A to Z Challenge 2022: Shakespeare - M Is For Much Ado About Nothing

 

Claudio acts like an idiot. Hero faints. Public Domain. 

Just so you know, the word “nothing” in the title of this play is pronounced “noting” and has a meaning it doesn’t have today. It’s a pun and a slang word meaning - well, look it up. I remember showing a video to my Year 8 class, about various words from Shakespeare’s plays and what they meant. When they got to “nothing”, every student’s back straightened and jaws dropped. I bet most of them will remember it. 

Shakespeare loved doing cheeky puns. They even come into Romeo And Juliet, where Romeo is among those making jokes using them.

Just thought I would mention it here before talking about the story. 

If you have been following this series of posts, you will remember the one about Don John, the villain of this play, who nearly succeeds in destroying the happiness of a young couple. 

Let’s talk about the rest. 

The city of Messina is in party mood, with the return of the soldiers led by Don Pedro of Aragon, after a successful campaign. Among the soldiers are Claudio, a young man who fell in love with a girl called Hero before their departure, and his friend Benedick, who is a local and, as we learn, was once dating Hero’s cousin, Beatrice. We never find out why they broke up, but ever since, they have been slanging each other off. To Benedick’s irritation, Beatrice usually wins. 

It’s fairly clear, early on, that they are still in love. Certainly Benedick shows this when Claudio asks his opinion of Hero. He says she is okay, but nothing special compared to Beatrice, who would be far better than Hero if it wasn’t for her tongue. 

Hero’s father Leonato, the city governor, invites the officers to stay with him, and throws a masked ball, during which Don Pedro woos Hero on Claudio’s behalf and Beatrice upsets Benedick badly while they are both masked. Does she know who he is? No idea! 

Don Pedro chats with Beatrice and impulsively proposes to her. She says no, but he then has a word with Claudio, Hero and Leonato, suggesting they get Beatrice and Benedick together.

It’s all too easy. They are in love, after all - only thry don’t know it. The men let Benedick overhear them saying that Beatrice is crazy for him, and Hero and her friends talk in front of Beatrice, saying the same thing about Benedick. Each of them is thrilled. 

They don’t discuss it immediately; the wedding is being planned and there is a lot to do.

Unfortunately, this is when Don John and his friend Borachio plot to ruin it.They set it up so that the night before the wedding Claudio and Don Pedro will see Hero apparently being unfaithful. It isn’t her, of course, but her waiting woman Margaret, who is dating Borachio, who calls her Hero while they are together. 

After his success, Borachio is bragging about it to another man, Conrade. They are overheard by members of the city watch, led by an over-the-top policeman called Dogberry, and dragged off to the station. 

The worst thing is that the whole thing could have ended here, but when Dogberry arrives at the governor’s home to say he has a couple of rogues who need to be examined, Leonato is too busy preparing for the wedding and tells Dogberry to just do it himself.

At the wedding, Claudio abuses Hero in front of everyone. (What is it with these egotistical males in Shakespeare’s plays?)She faints and he and Don Pedro leave. When only the priest, her immediate family and Benedick are left, it’s decided that for now, she hides and it will be announced that she is dead.

Left alone together, Benedick comforts the furious Beatrice. Suddenly, he bursts out that he loves her more than anything in the world. What can he do to help?

Her reply? “Kill Claudio.” Then, in tears, “Oh, that I were a man!”

He is shocked at first, but understands. He agrees to go and challenge that idiot Claudio to a duel. 

Even after being told that Hero is dead, Claudio and Don Pedro want to have a chuckle with good ol’ Benedick, that funny mate of theirs. 

Coldly, he says, “You have killed a sweet lady,” and gives his challenge. He knows she is alive, but that’s not Claudio’s fault, is it? 

However, soon the truth about that night comes out. Claudio is devastated. Leonato says he can make up for it by marrying a niece who looks like Hero. Claudio agrees and turns up.

And of course, it’s Hero. Forgiveness ensues. The now happy couple hand Benedick and Beatrice notes from each other proving they love each other. Benedick kisses Beatrice to shut up her denial. A message comes in that Don John, who had escaped, has now been arrested. Benedick advises his friend to leave it for tomorrow and just have fun tonight.

I love this play! It has to be my favourite of the lot. And I have seen it many times. 

The first time I saw it, I was at university, and the costumes were Regency style. It made me wonder if Jane Austen got some of her ideas from this play. 

Later I saw Hugo Weaving(yes, that Hugo Weaving, aka Elrond and Agent Smith) and Pamela Rabe, who also played Petruchio and Kate, as a wonderful Benedick and Beatrice in 1950s costume. Beatrice is caught in a sun lounge she is trying to open when she overhears.

Most recently on stage, I saw the Bell Shakespeare Company do it. The scene where Claudio and Hero are reunited was just as I wanted it: she does forgive him, but first, she takes a deep breath and slaps his face - as he deserves, and he knows that.

I confess I never saw the Joss Whedon film, but the Branagh/Thompson one was wonderful. It was done in 19th century costume. I saw it soon after I moved into my flat. 

Yesterday I re-watched the Tennant/Tate version, to which I have left a link on the Don John post. Those two have such chemistry it’s utterly breathtaking. When Benedick says he loves her, you believe it, and want them to be happy. Even if you know how it ends, you hold out till it does. 

David Tennant uses his own Scottish accent, which is lovely. 

Watching the titles, I suddenly realised that the director was Josie Rourke, who also directed Coriolanus with Tom Hiddleston. The actor who played Don John, Elliot Levey, was also in that play.  

He is introduced in this production’s opening scene offering a cigarette to a small boy, who looks thoughtfully at it and accepts! You know immediately this guy is no good.

An interesting thing about this play is that Benedick and Beatrice’s romance isn’t supposed to be the main one. Beatrice is an orphan, living with her cousin’s family. She doesn’t get a conventional romance. Hero is the daughter of a governor. You are supposed to be following her love story; Beatrice is just the romcom heroine’s kooky best friend, who eventually gets her own guy - maybe. 

Yeah, sure, Will! If you think we believe that, London Bridge is up for sale…