Revision of Play- themes

Themes

1. Marriage:

• centre of the play
• Claudio + Hero, Benedick + Beatrice
• primary source of drama
• treated as of necessary
• light subject- source of jokes

2. Deception

• tool of villains
• spread chaos and unhappiness
• also used to improve lives -B+B
• neither absolutely good or bad
• whether acceptable is down to intentions
• play is built on problems caused by deception
• all mishaps are righted again by deception

3. Communication

• mischevious schemes using language
• communication obscures characters feelings
• miscommunication (intentional + unintentional) causes drama
• most characters take for granted whether what others say is true or not- never think of other sides of the story or evidence
• characters don't believe others would lie

4. Love

• inadvertent result of hatred
• incidental fact of marriage
•  love is only one of many factors that goes into a love affair
• love comes with complications/difficulties from villains and lovers themselves

5. Reputation

• easily made, easily lost
• primary conflict- Hero losing her reputation

6. Transformation

• little changes throughout
• characters learn and mislearn about themeselves/others
• moving from hating to loving, or reversed
• all begine transformation as result of lies/deceit- cause strong emotions causing transformation
• shame ---> anger ---> affection

7. Gender

• characters= subject to limitations due to gender
• e.g Hero= daughter subject to Leonato, Claudio= husband subject to him
• gender used as cover/excuse
• B+B= both negative perceptions of other gender in relationships
• faithlessness/deception are actually non-gender issues

8. Pride- damaged and preyed upon.
9. Maturity- mark of age, personal growth

HERO
Cake decoration ingredients:

• Butter icing- gentle 'I talked to no man at that hour, my lord'
• melted chocolate- vulnerable/delicate [Hero falls]
• loving- love heart sweets
• lack of backbone- hundreds and thousands 'my heart is exceeding heavy'
• icing sugar- sweet nature 'I'll devise some honest slanders'
• chocolate buttons- innocent 'I will do any modest office, my lord, to help my cousin to a good husband'

I have chosen butter icing to reflect Hero's gentle nature. The texture is smooth and it melts right away when eaten thus making it gentle on the tastebuds. Her gentle nature is reflected by her calm and gentle reaction to Claudio's slanders she states 'I talked to no man at that hour, my lord'. She remains respectful and is not angry by the lies. I have chosen melted chocolate to represent Hero's vulnerable/delicate side, which is portrayed in the stage directions [Hero Falls]. Chocolate is vulnerable to heat and loses its solidity therefore showing this. Hundreds and thousands will be Hero's lack of backbone. This is due to the fact they fall everywhere and have no stick ability. This is shown in the quote 'my heart exceeding heavy'. Hero's sweet nature is represented with icing sugar. This is because it is extremely fine and sweet.

Act 4 Scene 1

1. Claudio and Don Pedro decide to publicly shame Hero at the wedding in order to seek revenge. By shaming her in public it means that everyone will know what sins she has committed and the fact that she is 'disloyal'. In turn this will ruin her future, no man will want to marry her if they think this is the case. She will be lonely forever. It is a way for Claudio to heal his reputation and show his disgust towards her.

2. At first Leonato's reaction to the accusation is denial. He questions 'what do you mean' and then goes on to question whether Claudio in fact took her viginity before the wedding. Following the revelations when he finally realizes they are true (although the audience knows this is not the case) his reaction is angry and shameful. He says 'Do not live, Hero;' showing he is so ashamed of her that he wants her dead. Leonato further goes on to show despair about having only 'one' daughter. This is an issue because he is now stuck with a single daughter who is labelled disloyal and therefore she will never marry. He also describes her falling to hell 'into a pit of ink'. This reinforces his abhorrence towards the accusations.

3. Benedick's allegiance has shifted from what it was previously. His loyalty now aligns with Beatrice and Hero instead of the other men. This is portrayed by him telling Leonato to 'be patient' and he states 'I know not what to say'. It shows that he is telling everyone to pause and reassess the situation and to think about whether there is any truth in the accusations. This is supported by the fact he says 'were you her bedfellow last night?', he is attempting to uncover the truth. These actions present his loyalty towards Hero as he is doubting his previous close friends' accusations. 

4. Leonato interprets Hero's facial expression to expose her guilt and that it represents her disloyalty meaning it is true. However, the Friar interprets it to be quite different. He states 'in her eye there hath appeared fires/ To burn the errors'. Showing he interpreted her facial expression to show anger and the fact that the is innocent.

5. Benedick is the first person to name Don John as the villain behind the plot. He states 'John the bastard... spirits toil in the frame of villainies'.

6. The purpose of Friar Francis' plot to deceive Claudio into thinking Hero is dead is to re-evaluate the situation and feel guilty. Death is a serious punishment and will make him question whether the accusations were true or not. He will realize he took her for granted as she is gone. It will make him see how much he loves her. The Friar states 'to change slander to remorse' highlighting this.

7. The backup plan if Hero's reputation cannot be salvaged is to send her to a nunnery- 'conceal her... in some reclusive and religious life'.

8. The language alters when Beatrice and Benedick are alone together. It becomes more fiesty and blunt, the sentences are shorter however at the same time it is more passionate. For example Benedick says 'I do love nothing in the world so well as you'.

9. Benedick delcares his love for Beatrice first he states 'I do love nothing in the world so well as you' and when she does not believe him he goes on to say 'I protest I love thee' reinforcing his feelings. Benedick may have revealed this first because he has seen Claudio and Hero's relationship be destroyed and now he realizes how much love can be taken for granted. This is supported by the Friar's previous statement 'Whiles we enjoy, but being lacked and lost.. then we rack the value'. Benedick has finally allowed his feelings to be revealed. However, the complicating factor in this is that Beatrice wants him to 'Kill Claudio' to which Benedick responds 'not for the wide world'. He refuses to kill his best friend but Beatrice deems this to mean he does not love her after all.

10. The lecture highlights the ferocity of Beatrice's rage as she slanders Claudio. She uses language such as 'villain', 'scorned' and 'dishonoured' to show this. She also goes on to say 'I would eat his heart in the market place'. This demonstrates her rage as she is so angry she is willing to rip his heart out and eat it, killing him.

11. Benedick's decision to challenge Claudio represents a major change in his character. It highlights his transformation throughout which the reader has followed closely. It began with him altering his clothing and shaving his beard and now has reached a pinnacle. Instead of avoiding all essence of love and caring for Beatrice he is now willing to challenge his best friend in Hero's defense. 

Act 3 Scene 5
Malapropisms

• 'Marry sir, I would have some confidence with you that decerns you dearly' CONCERNS
• Goodman, Verges, sir, speaks a little off the matter; an old man, sir, and his wits are not so blunt as, God help, I would desire they were' SHARP
• 'Comparisons are odorous; palabras, neighbour, Verges' ARDUOUS

1. Dogberry wants to communicate to Leonato that his watch have detained two criminals. This will certify his credibility and he wants to boast his success. He doesn't actually want to solve the crime. This impedes the discovery of the crime against Hero as it prevents him from informing Leonato of the great crime. Instead Dogberry is not concise in the informing this leads him to become bored and he loses interest. 

2. The great honour that Leonato bestows upon Dogberry and Verges is the 'examining' of the two criminals. 

Act 3 Scene 4

1. Beatrice has altered in this scene from her previous behaviour as her crude and bawdy wit is contained. This is due to her discomfort about the wedding, she states 'my heart is exceeding heavy'. One may infer that she has been transformed and no conforms to the idea of institutionalised love and so her behaviour has changed with this. Her whole persona has changed. Two sexual jokes the girls make include:

• 'twill be heavier soon by the weight of a man'
• the heavier for a husband'

2. 'Cardus Benedictus' is a herbal remedy. It is a thistle plant which has extensive healing properties. However, Beatrice thinks assumes this is a double entendre meaning Benedick.

3. As the reader one is deceived by Margaret's humour. Shakespeare uses this construct in order to create comic relief. Her bawdiness distracts us from the tragedy which one knows will unfold. 

Act 3 Scene 3

1. A serious social problem underlying the satire on Dogberry and his all-volunteer watch is that they are incompetent and are morons. They are lower class citizens and they reflect the idea that the very people running and perusing the law are idiots.

2. Dogberry mutters so many malaprops in order to reflect his own incompetence and create a light-hearted atmosphere issuing comic relief. Three of these include:

• 'who think you the most desertless man'
• 'you shall comprehend all vagron men'
• 'you are thought here to be the most senseless and fit man for  the constable watch'

4. Dogberry's primary concern for the watchmen is that they do nothing. However, he puts this a way in such a manner that it conceals this idea. He sounds authoritative.

5. The watchmen are able to find out what Barachio has done due to him being drunk. He confesses his scheme involving Hero to Conrade and details his villainy. They do not understand all of what they have found.

6. From what the reader learns Barachio as able to fool the Prince and Claudio due to 

Act 3 Scene 2- Transformation
Deception

1. According to Claudio and Pedro Benedick has changed since we last saw him in his physical appearance. He has changed his clothing, Don Pedro states 'strange disguises' highlighting this he also says 'German from the waist downward'. One may infer that this is to impress Beatrice as he is in love with her. Benedick has shaved his beard which Claudio draws upon using wit saying 'the barber's man hath been seen with him'. This physical transformation is a way of Benedick finally confessing his love for Beatrice. However, he denies this claiming he has 'a toothache'. It could be concluded that through his transformation he is slipping into the ideal of institutionalized love. 

2. Don John uses deferential language in order to make the impact of his revelation about Hero all the more devastating. He uses phrases like 'if your leisure served' and 'if it please you', these make him appear sympathetic and resentful for what he is about to reveal, yet he feels Claudio must be told. However, as the reader we know this is not the case. It makes Claudio appear superior to him thus making it more tragic and believable. Don John states 'too long a talking of' implying he does not want to discuss a woman and that he is shameful for bringing it into the topic of conversation. It makes the deception more hurtful.

3. Claudio immediately announces he will shame Hero at the wedding. He does this in order to repair his reputation and credibility. He cannot be seen to be weak and hurt by her actions so instead he had devised a cruel plan in order to humiliate her in front of everyone. These actions may depict attitudes surrounding institutionalized love in Shakespeare time. He has suddenly decided he does not love her and this dispute cannot be solved- love always has to be perfect or it is avoided. It shows a very black and white view point, this may represent Shakespeare's personal opinions.