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