Much Ado About Nothing: Language and Writing

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, British, Nonfiction, Entertainment, Drama, Shakespeare
Cover of the book Much Ado About Nothing: Language and Writing by Indira Ghose, Bloomsbury Publishing
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Indira Ghose ISBN: 9781472580993
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Publication: November 16, 2017
Imprint: The Arden Shakespeare Language: English
Author: Indira Ghose
ISBN: 9781472580993
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication: November 16, 2017
Imprint: The Arden Shakespeare
Language: English

Much Ado About Nothing presents a world of glittering surfaces and exquisite social performances. The language of the play sparkles with a fireworks of wit and dazzling bouts of repartee, most memorably in the "merry war" of words between the reluctant lovers, Benedick and Beatrice. A closer look at the language of the play, however, reveals it to be laced with violence and charged with the desire to humiliate others. Wit is deployed as a weapon to ridicule one's opponent; much of the humour circulates incessantly around the theme of cuckoldry, a major source of male anxiety in the period. The most drastic use of language is to slander Hero by accusing her of a lack of chastity - an accusation that spelt social death for a woman in the early modern age. The death that Hero feigns mirrors accurately the devastating effects of the assassination of her character by the smart set of young noblemen in the play.

This study guide focuses on examining the array of the uses of language that the play displays, and probes into the ideas about language that it explores. The book looks at key film versions of the play by Kenneth Branagh and Joss Whedon which are often used on courses, whilst also offering practical questions and tips to help students develop their own critical writing skills and deepen their understanding of the play.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Much Ado About Nothing presents a world of glittering surfaces and exquisite social performances. The language of the play sparkles with a fireworks of wit and dazzling bouts of repartee, most memorably in the "merry war" of words between the reluctant lovers, Benedick and Beatrice. A closer look at the language of the play, however, reveals it to be laced with violence and charged with the desire to humiliate others. Wit is deployed as a weapon to ridicule one's opponent; much of the humour circulates incessantly around the theme of cuckoldry, a major source of male anxiety in the period. The most drastic use of language is to slander Hero by accusing her of a lack of chastity - an accusation that spelt social death for a woman in the early modern age. The death that Hero feigns mirrors accurately the devastating effects of the assassination of her character by the smart set of young noblemen in the play.

This study guide focuses on examining the array of the uses of language that the play displays, and probes into the ideas about language that it explores. The book looks at key film versions of the play by Kenneth Branagh and Joss Whedon which are often used on courses, whilst also offering practical questions and tips to help students develop their own critical writing skills and deepen their understanding of the play.

More books from Bloomsbury Publishing

Cover of the book Iwo Jima 1945 by Indira Ghose
Cover of the book The Grass Won't Grow Till Spring by Indira Ghose
Cover of the book Patrick Marber's Closer by Indira Ghose
Cover of the book Building Toys by Indira Ghose
Cover of the book Basics Marketing 02: Online Marketing by Indira Ghose
Cover of the book Agency and Participation in Childhood and Youth by Indira Ghose
Cover of the book The Frog Princess Returns by Indira Ghose
Cover of the book Canadian Corps Soldier vs Royal Bavarian Soldier by Indira Ghose
Cover of the book American Coastal Defenses 1885–1950 by Indira Ghose
Cover of the book A Global History of Convicts and Penal Colonies by Indira Ghose
Cover of the book A Comparative Analysis of Cicero and Aquinas by Indira Ghose
Cover of the book Panzerjäger vs KV-1 by Indira Ghose
Cover of the book In Their Own Words by Indira Ghose
Cover of the book The Poets of Alexandria by Indira Ghose
Cover of the book Surrealism in Egypt by Indira Ghose
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy