+
Much Ado About NothingBy
William Shakespeare
+Word of the Day: INTEGRATE
Word & Definition: My Explanation:
Integrate
To bring together as a whole
Example w/ Visual: Non Example w/ Visual:
T
A
K
E
N
O
T
E
S
+Thursday, March 18, 2010
AGENDA:
o Word of the Day: Integrate
o Skit Presentations
o Notes on MAAN
o Read and Answer Guiding
Questions
o Summarize Scenes 1-3
o Watch Movie Adaptation
o HW: Character Log
BIG QUESTIONS:
Why is the opening scene so
important to the
characterization of the play?
Announcements and
Other Important Dates:
Early Release Next
Wednesday (3/24)
Write
in
Notes
N
O
N
O
T
E
S
+ Homework
Write a sticky note reminder or place in agenda:
o Use notes to begin character log for the following
characters:
o Beatrice
o Benedick
o Claudio
o Don Pedro
o Hero
o Leonato
H
O
M
E
W
O
R
K
+ Character Log: 2 Column Notes – ONE PAGE per character
Quote & Location:
(Act.Scene.Line)
Explanation of
Characterization:
+Much Ado About Nothing
The Characters…
Don John the villain
Don Pedro, the Prince of Aragon
Claudio, the young Florentine & Hero, daughter of Leonato
N
O
N
O
T
E
S
+The Characters…
Benedick and Beatrice
N
O
N
O
T
E
S
+Summary
―Much Ado about Nothing‖ is really much ado
about something very important—marriage and
female fidelity– the cornerstone of social stability.
The contrasting couples shows two competing
views:
one naïve and idealistic (Claudio & Hero)
the other experienced and realistic (Beatrice &
Benedick)
Yet the theme of deception complicates this
reading.
Beatrice and Benedick were tricked into loving—are
they really so discerning?
T
A
K
E
N
O
T
E
S
+Theme: Role of Women in the
1500‘s
Women had very few rights during this time. Society in both England and Italy was very patriarchal – this means that society was dominated by men: girls had to obey their fathers and then their husbands. For daughters of noblemen (such as
Leonato) their marriages were often arranged.
Most importantly, a woman MUST be a virgin when she is married.
T
A
K
E
N
O
T
E
S
With your partner READ lines 1-24
ANSWER:
Write a SUMMARY of what has happened.
How are the audience introduced to Leonato in the opening scene?
Key Scene = Lines 1-123
+Claudio (Lines 1-24)
‘young Florentine’
Don Pedro has ‘bestowed much honour on him’
‘He hath borne himself beyond the promise of his age..’
‘doing in the figure of a lamb the feats of a lion’
‘He hath an uncle here in Messina’
How is Claudio being described in these lines?
What impression is created for
the audience of his character?
T
A
K
E
N
O
T
E
S
With your partner READ the lines 25-78
ANSWER:
Write a SUMMARY of what has happened.
How are Benedick and Beatrice
characterized?
What are your thoughts regarding their relationship?
Key Scene = Lines 1-123
+‘As pleasant as he ever was’
The messenger says
this of Signor Benedick
of Padua.
‘As pleasant as he ever was’
What does this tell you about him?
T
A
K
E
N
O
T
E
S
+Beatrice on Benedick…
He is a very valiant trencher-man‘ Beatrice clearly has little faith in Benedict's
ability to fight like a brave man and a strong soldier. (This is the point.)
‗But how many hat he killed? For indeed I promised to eat all of his killing.‘ (This is the evidence.)Why too might she promise to eat all of his
killing?
T
A
K
E
N
O
T
E
S
+‘He’ll be meet with you, I doubt it not’
Leonato says that: ‘he is quite sure that Benedick will get even with Beatrice for all of the mean things that she is saying about him’
What does this tell you about the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick?
T
A
K
E
N
O
T
E
S
+There is kind of merry war betwixt Signor Benedick and her…
They never meet but there is a skirmish of wit between them…
What does this tell you about the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick?
T
A
K
E
N
O
T
E
S
+Beatrice on Benedick…
In our last conflict four of his five wits went halting off…Who is his companion now? He hath every month a new sworn brother.’Beatrice says of Benedick that he is ‘a
sandwich short of a picnic and that each month he has a new best friend.
What does this tell you about how she sees
him?
T
A
K
E
N
O
T
E
S
Key Scene = Lines 1-123
With your partner READ the lines 79-97
ANSWER:
Write a SUMMARY of what has happened.
How are the audience introduced to Don
Pedro in the opening scene?
+Enter Don Pedro...
Don Pedro arrives: he is obviously pleased to see Leonato and Leonato is likewise pleased to see Don Pedro.
Benedick jokes with Leonato about whether he doubted that he was Hero’s father: ‘Were you in doubt sir, that you asked her?’This joking makes Benedick out as a joker,
someone who teases, someone who doesn’t take life seriously and someone who doesn’t believe that women are honest…
T
A
K
E
N
O
T
E
S
+ Summary Act 1, Scene 1Key Scene - Lines 1-123
Leonato learns that Don Pedro, victorious in the recent wars, is coming to Messina that night.
Claudio has fought well in the war. Benedick is coming too.
Beatrice teases the messenger about Benedick.
The soldiers arrive and Benedick and Beatrice insult each other.
N
O
N
O
T
E
S
+Summary of the remainder of Act 1,
Scene 1
After Beatrice’s and Benedick’s exchange of insults, all of the characters go into Leonato’shouse.
Claudio and Benedick remain behind. Claudio tells Benedick that he has fallen in love with Hero.
Benedick laughs at Claudio’s falling in love so suddenly and tells Don Pedro all about it. Benedick has a very negative view of love and
marriage and both Claudio and Don Pedro side with each other against Benedick.
Both Claudio and Don Pedro have a positive attitude towards love and marriage.
N
O
N
O
T
E
S
+Summary of the remainder of Act 1,
Scene 1
In private, Claudio asks Don Pedro for his help in wooing Hero. Don Pedro approves such a match as the one between Claudio and Hero. Don Pedro offers to woo Hero for Claudio
and he offers to obtain permission from Leonato for Claudio to court and to marry his daughter Hero.
N
O
N
O
T
E
S
+Summary of the rest of Act 1 Act 1, Scene 2: Leonato’s servant incorrectly tells him that Don Pedro is in love with Hero. Leonato is pleased but decides to wait and see what happens between Don Pedro and his daughter.
Act 1, Scene 3: Don John tells his friend Conrade that he is unhappy about the reconciliation with his half brother (Don Pedro). Borachio tells Conrade and Don John about Claudio’s intention to marry Hero. Don John, a villain, immediately begins thinking of ways to ruin Claudio’s happiness.
N
O
N
O
T
E
S
+ Homework
Write a sticky note reminder or place in agenda:
o Use notes to begin character log for the following
characters:
o Beatrice
o Benedick
o Claudio
o Don Pedro
o Hero
o Leonato
H
O
M
E
W
O
R
K
+ Character Log: 2 Column Notes – ONE PAGE per character
Quote & Location:
(Act.Scene.Line)
Explanation of
Characterization: