Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing - Blending of Prose and Verse, Comedy and Melodrama - Book Report/Review Example

Much Ado About Nothing Blending of Prose and Verse, and Comedy and Melodrama Introduction Written in the England of Queen Elizabeth I, Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, combines his trademark similes, allusions, metaphors, and analogies apart from other figures of speech seamlessly. It derives these characteristics from the English playgoers of that period and blends prose and verse such that each segment stands gracefully on its own and perfectly when together. Even though hailed as one of Shakespeare’s excellent comedies, the most astounding part of the same is that it intersperses elements drawn from robust hilarity with serious and profound meditations on shame, honour and court politics. The interspersion, argue critics, are full of dark concerns but surprisingly give the play a tinge of joyful comedy that has no death but multiple marriages in the same. These two genres, thus, run along the whole play but in a manner only Shakespeare could have accomplished. It has been generally held that high comedy, as is found in Much Ado About Nothing, cannot run shoulder-to-shoulder with melodrama, but that is a peculiarity that this play is based on. It is inherent to a Shakespearean comedy to not anyone let die, yet Shakespeare in this play depicts death quite vividly but differently that one can perceive it. That is a hallmark of Shakespearean comedies; his depiction of death is more accepting than his tragedies as he does not treat death as an untoward occurrence but a natural consequence of life. For example, when Hero in Much Ado About Nothing pretends death because of humiliation, it makes the presence of death vivid than had he died in reality. Why it is considered that comedy and melodrama are incompatible with each other is because Much Ado About Nothing belongs to the genre of comedy and yet takes the viewer or reader on a journey of betrayal, anger, hatred, despair and grief through its main characters. But each crisis, when it rises, ends so quickly that it leaves one only proverbially few steps away from a nerve-wracking tragedy. In Much Ado About Nothing a fuzzy line separates comedy from tragedy. But still the two genres seem to be walking side by side (Sparknotes.com, nd). Comedy in Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare brought up his plays generally on two classic tip offs. One of them is nobody dies, and another one is that there are some marriages. Besides this, if the play is either read or seen, the feeling is funny, an indication that a comedy is being enjoyed. On a technical note, the play revolves around love and love itself is nothing but funny. The comedy comes to fore when one realises that love between Hero and Claudio is never conversational until, and astonishingly so, they get married. Their feelings are a roller-coaster ride of a lovey-dovey affair and stereotypical to the core, as stereotypical as it can get for young lovers; something like handling over of love as easily as taking it back. The comedy aspect is pronounced when they end up being swayed by circumstances, thus making them mere caricatures of what is happening around them primarily on account of the lack of internal strength in their relationship, which is influenced by an externality surrounding them. This results in troublesome fun, and that give the whole plot a funny thrill and action. On the contrary, the other two lovers Benedick and Beatrice envelope themselves in a hysteria of their own type. While they do, the hilarious side of their love emerges as a well-founded comedy of love. The love-hate relationship forms the core of the comedy that they spill out. From hating each other in the beginning to coming in terms of love with each other later portrays comedy part of their relationship. Shakespeare weaves Beatrice and Benedick's hatred for each other with such perfection that at times it seems preposterous that they might be able to love each other (Shmoop.com, nd). The comedic touch in Much Ado About Nothing also gains prominence because the story revolves around tow duos who are contrasting to each other; Hero and Claudia, and Beatrice and Benedick. Hero and Claudia are entwined in true love; as true as young love can turn to be. Beatrice and Benedick, on the other hand, are a fighting couple. Their manner is flippant, and feelings hidden. They reveal their true feelings only when they are tricked into confessing love for one another. Act 1, Scene 1, Line 45 catches the essence of this feeling vividly, when Leonato remarks “There is a kind of merry war betwixt Signor Benedick and her." Don John the Bastard adds to the comedy when he spreads the canard that Hero has not been faithful to Claudio; even as Claudio is unmoved by the gullible act, Don John succeeds in setting up a scenario (Dodds, 2011). Throughout Much Ado About Nothing the comedy rollicks between Claudio and Hero, and Benedick and Beatrice. A "merry war" engages the latter. They seldom desist from making remarks that shows their malice towards marriage, love, and each other. The former, on the contrary, do not bat an eyelid w, practically in turns, for one another, without expressing their love. Sometimes it appears their overwhelming love for one another renders them speechless. Don John's evil trickery is discovered by Constable Dogberry, and as a comedy would have it evil gets the boot and all the rest celebrate couples getting married to each other. Much Ado About Nothing is unlike any other comedy. Even as it has conventional characters and plot, which are normally artificial, yet there is surprisingly something about them which is realistic. The comedy genre is evident because of two characteristic features in the play. One, reader are saved by just a whisker from being taken from a plan of comedy to one of tragedy. Two, because characters are strangers to each other in the beginning; they melt into each other either through love or hatred as the play progresses. Datum of convention, as happens with most of the comedies, results finally in pairing. The play involves strong imagery which sends one into giggles. For example, in order to peep into street life of London: ‘pick out mine eyes with a ballad-maker’s pen and hang me up at the door of a brothel house for the sign of blind Cupid’; ‘hang me in a bottle like a cat and shoot at me’; ‘in such great letters as they write 'Here is good horse to hire'’. Life in Messina, where all this happens, is full of laughter, frivolity, game playing and role-playing. It is infra dig to indulge in serious matters through serious discussions. Humour is in abundance and almost in every other line. The first scene itself between Benedick and Beatrice throws comedic elements in the play in a witty manner: Benedick: What, my dear Lady Disdain! are you yet living? Beatrice: Is it possible disdain should die while she hath such meet food to feed it as Signior Benedick? Courtesy itself must convert to disdain, if you come in her presence. Benedick: Then is courtesy a turncoat. But it is certain I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted: and I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart; for, truly, I love none. Beatrice: A dear happiness to women: they would else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor (1.1.123-136). There is further enhancement of comedic effect Dogberry befuddles by way of his misuse of logic which is unique. Where everyone except Verges is not befuddled adds to the comedic effect: Verges: If you hear a child cry in the night, you must call to the nurse and bid her still it. Watchman: How if the nurse be asleep and will not hear us? Dogberry: Why, then, depart in peace, and let the child wake her with crying; for the ewe that will not hear her lamb when it baes will never answer a calf when he bleats. Verges: 'Tis very true. (3.3.69-77) Dogberry commits mistakes which are ridiculous and the ridicule that he produces makes a comedy in its own right, His desire to impress and his self-importance portray his own personality in a humorous manner. Dogberry aspires to appear above his class but that he often fails miserably , which he is not even aware of, make his acts all the more comical. Melodrama in Much Ado About Nothing Melodrama in Shakespearean plays can be felt more when seen on stage than when read. But he wrote with intent to dramatize his characters' actions and annunciation of speech. Dr. Hilda Spear has remarked that Shakespeare’s dialogues were written such that they appeared more "ranting" and "declamatory" than what can be expected in real life. His definition and design of writing was invariably supposed to be melodramatic in nature. In context of Much Ado About Nothing this melodrama can be very conveniently noticed when Claudio converses with Don Pedro and reveals his love for Hero. There is considerable exclamation in both characters’ dialogues as it would appear overtly overdrawn if put in context of a real situation. This melodrama in Shakespearean plays has created a rift between Shakespearean printed page and Shakespearean stage presentation. This rift still persists but was at its peak during early decades of 19th century. Much Ado About Nothing is credited, to some extent, for this 'melodramatic wave' in theatre (Hugh, 2001). Much Ado About Nothing has range of endings; some characters who are forthcoming and some reserved; some tricky and some simple, and occurrences moving from happy to sad or vice versa with extreme ease. There is extreme level of flexibility in the play; sequences that audiences/ readers cannot predict but characters can maneuver with effortless ease. Melodramatic situations fit into any time period and in any setting; one reason one the play is popular till date; both on and off stage. There is virtue in the play and virtue normally acts as a focal point in melodrama. This is because this helps a plot pit a virtuous hero against a character who is villainous. In melodrama characters enact moral virtues which can range from being foolish to good or bad. Conclusion Much Ado About Nothing uses both comedy and melodrama effectively just as it uses prose and verse together. In this way the wordsmith blends two genres with as much impact that the blending creates a profound effect. What sets the combination apart is that verse is generally used by lovers and prose by other characters, which are “ordinary”. The difference is remarkable and can be felt almost with a repetition when Claudio uses verse to reveal his love and Beatrice doing the same in prose (Jonathan, 2008) . References Dodds, A. (2011). English Draft – Much Ado About Nothing. Available http://www.studymode.com/essays/Much-Ado-About-Nothing-Shakespeare-806250.html. Accessed March 25, 2013. Hugh, G. (2001). "Modernity, Modernism and Postmodernism in the Twentieth Century's Shakespeare". In Bristol, Michael; McLuskie, Kathleen. Shakespeare and Modern Theatre: The Performance of Modernity. New York: Routledge. Jonathan, B. (2008). Soul of the Age: the Life, Mind and World of William Shakespeare. London: Viking. Sparknotes.com. (nd). Much Ado About Nothing. Available http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/muchado/context.html. Accessed March 25, 2013. Shmoop.com. (nd). Much Ado About Nothing Genre. Available http://www.shmoop.com/much-ado-about-nothing/genre.html. Accessed March 25, 2013. Read More