2. Leonato, a nobleman from Messina, Italy, prepares to welcome home Don Pedro, an old friend that is returning from war.
Don Pedro a prince from Aragon arrives accompanied by his friends and soldiers under his guidance; Claudio a well
respected nobleman and Benedick a very astute man who constantly uses his wit to make jokes about his friends.
Arriving to Leonato’s home, Claudio immediately falls in love with Hero, Leonato’s beautiful daughter, while Benedick
and Beatrice go over a constant war of witty insults that they had had with each other in the past. Claudio and Hero fall
into a mutual agreement of love and decide to get married, and the same time spend their time trying to put Beatrice and
Benedick into and equal pledge, who are obviously meant to each other, and are constantly arguing but later on found that
they have feelings for each other.
At a phase, where everyone is enjoying happiness and love, Don John’s hatred ideas got accompanied by conspiring with
Borachio’s disdain action of making love to Margaret, at Hero’s window in the darkness of the night, while Don John’s
brings Don Pedro and Claudio to witness the false accusation. Infuriated with idea that Hero has been unfaithful , Claudio
humiliates Hero by accusing her of lechery the day of the wedding. Hero’s afflicted familiars decide to pretend that the
suddenly dies of grief and to hide her until she is proven innocent.
Fortunately, one of the watchmen happened to overhear Borachio bragging about his actions and the local police ends up
arresting him. As a conclusion, Hero is innocence in revealed, and Claudio is put in grief and penitence.
Consequently, Leonato tells Claudio, that as a punishment, he should let inform everybody about the Hero’s innocence
and also Claudio must marry, Hero’s cousin, who happens to be as beautiful as Hero. Claudio attends church as instructed,
in order to marry the mysterious lady and when Hero reveals herself, Claudio is overwhelmed with joy. Concluding with
Benedick’s marrying proposal to Beatrice, with her accepting and with a double wedding to celebrate.
Plot
3.
Beatrice – Leonato’s niece and Hero’s cousin. Beatrice is a very charming lady and also very acute, who constantly
mocks of people with witty jokes. She engages into a sequence of elaborated verbal fights with Benedick. She appears
happy with the idea of being single and not marry.
Benedick – A noble soldier who has been recently fighting wars under Pedro’s guidance, and also a friend of Claudio.
Benedick is a very clever man, with very elaborated ideas, always making jokes and puns as Beatrice does. He also
swore that he would never fall in love or marry.
Claudio – A young soldier, that gains great acclaim fighting under Don Pedro’s orders the last wars. Claudio falls in
love with Hero upon his return to the city of Messina. Unfortunately to his doubtful personality he is made to believe
the idea that Hero was not chaste anymore.
Hero – Is the beautiful and delicate daughter of Leonato and also cousin of Beatrice. Also a very gentle and kind lady.
She also corresponds to Claudio falling in love with him to later on suffer from Don John’s disdain actions.
Don Pedro – Is the Prince of Aragon, a person of great relevance. An old-friend of Leonato’s and also close the
soldiers and friends under his direction; Benedick and the young Claudio. Don Pedro is also a very courteous and
generous person and the most powerful in the hierarchy, socially and politically speaking.
Leonato – A well respected and elder nobleman at whose home in Sicily, Italy, the events take place. Leonato is Hero’s
father and Beatrice’s uncle. As governor of Messina he takes the second place in the most powerful hierarchy.
Characters
4.
Don John – Is the illegitimate brother of Don Pedro. Don John is a very melancholic and resentful person and is the
creator of the plan that brought dark scheme to the story by ruining everyone’s happiness but mostly Claudio and
Her. The villain of the play motivated by the envy for his brother’s social power.
Borachio – Is a character associated with Don John. He is also lover of Margaret, Hero’s servant woman. He also
conspires with Don John’s by tricking Claudio and Hero into thinking that Hero has been unfaithful to Claudio.
Margaret – One of Hero’s serving women who unintentionally helps Borachio and Don John’s to fulfill their plan.
Conrad – Another of Don John’s partners, and also very devoted to him.
Dogberry – The chief policman of Messina.
Verges – A policeman under Dogberry’s charge.
Antonio – Leonato’s older brother, Hero’s uncle and also Beatrice’s father.
Balthasar – A servant in Leonato’s home and also a musician.
Ursula – Another of Hero’s serving women.
Secondary Characters
5.
What is the setting of the play? In the Italian town of Messina, Leonato accompanied by his daughter Hero and his
niece Beatrice, prepare to welcome home a group of soldiers and friends that are returning from battle. These friends
include Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon and two other brave young soldiers, that respond by Claudio and Benedick. The
story starts on a sunny and colorful morning at Leonatato’s Estate home, with the messenger announcing the arrival of
Don Pedro and his comrades, that had returned from a war in which they have been victorious. Setting the stage for a
happy and joyful comedy, where the main characters fall in love, follow
When does it takes place? In the story Leonato is Governor of Messina, Sicily and it takes place in the final stages of
the 16th century in Sicily, Italy. The 16th century is also know as the Renaissance Era, were people used to interact with
very distinguished manners of social interaction, were individuals strove to remark them by the use of metaphoric and
rhetoric language. In order to project elegance and natural grace by giving the illusion of effortlessness.
Setting
6.
While reading the play it is suggested that Beatrice and Benedick share feelings for each other in the past,
but It was something that did not function. However when both characters meet each other again, everything turns out
in a constant competition to out do one to another. Beatrice also refused to marry because she had not found the perfect
partner and because she was unwillingly to refrain from liberty and submit to the will of a controlling husband. While,
Benedick also vowed that he will never marry, however to their friends , both were meant to love each other.
Also characters, such as Claudio and Benedick were devoted to Don Pedro, because their positions depended upon
him, for the reason that he was the noblest character in the social hierarchy among them. Don Pedro had power and it is
questionable at a point whether he abuses of it or not. He uses his authority mostly toward positive meanings, but he
also manipulates other character as much as he desires. For example, when he insisted on wooing Hero, instead of
letting Claudio do it himself. Nonetheless , everything results good in spite of what it appears to be. Despite his
unknown motives, Don Pedro brings happiness to everyone, as if he was the director of a play, were the satire and the
following a protocol dominates.
Given Circumstances
7.
The story comes around the final stages of the 16th century in Italy, also know as the Italian
Renaissance, a period of exceptional cultural change that began in the 14th century and lasts until the 16th
century. It marks the transition between the Medieval and Early Modern Europe, where many aspects of the
Italian culture remained Medieval and were restricted to literature culture of intellectual endeavor. It was also
called the “Golden Age” or Elizabethan Era, where the exportation of wheat was at its peak, followed by
inflation, increase on population and the arrival of international markets.
Given Circumstances
8.
Classical Style: use of
masks, singing (Balthazar’s song)
, imagination (limited props)
Heightened language: use of
prose, lofty, hyperbolic, witty
A Shakespearean comedy: no
deaths, witty remarks
Festive or merry mood, the prince
and soldiers has come and the
home celebrates
Style
9.
Sixteenth Century
Messina, Sicily near Italy
Leonato’s countryside
home
Beautiful garden, grape
vines
Rolling hills, trees, clear
skys
Away from war, soldiers
see it as a respite from the
battlefield
Time/Place
10.
Antagonist, villain of the play
Envies his brother Don Pedro
Always melancholy
Represents the roadblock to
marriage
Finally captured to symbolize
the end of conflict
Should be wearing black to
show the jealousy, melancholy,
and his role as antagonist
Don John
11.
Most noble, highest social
heirarchy
Works to bring about
happiness with his friends
through romance(Claudio,
Benedick)
Can be seen as the director of
the plot, drives the two main
relationships towards
Dons mask to hide true
intentions of wooing Hero
for Claudio
Should dress like a prince,
high class garments with silk
but also a soldier
Don Pedro
12.
Both sharp and witty
Tries to out-wit, out-do
each other, arguments
Benedick uses more of
hyperbole in dialogue
Beatrice more cynical
Humorously led to believe
one is in love with each
other, changes their views
on love and marriage
Beatrice & Benedick
13.
Romance trope: Love at first
sight
Naïve young couple, full of
energy
Hero’s fake death
symbolizing the need to
cleanse of the damning
accusations of disloyalty,
then reborn so she is pure for
marriage
Claudio very guillible (Don,
fake death)
Hero & Claudio
14.
Hero: white silks to
symbolize virginity,
innocence
High class: white clothing,
fine silks, jewelry
Low class: gray, worn clothes
Soldiers: uniform, sword
Dresses for wedding,
dancing
Masks to symbolize the
concealed true feelings
during the festival scene
Loose clothing for dancing,
celebration; a time to relax
Costume Choices
15.
• The Eavesdropper needs to be
somewhere pass for hidden but
also be visible.
• The biggest contrast is
Demeanor.
• The size was very expansive, the
sheer size of the acting space was
that many entrances were
astonishingly long.
• The different colors of the play
were used to represent abstract
ideas.
Visibility
16.
The controlling of the distribution of light allowed
allowed us to create patterns and compositions of light
and shade.
The parallel between the two brothers make their plot
seem identical in a sense.
Shapes and Forms
17.
The composition of the lightning was able to reveal
the actors in a mannered way.
The stage scene was revealed with broadly flooded
colors.
The objects and scenery of the play was building up
to reveal the visual picture and the importance of the
play.
Visual compositions
18.
Stage lighting is defined as the use of the light to
create the sense of visibility, naturalism, composition
and mood.
When the lighting in the stage swallowed away it
would give a significant sign of what mood the play
had.
Mood/Style
19.
The changes and combinations of intensity and
visual movement are endless.
The visual movement was rapid than it would go to
subtle and unperceivable.
Rhythm of visual
movement
20.
Much Ado About Nothing is a delightful sorted
romp, filled with visual splendor, strong
performances and flashes of post modern absurdity.
Central visual image
