Much Ado About Nothing By William Shakespeare

Much Ado About Nothing  Was written by William Shakespeare sometime between  It is a comedy. What does this mean? Discuss with a partner…  In dramatic terms: a comedy is a play with a happy ending in which things could possibly turn tragically wrong but don’t. There will be some humour in a comedy

In fact Much Ado About Nothing is a Romantic Comedy  Romantic comedies are very popular films today, here are a few examples of Romantic Comedies:  Just Like Heaven  10 Things I Hate About You  Four Weddings and a Funeral  Notting Hill  Can you think of any more similar films which you would call a Romantic Comedy?

Romantic Comedies  What are the things that you expect… the conventions… of Romantic Comedies?

Pre-reading Speaking and Listening activity…  In groups of roughly 4 persons, write a brief play script. The scenario is: a group of friends meet. Two of the friends used to ‘go out with’ each other, the girl is called Beatrice and the boy is called Benedick. They actually still have feelings for each other but try to pretend that they hate each other. They are rude and insulting to each other and try to get the better of each other all of the time…  How do we lay out a play script??????

Drama Skills Now you have written your play scripts, you should now rehearse. You must concentrate on:  Speaking clearly and confidently  Using gesture and voice intonation to express yourself  Using body language to express yourself  Using facial expressions to express yourself  Don’t turn your back to the audience at any time  Make eye contact with the other actors

The SATs Shakespeare Paper The paper is 45 minutes long. It assesses your reading. You will have one task to respond to which will be on one or both of your set extracts from your set scenes: Act 1, Scene 1 – lines and Act 2, Scene 1 – lines 183-end. You will have one task to respond to which will be on one or both of your set extracts from your set scenes: Act 1, Scene 1 – lines and Act 2, Scene 1 – lines 183-end. You will need to know the scenes well and to plan your answer. The question could focus on the following: text in performance character and motivation language of the text ideas, themes and issues

Watching the Film of Much Ado About Nothing The Characters…  Don John the villain  Don Pedro, the Prince of Aragon  Claudio, the young Florentine who loves Hero  Hero

Watching the Film of Much Ado About Nothing The Characters…  Benedick and Beatrice

Fill in the gaps plot summary based on watching the film Complete attached worksheet Complete attached worksheet

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. The fact that Claudio believed (wrongly) that Hero was not a virgin; A belief which caused him to publicly humiliate Hero on her wedding day; was, during the 1500’s a perfectly acceptable reaction. The fact that Leonato was so angry and violent towards Hero when she was declared a ‘loose’ woman was, again, a perfectly acceptable reaction in the 1500’s. This is why Don John’s evil plan was such a good one!

The Film  W hat did you think of the film?

Reading the Play Your first Set SATs Scene for 2007 is Act 1, Scene 1: lines (‘I learn in this letter…’ to …’You always end…of old’) Lines 1-24 In pairs, read these lines and answer the questions on the attached worksheet. In pairs, read these lines and answer the questions on the attached worksheet.

Reading Lines 1-24  As a class read the lines 1-24  Write a summary of what has happened as a class How are the audience introduced to Leonato in William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing?

Writing a response…  You are writing a response to the Leonato question on your ‘Writing a Response’ Sheet - Leonato: Writing a Response’ Sheet - LeonatoWriting a Response’ Sheet - Leonato  Each arm on your brainstorm will become a small paragraph in your response  You must add on an introduction at the start  You must add on a conclusion at the end  You must use at least 1 quote per paragraph  You must refer back to the question at least once per paragraph  You must use ‘connectives’ (see your connectives sheet) at the beginning of paragraphs and sentences + in the middle of sentences – follow your connective with a comma connectives sheetconnectives sheet

Sample Introduction Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy written by William Shakespeare. It is set in Messina, Italy in the sixteenth century. In lines 1-24 (Act 1, Scene 1) the audience learn that the Prince of Aragon is coming to Messina and that Claudio fought well in the recent battle.

Sample Paragraph In the first twenty four lines of Much Ado About Nothing, the audience learn that Leonato is a wise man who has fought in wars, ‘A victory is twice itself when the achiever brings home full numbers.’ This quote suggests that Leonato knows what a war is and knows how wonderful it is not to lose too many soldiers. It also suggests that he knows exactly what it is like to lose many men in fighting.

Claudio Lines 1-24 What does each quote below reveal about Claudio?  ‘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’

‘As pleasant as he ever was ’ The messenger says this of Signior Benedick of Padua. What does this tell you about him? you about him? Go to worksheets on lines Go to worksheets on lines 30-78

Beatrice her first words on Benedick ‘He set up his bills here in Messina and challenged Cupid at the flight; and my uncle’s fool, reading the Challenge, subscribed for Cupid, and challenged him at The bird-bolt’ She says: Benedick has challenged all in Messina by saying that he WILL NOT fall in love with any woman. Leonato, Beatrice’s uncle, has set out to prove Benedick wrong What impression do the audience get of Benedick now? Why might Beatrice say this about him? Go to worksheets on lines 30-78

Beatrice…her first words on Benedick continued… … how many hath he killed and eaten in these wars…For indeed I promised to eat all of his killing… The fact that Benedick killed and ate whom he killed tells you what about how Beatrice sees Benedick? Why too might she promise to eat all of his killing? He is a very valiant trencher-man’ Beatrice says that Benedick eats a lot, in other words that he is greedy… These activities are on the ‘Beatrice…her first words on Benedick’ worksheets. These activities are on the ‘Beatrice…her first words on Benedick’ worksheets These activities are on the ‘Beatrice…her first words on Benedick’ worksheets

‘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? Go to worksheets on lines Go to worksheets on lines 30-78

There is kind of merry war betwixt Signior 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? Go to worksheets on lines Go to worksheets on lines 30-78

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? Go to worksheets on lines Go to worksheets on lines 30-78

In lines what do the audience learn about the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick?  Use the activities on your Worksheets to help you with your brainstorm for this assignment – each arm on the brainstorm becomes a paragraph  Add on an introduction (look back at your previous introduction)  Add on a conclusion: a paragraph at the end which sums up all that you have learnt about Beatrice and her relationship with Benedick  Use connectives  Use one quote per paragraph  Make a point, use evidence to back it up, explain how the evidence helps to back up the point you have made (see attached example)  Refer back to the question at least once per paragraph Go to the Beatrice and Benedick essay and plan Go to the Beatrice and Benedick essay and plan

P E E Beatrice clearly has little faith in Benedick’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.) This quote clearly reveals that Beatrice does not think very highly of Benedick as it shows her doubting the number of men he could kill and it shows her being sarcastic. For if she offered to eat all of the men that he killed she cannot think he would kill very many. Hence, it clearly shows the audience that Beatrice does not hold Signior Benedick in very high esteem. (This is the evidence explained, clearly it links with the point.)

Lines Don Pedro arrives: he is obviously pleased to see Leonato and Leonato is likewise pleased to see Don Pedro. Bendick 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…

Lines Beatrice and Benedick talk to one another and insult each other. They try to get the better of one another. Match the translation to the Shakespearean version using the cut up lines Then, using the worksheet, write your response to the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick in these lines Then, using the worksheet, write your response to the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick in these lines

Summary Act 1, Scene 1 Key Scene Lines 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.

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’s house. 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. 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.

Summary of the rest of Act 1 (up until your next key scene) 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 Pedro 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.

Summary of Act 2, Scene 1 up until your key section There is a masked ball at Leonato’s house. Beatrice insults a masked Benedick and upsets him. Claudio becomes very upset when he is told by Benedick who was told by Don John that Don Pedro is wooing Hero for himself…

Act 2, Scene 1 Lines 183 to the end Patriarchy, willow trees and birds… Go to the worksheets on this section Go to the worksheets on this section

Practice SATs Questions Go to the worksheets on this section……

SATs 2008 Watch this space ……