...The Shakespearean comedy, Much Ado about Nothing encompasses themes such as the importance of honour, the ideal of social grace, nevertheless uses a plot which primarily revolves around the theme of deception re occurring in various forms. On one hand deception is used throughout Much Ado About Nothing in a malicious manner, however on the on the hand it can be portrayed in a benevolent and beneficial manner such as the fooling of Beatrice and Benedick and deceiving them into proclaiming their love for each other. The use of both forms of deception often makes it difficult to distinguish between the two, such as when Claudio announces his desire to woo Hero, however Don Pedro takes it upon himself to woo her for Claudio. However Shakespeare’s use of deception is neither completely a means of malice nor a mean of showing traits of kindness between characters, the use of deception aids the development of the plot and creates a path for other elements necessary in the play such as its comical elements. The plot of Much Ado About Nothing centrals around misunderstanding, as during the Elizabethan era “Nothing” was pronounced “Noting”, meaning to observe, to take notice of or to write something down – take note of something, as the reader learns the play revolves around observation and surveying, however often these ‘notings’ are not continuously accurate, they are often misinterpreted or misunderstood and also misreported. The title highlights the idea of how lack of careful noting...
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...Deception can drastically change a person in both good ways and bad, but ‘foil’ characters always stay the same, unless… love is involved. Throughout Much Ado About Nothing, William Shakespeare uses ‘foil’ characters to highlight exemplary and corrupt qualities within them. Claudio and Benedick are perfect examples of this, they both question love at different moments in the play, but ultimately find it. The main conflicts that arise are caused by Don John, he creates misunderstandings, villainy, and deception. Deception is the key part of the play that feeds both love and hate, mostly affecting Claudio and Benedick. At the beginning of the play, Claudio is enamoured and Benedick is the complete opposite. For example, “In mine eye she is the sweetest...
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...However, it is possible to find the deception behind each personality within a book if one analyzes the character's beyond their superficial facade. Since the beginning of time, humans have always stumbled on a boarder between appearance and reality, using deception to mask weaknesses and obscure the harsh eye of society. By examining A Street Car Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, and The Unabridged Journals Of Sylvia Plath by Sylvia Plath the deception humans use in order to appear stronger in society are revealed. In the play, A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, there is a dominant theme of deception portrayed by the three main characters in the play. Stella Kowalski, Stanley Kowalski, and Blanche DuBois all have simple personalities that are extremely skewed by the end of the book. Stella states "I'm not in anything I want to get out of," (Williams, 74). This gives Blanche a huge reality check, because someone she adores has accepted such an average life, and has given up in her pursue for perfection, even if most of it is imaginary. This deception also plays a huge role in Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare, through a continuos series of twists throughout the book and hidden motifs, that cannot be seen by the reader until the characters themselves accept the truth or the meaning behind it. The character traits that seem to define the characters in this play, are also their largest deceptions. "CLAUDIO -Can...
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...William Shakespeare is typically known for his comedies, histories, and tragedies. For example, his most famous tragedies would be Romeo and Juliet. In this case the story is a romantic comedy called, Much Ado About Nothing. This story consists of two love stories, one between Hero and claudio, and another between Beatrice and Benedick. The plot thickens when the Don John, Brother of Don Pedro, attempts to intervene. Trickery and deceit are central themes and somehow leads to love and romance. Trickery is a large theme in this story. Trickery meaning the practice of deception. Trickery can come in multiple types of form. Whether the intent is in a good or bad manner. In this case Don Pedro and Claudio come up with a plan. The plan was to trick Benedick into falling for Beatrice and vice versa for Beatrice. This act is suppose to be difficult, because Benedick is the type of guy who doesn't believe in marriage and is a bachelor. Coincidentally Beatrice has a similar mind set on marriage. Don Pedro and Claudio were able to achieve this by using leonarto as bait. For example, Then Benedick says, “ I should think this a gull but that the white-bearded fellow speaks it. Knavery cannot, sure, hide himself in such reverence” (2.3.126-128). This quote means if the...
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...Themes in 'Much Ado About Nothing' Shakespeare’s treatment of love in Much Ado About Nothing differs from his other romantic comedies. Sure, it shares the same stagy plot, which finishes with the lovers finally getting back together, but Shakespeare also mocks the conventions of courtly love which was popular at the time. Although Claudio and Hero’s courtly marriage is central to the plot, their relationship is the least interesting thing in the play. Instead, our attention is drawn to Benedick and Beatrice’s unromantic backbiting – it is this relationship that seems more believable and enduring. By contrasting these two different types of love, Shakespeare manages to poke fun at the conventions of courtly, romantic love. Claudio uses highly contrived language when speaking of love, which is undermined by Benedick and Beatrice’s banter: “Can the world buy such a Jewel?” says Claudio of Hero. “My dear Lady disdain! Are you yet living?” says Benedick of Beatrice. As an audience, we are supposed to share Benedick’s frustration with Claudio’s transparent, pompous rhetoric of love: “He was wont to speak plain and to the purpose, like an honest man and a soldier … His words are a very fantastical banquet, just so many strange dishes.” Deception As the title suggests, there is a lot of fuss over very little in the play – after all, if Claudio wasn’t so impetuous, Don John’s rather weak plan wouldn’t have worked at all! What makes the plot so intricate is the use of deception throughout...
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...How far does the humour in Much Ado About Nothing derive from Shakespeare’s presentation of gender? Much ado about nothing is one of the most famous comedies written by Shakespeare. It is written in the modern style, and is mainly in prose form. It was written for the audience in the Elizabethan era of England, which was the age when females were considered significantly inferior to their male counterparts. Shakespeare has used this concept of gender for creating humour in his play. The characters Benedict and Beatrice are involved in a complex relationship which contrasts between love and hate. Both Beatrice and Benedict are strong willed, intelligent characters, who fear that falling in love will lead to a loss of freedom and eventually heartbreak. Various theories have been proposed which govern humour and comedy. The superiority theory proposed by Plato describes the darker side of comedy that Is often laughed at over unfortunate situations and social standings. Infirmity in others as compared to our own is often laughed at. These same principles has been applied to the story of the play, and the inferiority of females has been used as the basis for creating humour. [quick quote & example to back this up?] The characters Shakespeare's “Much Ado about Nothing” contribute to build the humorous essence of play through their roles. Several characters of the play presented comical language and gestures such as Benedick and Beatrice’s unromantic backbiting...
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... “Trickery or Deceit” Much Ado about Nothing, is one of Shakespeare’s, romantic comedies. I chose, Trickery or Deceit, as my title, because, sometimes in true life it’s difficult to determine the two. In this play deceit plays a major role. It first starts one week before the wedding. Hero and her friends decided that Beatrice and Benedick argue too much and did indeed share feelings for each other, And so they plotted a trick to make them fall in love, they included everyone in it, Don Pedro, Hero, Claudio pretended to say things about Beatrice loving Benedick so, that Benedict could hear. And then also pretended to speak alone in the garden, knowing of Beatrice’s presence they continued to say things of Benedick’s Love for Beatrice, which wooed the both of them and they both fell in love, but, had no idea they were being Deceived. But every ones happiness is to soon come to an end, as Don Jon plots to ruin their wedding.. He has Borachio pretend to court and make gestures at Hero, while Claudio and Don Pedro watched, when indeed it was Margaret whom he courted and had sex with. During my research of “Much Ado about Nothing”, I found that this is a perfect example of” Trickery or Deceit”, or both? My studies show that the author has an open mind and left the decision to be made by the audience. In the play Much Ado about Nothing, the word Nothing in the play’s title, pronounced in the Elizabeth English. Suggests...
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...Literature goes beyond life "Literature goes beyond life. It is art; it is an imaginative creation that can tell truths gracefully, subtly through narrative, poetry and the movement of characters on a stage. Any imaginative act suggests possibility, and this is another reason to continue studying literature" (Florence Dee Boodakian). Literature has been the most influential art in the history of man. It passes down information from one generation to the next and unites all people from different places with a diverse culture. For examples, in Shakespeare, Walker, and Frost's works, it teaches and inspires us in lots of ways; emotionally, spiritually and intellectually. It also initiates change throughout our lifetime. It affects how people live and see the world in a bigger picture; another example of Alice Walker's "Everyday Use" it inspired and touches the hearts of many, that heritage is what binds one’s culture. Literature instills the skills needed by an individual to analyze critical things, to make a significant impact and differences in their lives and future. Literature is not a repository old scrolls and tomes, but great laboratory where the relation between man and the environment has been analyzed, experimented with and redefined over the history of civilization. The act of reading literature can change and shape how we perform and study things. Literature is the expression of oneself and the social life and thoughts through language that resemble one's heritage...
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...Shakespeare on Film Name Institution Shakespeare on Film In “Othello”, one of shakespeare’s masterpieces, we see Iago showing hatred towards Othello. "I hate the Moor. My cause is hearted", here Iago converses with Rodrigo about how much he hates Othello, and he would help him in his conquest to get Desdemona for his lustful desires. Rodrigo's previous intentions were to drink is sorrows away, since he was hit by the sad realization that Desdemona is taken and there is nothing he could do about it rather than drink. Iago saw this as an opportunity to manipulate him into thinking that she was an easy girl to take possession and he would need lots of cash if he would stand a chance of winning his heart. The context depicts Iago as hateful since his statement clearly shows that he despises Othello with all his heart. With the help of Rodrigo, he could be able to have the fun at the moment where Othello will be at his weakest and vulnerable to anything. When Rodrigo has exited the scene, we see Iago remarking, "I hate the moor, thought abroad that twixt my sheets. He's done my office, I know not it be true, But I, for mere suspicion in that kind, Will do, as if for surety". It shows that Iago is suspicious that his wife had slept with Othello. The context elaborates his vengefulness by willing to play the tit for tat game and plant a seed of jealousy between...
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...was not for an age but for all time. `` The words of praise probably the most famous ever written about Shakespeare , were penned by Shakespeare`s good friend and follow writer `Ben Johnson`. For the poet and playwright generally considered the greatest ever is also one of the least known of all literary figures. And his works were indeed created for the popular entertainment of his day with little thought to their immortality. Shakespeare did not take any steps to preserve his writings past their immediate use. (Fortunately his friends did.) With all the academic study of Shakespeare and the trappings of fine culture that have been wrapped around productions of his dramas over the centuries, we often forget what a rollicking, bawdy and entertaining spectacle his plays presented to their original audience — and still can to a modern audience, in the right hands. The timelessness of Shakespeare's themes continue to keep his plays fresh. He dramatized basic issues: love, marriage, familial relationships, gender roles, race, age, class, humor, illness, deception, betrayal, evil, revenge, murder, and death. The essential question that Shakespeare explored in his plays is, "what does it mean to be a human being?" The genius of Shakespeare is that he manged to show us ourselves in every conceivable light. It really doesn't matter when the plays were written since they are about the human condition which is timeless. Shakespeare was an incredible observer of his fellow human...
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...Dictionary is defined as “to alter or disguise the semblance of (one’s character, a feeling, design, or action) so as to conceal, or deceive as to, its real nature: to give false or feigned semblance to; to cloak or disguise by feigned appearance.” By dissembling or disguising, it allows one to be someone they are not and do things they don’t normally do. In plays such as Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet, and The Merchant of Venice are just some of Shakespeare’s works in which he utilizes the concept of disguise. Shakespeare uses disguise of behavior and dress in his plays Hamlet and The Merchant of Venice. In Hamlet, Hamlet himself feigns madness in order to seek the truth of...
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...Romantic comedy is a popular genre that depicts burgeoning romance in humorous terms and focuses on the foibles of those who are falling in love Title page of the first quarto of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream (1600) "Comedy", in its Elizabethan usage, had a very different meaning from modern comedy. A Shakespearean comedy is one that has a happy ending, usually involving marriages between the unmarried characters, and a tone and style that is more light-hearted than Shakespeare's other plays.[13] Comedy (from the Greek: κωμῳδία, kōmōidía), in the contemporary meaning of the term, is any discourse or work generally intended to be humorous or to amuse by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, television, film and stand-up comedy. This sense of the term must be carefully distinguished from its academic one, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in Ancient Greece. In the Athenian democracy, the public opinion of voters was influenced by the political satire performed by the comic poets at the theaters.[1] The theatrical genre can be simply described as a dramatic performance which pits two societies against each other in an amusing agon or conflict. Northrop Frye famously depicted these two opposing sides as a "Society of Youth" and a "Society of the Old",[2] but this dichotomy is seldom described as an entirely satisfactory explanation. A later view characterizes the essential agon of comedy as a struggle between a relatively powerless youth...
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...Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic scenes, and is best known for Shylock and the famous "Hath not a Jew eyes?" speech. Also notable is Portia's speech about "the quality of mercy”. The title character is the merchant Antonio, not the Jewish moneylender Shylock, who is the play's most prominent and most famous character. This is made explicit by the title page of the first quarto: The most excellent History of the Merchant of Venice. With the extreme cruelty of Shylock the Jew towards the said Merchant etc. Antonio is a symbol of Christian kindness, generosity, and love. These attributes are usually shown towards Bassanio or his friends. “In this and other ways he is a romantic figure. To his contemporaries he may have had a broader significance. In a group of medieval tales called the Tale of Abraham and Theodore, the rescue of a borrower from the clutches of an usurer was a symbol of man’s redemption.” (Campbell) Antonio helped Bassanio and prevented him from having to borrow money from an usurer, taking his place as the borrower instead. Antonio’s symbolism as Jesus or the perfect lamb is brought to mind. In Judaism a perfect lamb is sacrificed for a sin offering killed to deflect the wrath of God. Antonio is the perfect lamb about to be killed to appease the vengeance of Shylock. In Christianity, Jesus dies in the place of sinners. Antonio—like Jesus—takes the place of Bassanio as the borrower and savior. The fundamental weakness...
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...INTRODUCTION William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is an excellent introduction to Shakespearean drama; teenagers can relate to its plot, characters, and themes. The play’s action is easily understood, the character’s motives are clear, and many of the themes are as current today as they were in Shakespeare’s time. Therefore, it can be read on a variety of levels, allowing all students to enjoy it. Less able readers can experience the swash-buckling action and investigate the themes of parent-child conflict, sexuality, friendship, and suicide. Because of the play’s accessibility to teenagers, able readers can view the play from a more literary perspective, examining the themes of hostility ad its effect on the innocent, the use of deception and its consequences, and the effects of faulty decision making. They can study how the characters function within the drama and how Shakespeare uses language to develop plot, characters, and themes. The most able students can develop skills involved in literary criticism by delving into the play’s comic and tragic elements and its classically tragic themes: the role of fate and fortune, the inevitable nature of tragedy, and the isolation of the tragic hero. This teacher’s guide will be divided into several parts: (1) a brief literary overview, including a synopsis and commentary on the play; (2) suggestions for teaching the play, including activities, discussion questions, and essay topics to be used before, during, and...
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...Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship is the act and art of being an entrepreneur or "one who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods". This may result in new organizations or may be part of revitalizing mature organizations in response to a perceived opportunity. The most obvious form of entrepreneurship is that of starting new businesses (referred as Startup Company); however, in recent years, the term has been extended to include social and political forms of entrepreneurial activity. When entrepreneurship is describing activities within a firm or large organization it is referred to as intra-preneurship and may include corporate venturing, when large entities spin-off organizations.[1] According to Paul Reynolds, entrepreneurship scholar and creator of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, "by the time they reach their retirement years, half of all working men in the United States probably have a period of self-employment of one or more years; one in four may have engaged in self-employment for six or more years. Participating in a new business creation is a common activity among U.S. workers over the course of their careers." [2] And in recent years has been documented by scholars such as David Audretsch to be a major driver of economic growth in both the United States and Western Europe. "As well, entrepreneurship may be defined as the pursuit of opportunity without regard to resources currently controlled...
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