Tales from Shakespeare - Essay Example

The public apology of Claudio is also excluded; 6. It is intended for very young readership; and 7. The tale is intended to convey positive values. Lamb's tale version of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing tries to convey to the readers the beauty of the English language by incorporating the original dialogues in the play to the narrative prose. Since it serves as an introductory tale to Shakespeare's plays, the tale gives the readers a taste of the master's original language. In it the reader's interest to read further the original plays is heightened and thus they are being ushered into the beauty of Shakespeare's genius.

These and more have made the tale version incorporate in it a true "touch" and "feel" of the beauty of the Shakespearean English used in the original play. The dialogues when read aloud are so poetic that even young readers could memorize and recite them at random and these are pleasing to the ears. The Lambs have preserved the plot of the play and have remained faithful to the rendition and description of the events and characters except for some exclusion which are made due to some valid reasons.

The names of the characters are preserved as well as the succession of events. This shorter version of the lengthy play is a good start for first time readers of Shakespeare. The setting, Messina, is retained. . The names of the characters are preserved as well as the succession of events. This shorter version of the lengthy play is a good start for first time readers of Shakespeare. The setting, Messina, is retained. So are the characters, like Leonato, Hero, Beatrice, Don Pedro, Don John, Claudio and Benedick.

So are the minor characters, Margaret, Ursula, Borachio, the Friar and others. The series of events are as faithful to the original as possible. It begins with the coming of the guests, the courtship between Hero and Claudio and the clash between Beatrice and Benedict. It is followed by the announcement of Hero and Claudio's wedding. In the same line, Beatrice and Benedick were tricked into loving each other by the collaboration of Leonato, Don Pedro, Claudio, Hero, Margaret and Ursula. Then follows the plot of Don John to stop the wedding by setting up Borachio to deceive Claudio and Don Pedro into believing that hero has been unfaithful to Claudio by talking to a man in the eve of their wedding.

The next scene is in the church where Beatrice was shamed and accused by Claudio and the suspension of the wedding rites. It is followed by the friar's advice to keep Hero in hiding and to tell the people that she had died until the truth about her innocence would be revealed. It is also at the church that Benedick and Beatrice were drawn closer to each other. When Hero was found innocent by the magistrates' catching of Borachio and Don John, Leonato punished Claudio by letting him marry his niece who in fact Hero.

The play ends with Benedick proposing to marry Beatrice. The only details that are excluded are the love-making of Borachio and Margaret