102046, 104497
Final Paper (Question 1)
LIT14 R08
Masked Tragedy: An Embargoed Catharsis
Not all Shakespearean plays are what they seem to be. “Much Ado About Nothing”
leaves its audience naturally puzzled on whether its plot is considered a tragedy or comedy. The
omniscience that is granted to the reader of “Much Ado About Nothing”, through the bird’s eye
view of its unfolding events, creates a repressed catharsis because of something that can be or
might have been so tragic such as evil plots and elements that provoke disaster: an overall
nightmarish experience that belongs to tragedy. However, Shakespeare’s ability to conceal and
contain this experience in ways such as happy endings and a comedic approach give the lasting
impression and picture of a comedy rather than a tragedy.
Glimpses of this repressed catharsis can be felt in II, i, 159-168 when Don John carefully
tricked Claudio to believe that Don Pedro courted Hero for himself. When Claudio falls in this
evil scheme when he then grieves in II, i, 170-180, the initial tendency is for the reader to feel
sorry for Claudio. However, this experience of the reader is postponed when scene II favourably
concludes with Don Pedro revealing that Claudio is mistaken and Leonato’s blessing for marriage
is given, including in that concluding scene Beatrice and Benedick’s witty wars, in order to
finally suppress the tragic elements and outshine it with comedic elements.
On the other hand, the real tragedy enters in III, ii when Don John devises a plot to
suspend the marriage of Claudio and Hero the night before the wedding itself. Even before
witnessing the scene of betrayal, Claudio says in “If I see anything tonight why I should not
marry her, tomorrow in the congregation, where I should wed, will I shame her” (III, ii, 116-118).
This statement leaves the audience gasping for the tragic result, the gravity even greater when it is
finally revealed in Borachio and Conrade’s conversation in III, iii, 154-164 that Don Pedro and
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Claudio witnessed the scene. However, despite the heavy scene, the introduction of Dogberry and
his company of watchmen shifts the attention to what can be considered as the most comedic part
of the play. Ironically, this scene can be interpreted as more tragic when the responsibility is
given to, as portrayed, considerably careless and dumb Dogberry and his company but they
become ignorable because they are funny. When Claudio finally embarrasses Hero publicly in the
day of the wedding in IV, i, it is agreed upon the friar’s suggestion that Hero concealed to be
dead.
Death is one of the intrinsic identities of Shakespearean tragedy, evident in Romeo and
Juliet, Antony and Cleopatra, and Othello. According to Aristotle, what matters more in tragedy
is to show and not to tell. (http://www2.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/poetics.html) Although the
death in the play is abstract, death performed its role the same way when Romeo and Juliet suffer
in each other’s death, the same emptiness that Octavian feels after leading to Cleopatra’s death,
the same envy that causes Claudius to kill King Hamlet’s wife, and the same self-sacrifice of
Beatrice
when Macbeth murders
himself. (author,
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-
shakespeares-tragedies.htm) The essence of death is crafted in the play “Much Ado About
Nothing”, although in the end, this false and short-term death is merely a component to create a
catharsis in the greater resolution which is comedic in every way possible: not only one, but the
marriage of Claudio and Hero, and Beatrice and Benedick, the arrestment of Don John, and the
dancing and merriment to finally conclude the play.
Other repressed tragic elements take place in the play. When Benedick gets in the
dilemma when Claudio somehow disrespects Beatrice to challenge him to a duel, he faces the
same uncertainty that Hamlet faces in his traitor and murderer uncle in the tragedy Hamlet.
However, in the end, Benedick and Claudio do not need to duel because the issue is resolved.
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The play stands as a comedy because of its comedic elements superseding the tragic ones.
In the end, the catharsis for tragedy remains suppressed which diverts it in order to stay as
comedy. Both low comedy and high comedy are used in the play. High comedy uses puns and wit
and is about the criticism of life as seen in the verbal exchange of Beatrice and Benedick in Act I,
Scene i, 115-140. Low comedy, on the other hand, is slapstick comedy, uses malapropisms
wherein a character says something unintentionally and out of confusion as seen in Act III, Scene
iii, 35, wherein Dogberry meant to say “mingle” instead of meddle and “intolerable” instead of
tolerable. Low comedy also focuses on the embarrassment of the characters in a play. Without
enough compensation for the tragic elements, the play cannot stand a comedy. In the end, an
embargo is necessary to slow down the tragic elements from coming.
Of course, we cannot measure the catharsis in each. But we know that the ultimate goal,
the ultimate catharsis comes from comedy rather than tragedy. Because in all essence, the tragedy
in Much Ado is a mere instrument in order to achieve this greater and more momentum to the
long-term comedy. There remains an embargo in the catharsis for tragedy, because the catharsis
for comedy is the main purpose. The telos of the play is comedy. In real life, the masking
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
The Cambridge History of English and American Literature in 18 Volumes, Volume V. The
Drama to 1642, Part One. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons; Cambridge, England:
University Press, 1907–21.
"Much Ado About Nothing." Shmoop: Study Guides & Teacher Resources. Web. 31 Dec. 2010.
<http://www.shmoop.com/much-ado-about-nothing/>.
"SparkNotes: Much Ado About Nothing: Context." SparkNotes: Today's Most Popular Study
Guides. Web. 31 Dec. 2010.
<http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/muchado/context.html>.
"Introduction to Theatre -- Types of Drama -- Comedy." Nova Online Home Page. Web. 31 Dec.
2010. <http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/spd130et/typecomd.htm>.
Jamieson, Lee. "Tragedy, Comedy, History? – A List of Shakespeare’s Plays by Tragedy,
Comedy and History." Shakespeare – Free Shakespeare Resources for Students and
Teachers. About.com. Web. 31 Dec. 2010.
<http://shakespeare.about.com/od/theplays/a/Tragedy_Comedy_History.htm>.
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102046, 104497
Final Paper (Question 3)
LIT14 R08
Violence
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me, an old saying goes.
Indeed, ironic in itself, a lie and a denial that people forge in order to become stronger, but in
reality, words hurt and can sometimes even kill. Language violence can come in many forms such
as: lying, slandering, gossiping and verbal abuse. In the play Much Ado About Nothing, language
is used as a form of violence.
In Act 1, scene 1, 73-75; 78-81 and 84-88, violence, although mild, can be felt for the
first time in the play through the sarcasm of Beatrice towards her feelings for Benedick wherein
she makes fun of him. Beatrice gives an impression that she is annoyed by Benedick and shows
how feisty she can be. This is an act of feminism for her, in a context where women are treated
badly. On the other hand, Benedick shows how peevish his reactions can be when it comes to his
feelings towards Beatrice during their first encounter in Act I, scene i, 116-141.
Aside from Beatrice and Benedick, Don John also gives a hint that violence may be
encountered in the play by saying that he is a “plain-dealing villain” in Act 1, scene 3, 25-35. In
lines 44-46 and 63-67, Don John clearly states that he will indeed cause trouble. Don John first
attempts to cause trouble in Act 2, scene i, 161-180 wherein he lies and tricks Claudio into
believing that his brother, Don Pedro, instead is in love with Hero when the original plan was that
Don Pedro would help Claudio woo Hero.
Don John’s first attempt of causing trouble was a failure and therefore, tries again in Act
3, scene ii, 88-127 to ruin Claudio’s happiness by lying about Hero’s unfaithfulness, leaving
Claudio in disdain, swearing that he would take revenge on Hero by putting her to shame. In Act
4, scene i, 30-113, Claudio indeed takes revenge on Hero by slandering her. He accuses her that
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she is no longer a maiden, puts her to shame and refuses to marry her. In this scene, Hero’s
fainting is indeed proof that words can hurt. Hero was so hurt that she could not bear the pain and
therefore, fainted.
Another instance of violence can be felt in Act 5, scene i, 65-111, wherein Leonato’s fury
towards Claudio and the Prince during their conversation regarding Hero’s “death” leads him to
challenge them to a bloody sword fight.
Language violence is a form of violence that is most used in the play, Much Ado About
Nothing, due to the name-calling, lying, slandering, gossiping and verbal abuse of the characters
as shown above. Not all people recognize how verbal abuse can affect a person greatly. Words
can indeed hurt and sometimes even kill. The play contains violent scenes that are masked by
love in most of the other scenes and is therefore, unnoticeable by the audience. However, if one
looks closely at each of the events that occurred, he or she will notice that the actions of the
characters have violence involved one way or another to the point that one of the play’s themes
could be violence.
REMINDERS:
The violence of Claudio towards Hero: how it can be way an indication of repressed anger: an
anger that can grow
The feministic approach in violence; a battle of the genders
Language is an important tool for expression, but at the same time, it can be an avenue for
repression
As a way to mitigate violence, how? By resorting to it, you cannot hurt the person physically.This
can be seen in Claudio’s scandal on the day of the wedding. Considering that Claudio and Hero
are “persons of little words” (this is stated by Beatrice in a scene)
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Benedick and Beatrice use language violence in order to conceal their emotions
The father of Hero, Leonato, love for her daughter (seen in the latter acts), is never greater and in
the end, it was enough to trigger the happy ending and let Claudio accept the challenge (mitigates
violence in order to create a comedic ending) -- > words are powerful, promises can be triggered
by the guilt that fear in violence can create
When Benedick challenges Claudio, only through words because sometimes words are enough in
order to reveal and prove one’s principles (that Benedick truly loves Beatrice)
The secret evil plots of Don John are all “verbal” in nature, that in the end, misunderstanding of
this verbal language can lead to disastrous effects
A form of “Resistance”
TANGIBLE IDEAS!!
BIBLIOGRAPHY
"Chapter Four: (I) Much Ado about Nothing." Ray Hoole: Doctoral Thesis: D.Litt. Et Phil.
University of South Africa 1989. Web. 31 Dec. 2010.
<http://www.3quavers.co.uk/thesis/ch 41 ado.htm>.
"SparkNotes: Much Ado About Nothing: Study Questions & Essay Topics." SparkNotes: Today's
Most Popular Study Guides. Web. 31 Dec. 2010.
<http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/muchado/study.html>.
Anderson, Kerby. "Verbal Abuse." Leadership University. 14 July 2002. Web. 01 Jan. 2011.
<http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/verbalabuse.html>.
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Allen, Stacy. "Use of Language in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing." Associated Content
from Yahoo! - Associatedcontent.com. 17 Nov. 2005. Web. 01 Jan. 2011.
<http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/13284/use_of_language_in_shakespeares_mu
ch.html?cat=38>.
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