SENIOR ENGLISH 243:
WEBSITE:
www.alanreinstein.com
Shakespeare
Name:
email: alan_reinstein@newton.k12.ma.us
Much Ado About Nothing
google.docs: reinsteina@newton.12.ma.us
READING #2: 2.1
2.1: The Dance

How does Beatrice see the “excellent man” as a combination between Don John (Count John here) and Benedick
(17)

1.
Beatrice’s vision of love, shared with Hero, is explained as “wooing, wedding, and repenting” (18). How does she
elaborate on it?

2.
How does Beatrice respond to Leonato’s hope to see her “one day fitted with a husband” (18)?
In the masked dance, there are four pairs—Don Pedro/Hero; Balthasar/Margaret; Antonio/Ursula; and
Benedick/Beatrice. Don Pedro, pretending to be Claudio in disguise, will try to woo Hero. Pay attention to Beatrice
and Benedick—and how Beatrice insults Benedick as a jester. (20)
How does Don John, pretending to think that Claudio is Benedick, poison Claudio’s ear at the ball? (21) And explain
what Claudio means by saying the “all hearts in love use their own tongues” (21)—OR How is it that “beauty is a witch”
(21)? Why does he say, “Farewell, therefore, Hero!” (21)?

Note the vehemence with which Benedick rails against Beatrice, whom he thinks has spoken ill of him to Don Pedro.
Why does he ask Don Pedro to “command me any service to the world’s end” (23)?
3.
Beatrice to Don Pedro (about Benedick): “…therefore your grace may well say I have lost it” (24). What could she be
referring to, regarding her relationship with Benedick?
4.
Don Pedro solves Don John’s plot very quickly and easily on page 24. How?

5.
What reasoning does Beatrice use to reject Don Pedro’s (possibly serious) offer, “Will you have me, lady?” (25)?
Explain the “Hercules’ labour” (25) that Don Pedro plans at the end of the scene for the time that he will be hanging out
in Messina.
Critical Thinking—Choose ONE of the following prompts to respond to.
Prompt A: LOGICAL REASONING/MAKING INFERENCES (drawing inferences or conclusions that are supported in or
justified by evidence). Beatrice speaks to Don Pedro on page 24 about a possible past relationship she had with
Benedick. Infer a scenario in which Benedick “lent” Beatrice his heart for a while.
RESPONSE:
Prompt B: DISCRIMINATING—RANKING (recognizing differences and similarities among things or situations and
distinguishing carefully as to category or rank). Choose a line or passage from the reading that stands out for you for
ANY reason (maybe it’s puzzling). Be sure to cite its line number(s) and explain why it’s so important either to
the story or to you.
LINE/PASSAGE:
RESPONSE:
\