Much Ado About Nothing - Apuntes de la explicación del libro PDF

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Apuntes de la explicación del libro...

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Much Ado About Nothing Dramatis personae Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon: He sees himself as the manipulator of people’s relationships with one another. Coming back from wars, he is ready to indulge in those court intrigues which are not political but encourage people to finish up in wedlock. In his lordly, free-and-easy manner he embarks in the matters of the court and orchestrates the progress of the play. He sees himself remote from the heart of the action, there to give protection and advise when required. But he does not get away of involvement. He presides over the heroes of comedy world. Claudio of Florence: Young Lord, Don Pedro’s companion; an impulsive youth whose character unfolds in a complex fashion as the play proceeds. Unlike Don John showing of his evil nature, Claudio makes himself known progressively, by his actions which are varied in their nature and purpose as well as spontaneous. Don John: Don Pedro’s bastard brother who is the counterpoise to him. Being the malevolent manipulator who wants models to build his mischief on, his ruling passion is to make the world suffer. In the world of the comedy his character must be accepted for what it is, and no one puts much effort into explaining why this is what he is like. Unlike the heroes of comedy world, this character makes the spectators know that his cause in the world is one of disruption. Benedick and Beatrice: Young lord, companion to Don Pedro and an orphan niece to Leonato respectively; These two represent the most close perspective to reality in the play, a point of view that contrasts with those who abide by what courtly decorum requires. They cannot be conceived separately as it is only together that they give the play an intrinsic brand of wit which keeps us from nascent tragedy. And despite all their wit and sharpness of perception, the foreknowledge that love will triumph seems quite genuinely lo elude them, but not the other characters and let alone the audience. Leonato: Governor of Messina; he is the elderly father-figure of the play. His behavior is a mixture of reason and emotion that suits well the spirit of the play. He shows extraordinary mental agility and resilience. Setting The city of Messina, almost every scenes are set close to Leonato’s house in Messina.

Act IV Scene I

The first wedding between Claudio and Hero transforms itself into an uproar when Claudio confesses to have seen Hero having sex in her window with other man the previous night. Don Pedro, Don John, and Claudio himself leave the church and Hero, who had fainted, wakes up. The Friar, that had seen innocence in the face of Hero, comes up with a plan; to make people think Hero is dead until her innocence is proved, in case it is not, she will be made a nun. When everyone has gone, Benedick and Beatrice are the only ones left in the church, they confess their love for one another and Beatrice ask Benedick to kill Claudio, he finally agrees to challenge him. Act V Scene II Claudio’s regret that he has done such a cruel thing to Hero – who he believes to be dead –, he lets off steam with Antonio and rejects any kind of comfort. Dogberry and the Watch’s accusation of Borachio and Conrad seems to open the way to understanding and resolution. Claudio begins to remember Hero’s qualities. Act V Scene III Early in the morning, at the tomb where Hero supposedly lies buried, Claudio carries out the first part of the punishment that Leonato has ordered him to perform. Claudio has written an epitaph, or death poem, celebrating Hero’s innocence and grieving the slander that (he believes) led to her death. He reads the epitaph out loud and hangs it upon the tomb. He solemnly promises that he will come and read it here at this time every year. Everyone then goes off to prepare for Claudio’s wedding to Leonato’s niece, the supposed Hero look-alike, which is to occur that very day. Act V Scene IV Margaret assures she did not take part of Don John’s treachery. Hero takes off her mask, the shocked Claudio realizes that it really is Hero. Leonato and Hero tell him that now that Hero’s name has been cleared, she can figuratively come back to life and be his wife, as she should have been before. Benedick asks Beatrice, out loud and in public, whether she loves him. Beatrice denies it, and Benedick, in turn, denies loving her. But everyone knows it isn’t the truth. They both recognize that they love each other and kiss. A messenger announces that Don John has been imprisoned Doble marriage...