts his element of power because to hold power you must be able to enforce it upon others which, without words, is near impossible. Camille Wells Slights said, '...and language as an articulation of power.' implying that a persons ability to orate impacts on the power that they possess - as seen in Don John's character. It can also be seen that in both quotes he refers to things that would usually be associated with a dog, 'muzzled' and 'bite', by doing this it could be comparing him to the likes of a dog who has no will of its own because of it's inability to communicate but also that a dogs allegiance is to its owner which could suggest that Don John cannot lead but must follow - which could be seen by the fact his brother is the Prince of Araggon who overshadows him. Due to his inability to articulate he then refuses to speak at all, 'I have decreed not to sing in my cage.' the fact that he feels caged could imply that he feels trapped and secluded. Also there is reference to music as he will not, 'sing'. This could symbolise his emotion at his loss of words because when Beatrice learns of Benedick's love, in her final paragraph of Act 3 Scene 1 she begins speaking in a form similar to that of a sonnet (traditionally associated with love) and the rhythm gives musicality to her words, presenting it like a song. So Don John's refusal to sing could show his lack of love because he cannot articulate and therefore he feels trapped in a play that is full of love.
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