Much Ado About Nothing: Act 1

A few days ago I put on hold a copy of No Fear Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing from the library. My entire library system has one copy of this book, which was checked out but said it was due on the 9^th. It is now the 14^th and the online catalogue is showing the same thing. And yes, I’m being cheap and reading No Fear Shakespeare because I want to understand it. That’s the whole point of this thing.

So today I ventured into the attic to get down our own home copy of Much Ado, which I promise you was only in the attic because I had forgotten its perfection since the 10^th grade.  And I couldn’t find the box it was in and so now, at least for now, I’m relying on the text on the internet.

This version is the real deal, no convenient modern-language translation on the side accompanying me on my journey back to 1598. Luckily for me, I know the story well so hopefully this shouldn’t be too hard.

Act 1, Scene 1: We are introduced to the main characters of the show; first, the family of Leonato, the governor of Messina, which includes his daughter, Hero, and his niece, Beatrice. Beatrice lives with her uncle Leonato and is like a sister to Hero, of whom she is very protective. It is established that she has an ongoing antagonistic relationship with a popular young soldier, Benedick. Her very first line in the play is asking if he’s back from the war. She mocks him, but he’s the only one she asks after. While everyone else likes him, Beatrice, for a reason not initially established, is annoyed by him, and the fact that everyone likes him so much further annoys her. But everyone likes her, too, even though her outspoken nature would be unusual for a young woman of the time. Benedick arrives with the rest of the military company, including the prince of Aragon, Don Pedro, and Claudio, Benedick’s good friend, and Benedick and Beatrice immediately pick up where they’ve clearly left off, in a rapid-fire battle of insults. Meanwhile, Claudio has taken note of Hero, whom he knew a little the last time he was in Messina, but didn’t see in a romantic light until now. He asks Benedick what he thinks of her, but Benedick is not quite as overtaken with feeling as Claudio. In fact, Benedick notes that Beatrice is way more beautiful than Hero, saying, “There’s her cousin, an she were not possessed with a fury, exceeds her as much in beauty as the first of May doth the last of December.” Are you swooning? Because I am. But don’t expect him to be getting married any time soon. He is dead set against marriage, and is disappointed that Claudio, who held more or less the same opinion as him, is beginning to change his mind. But Don Pedro is much more into the idea than Benedick, and he tells Claudio that he will woo Hero for him in disguise at the masquerade ball later that night.

Best quotes:

Leonato: “How many gentlemen have you lost in this action?” Messenger: “But few of any sort, and none of name.”

“Has anyone died?” “Oh, no one important."

Messenger: “I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books.” Beatrice: “No; an he were, I would burn my study."

            I don’t know. I just think this is one of her best insults.

Also please enjoy two pieces of foreshadowing regarding Beatrice and Benedick.

FIRST: Don Pedro says to Benedick “Thou was ever an obstinate heretic in the despite of beauty”. Meaning that Benedick still holds his stubborn opinions of love even when there’s a beautiful woman. And which woman did Benedick literally just say was beautiful? Beatrice, obviously.

AND THEN: Don Pedro says to Claudio “Thou wilt be like a lover presently and tire the hearer with a book of words.” This quote refers to the idea that lovers talk to each other so much that they drive everyone around them crazy. Which is ironic, considering Claudio and Hero barely talk to each other at all (Don Pedro woos Hero for Claudio, for goodness' sake!); meanwhile, who cannot shut up but Beatrice and Benedick?

Act 1, Scene 2

In this short little scene, Leonato’s brother, Antonio, tells Leonato that he overheard Don Pedro and Claudio talking about how one of them is interested in Hero, but he thinks it’s Don Pedro that loves her. Leonato says that he isn’t going to ask him about it but wait for him to bring it up first.

Act 1, Scene 3

Another short scene. Don John’s “henchman” Borachio has also overheard Don Pedro and Claudio, but he gets the message right that it is Claudio that likes Hero. Don John sees an opportunity to cause chaos, which he is looking to do since Claudio has taken all of the glory from the war that Don John believes is his own.

Best quotes:

Don John: “Will it serve any model to build mischief on?”

            This is like the most innocent sounding threatening statement ever. Probably solely due to the use of the word ‘mischief’.

Don John [referring to Hero]: “A very forward March-chick."

What does this mean and why is it so funny to me?

Update: Apparently it means that she's young.