EDUCATORS PACKET

Relevant Age Groups: High School

Synopsis:
William Shakespeares comedy, Much Ado About Nothing is the story of two pairs of lovers, Hero and Claudio and Beatrice and Benedick. Beatrice and Benedick have been conducting a merry war, sniping at each other for as long as they know each other but in reality they are in love. After Benedick returns from war, a series of events causes Benedick and Beatrice to declare their love for each other and in the end marry. Hero and Claudio have just come together as a couple but a plot from Don Jon threatens to tear them apart. Joseph Papp has taken this well-known story and transformed it into an American story that takes place at the turn of the 20th century, just as soldiers are coming back from the SpanishAmerican War but before World War I.

Pre Show Preparation:

It is not necessary for students to have read Much Ado About Nothing but as language has not been changed from when Shakespeare wrote it, a read through and discussion of the play will be helpful to the understanding of the play. Topics of Discussion: Topic of Discussion 1: How language is used by the characters to battle between each other? If a character is not a master of words and wit (such as Beatrice and Benedick) what tools do they use to combat one another? Our Take: Language is the weapon of choice for Beatrice and Benedick. They use their words to hurt each other. A lot of the plot in the play is driven based on what characters overhear and believe to be true. Claudio hears that Hero is confessing her love for others and decides to confirm it himself. Don Jon uses trickery to have Hero speak to someone thinking they are Claudio. Furthermore Beatrice and Benedick are together because Benedick overhears others talking about Beatrices love for him. It is false, but they are using words to get the together. Topic of Discussion 2: The quest for love in the play: How some of the women in the play wish to be married off while Beatrice is prepared to never marry. The resistance of marriage (Benedick and Beatrice) Falling in love The duplicity of love and the games played to achieve them Our Take: Beatrice voices very loudly to any who will hear her desire to not be tied down by those who are lesser than her. To her, that means basically all men that ever existed. Hero on the other hand is a romantic. She cant wait for the day she falls desperately in love with someone. In fact her courtship with Claudio is rather quick. It is safe to assume that experience has turned Beatrice into who she is, she doesnt trust the

love of others, especially Benedick. Benedick and Beatrice are both resisting marriage but when they hear of their love for each other they quickly put aside their previous thoughts to be together. It is of course implied that they were in love all along and where just having a toddle romance, teasing each other to show affection. This does raise the question though of how strong is the foundation of their relationship when they were brought together based on the trickery of others. How accurately can we trust their words when they declare their love for each other. Topic of Discussion 3: Differences in genders How different genders regard marriage and go about seeking it How women in the play are at the mercy of the men around them o What are the exceptions to this? Our Take: The men are allowed to be bachelors. The women on the other hand are expected to marry and when Beatrice refuses, those around her at first laugh at her jokes but eventually talk to her. They want to see her married and happy. Her uncle especially wishes that she find someone to take care of her happiness. Hero, young and vulnerable is a lot more ready for this type of relationship, Beatrice, who has had more life experiences, is more reluctant to be at the mercy of other. Topic of Discussion 4: Joseph Papp and the quest for Shakespeare accessible to everyone: What you need to know: Joseph Papp established the New York Public Theater with the intention to provide free Shakespeare to in New York City. "Papp loved Shakespeare, but disliked traditional productions and distrusted the ideas of most Shakespeare Scholars. His goal was to create an American style of acting Shakespeare with multiracial casts and verse spoken conversationally. (Lennox) He wanted actors to speak in regional or ethnic accents instead of trying to sound like members of the Old Vic, he hoped that this would allow Americans to sympathize more with the plays and allow Shakespeare to become a more common household enjoyment. Papp wanted to get rid of "the Shakespeare buff, reared on the operatic style of Shakespearian elocution[who] buries his feelings in the syrup of language'"(Lennox). Topic of Discussion 5: Discuss the evolution of the English Accent in both America and England from the American Revolution Our Take: See Wolchover in Further Reading

Post Show Discussion:

Were the tough minded women of the 16th Century Sicily different from the women of 1910 America? Discuss Post Spanish-American War America What are the similarities and differences between the 20th Century relate to 16th Century? How does this relate to this adaptation.

How does Shakespeare portray the transition of Beatrice and Benedick from loves mockers to loves victims? How would Dogberry tell the story? Do you think people would have acted that way in 1910? Would Beatrice have fainted away? Do you think that this version is accessible? Why? Why not?

Further Reading:
Bloom, Harold., and Michael G Cornelius. Much Ado About Nothing. New York: Bloom's Literary Criticism, 2010. Hogg, Richard M., N. F Blake, Roger Lass, and R. W Burchfield. The Cambridge History of the English Language. Cambridge ; New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press, 1992 Wolchover, Natalie. "Why Do Americans and Brits Have Different Accents?" 2012, January 09. <http://www.livescience.com/33652-americans-brits-accents.html> Lennox, Patricia. "Joseph Papp."Brown, John Russell. The Routledge Companion to Directors' Shakespeare. London; New York: Routledge, 2008.