Customer Reviews

Much Ado About Nothing (Signet Classics)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A man and a woman meet. They outwardly seem to despise each other (or at least find each other annoying), but we know that deep down they're in love and just need a jolt to realize it.

That's one of the more popular romance tropes -- everybody from Jane Austen to anime has used it. But the original feisty Will They Or Won't They couple was Beatrice and Benedick in William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" -- and while the plot supposedly revolves around an evil plot to discredit Beatrice's cousin, it's more fun to watch the two B's slinging insults and falling in love.

Spanish prince Don Pedro has defeated his evil illegitimate brother Don John, and is coming to the estate of Leonato for a visit -- along with his entourage, his disgraced brother, and his officers Benedick and Claudio. Claudio soon falls in love with Leonato's daughter Hero, but Hero's cousin Beatrice has the opposite reaction -- "there is a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and her."

Soon Hero and Claudio are happily engaged, and Don Pedro decides to matchmake Beatrice and Benedick -- and after a tidy bit of manipulation, the acid-tongued pair fall madly in love. But Don John spins up a malicious deception that tears apart the love between Claudio and Hero, creates a rift between Leonato and Don Pedro, and leaves it doubtful that anyone will live happily ever after...

"Much Ado About Nothing" is one of Shakespeare's finest comedies, mainly because it often hangs off his clever wordplay and zinger-filled dialogue ("I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books." "No; and he were, I would burn my study"). There's even some hilarious scenes where Benedick bemoans the difficulty of writing rhyming poetry.

Technically the plot revolves around the impending wedding of Hero and Claudio, as well as Don John's attempts to derail the whole affair -- resulting on some painfully raw scenes (such as Beatrice freaking out after Hero's public disgrace), as well as some goofy ones... like any scene involving the absurd Dogberry. But Beatrice and Benedick are undeniably the centerpiece of the story, as well as the most likable characters.

Because they're so witty and prickly, Beatrice and Benedick are loads of fun -- they start off violently against getting married and content to just lob insults at each other. And even after they fall in love, Shakespeare keeps their wit intact ("Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably"). Don Pedro is a good supporting character, a wise and kind prince who enjoys meddling in other people's romantic affairs.

The downsides: we never really get a REASON for Don John to be such a jerk. And Claudio comes across as a puffed up adolescent with a crush, especially since he deliberately humiliates Hero in public to salvage his ego... and for some reason, she doesn't hate him for the maliciousness.

"Much Ado About Nothing" is one of Shakespeare's best comedies -- a tennis match of zingers and witticisms, wrapped around a solid plot about deception and lies.

"Much Ado About Nothing: With New and Updated Critical Essays and a Revised Bibliography" starts out with a plethora of information regarding information about Shakespeare, Elizabethan theatre, the writing style, controversy if Shakespeare wrote his plays and if he contributed to others, etc. Then, the play begins, and this is where I wonder if I truly enjoyed the play. I began thinking if I liked the play itself, or because it was written by Shakespeare. Which then led to my thinking of whether it would be deemed such praise, if it hadn't been written by him, and I leans towards "no." The wit is somewhat dry, but the plot around Hero and Claudio caught my attention. It showed me how women were regarded as objects and how easily they can be discarded. And, how quickly men would believe any fault about a woman, without hearing her side of the story. Scary, in my opinion. Otherwise, it was interesting, but I don't know if I'd recommend it.

There are better translations out there. I would probably choose something else. This is readable, but it lacks the oomph that this play needs.

I cannot say I truly like the main focus this reviewer stuck to. Not to be rude, and I do see your point, but Shakespeare, being a an, is naturally going to have a masculine out look in some of his stories. But I believe the story was genius not through anything else but the character of Dogberry. I know you're probably thinking "He had barely any dialogue and the dialogue he did have was ridiculous" but the fact is that his stupidity and his unique perception of reality not only provided a bases of humor into the story but also the salvation of the story. I do not wnat to give the play away so I will not say how but...this is a wonderful play and not because Shakespeare wrote it...but because of its absurd genius. Thank you. And I only give it a 1 because I haven't read this book yet for the play I am merely just expressing my own opinion of the actual play itself.