Much Ado about Nothing Moments
Moment Context Themes Characters Quotes & Notes
KEY QUOTES Messina is a haven Love Beatrice “In time the savage bull doth bear the yoke”.
TO KNOW for war. At Relationships Don Pedro
beginning of play Honour Benedick
characters have Happiness Don John
returned from war. Shame Claudio
Setting for love. Friendship Hero
Shakespeare uses Deception Leonato
Italy to set 14 out Transformation (&Antonio)
of 37 of his plays. Marriage Dogberry
Vanity (&minor
Gender characters)
Humour
MOMENT 1 Link to Orlando Love Beatrice “I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear
he loves me” (Beatrice)
Opening Furioso, as both Relationships Benedick ->
scene (Act 1, male leads are Transformation
“A predestined scratched face” (Benedick)
scene 1) returning from war, Gender ->Saying that Beatrice is a beast whom scratches men’s faces
Roggero and
“Scratching could not make it worse, and ‘twere such a face
Bradamente of yours were” (Beatrice)
compares to ->
Beatrice and
“A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours”
Benedick. (Beatrice)
Both plays written ->
within 100 years of “I would my horse have the speed of your tongue”
each other = (Benedick)
->
society had similar
views on love.
MOMENT 2 Love Benedick “I noted her not, but I looked on her” (Benedick)
->
Benedick + Relationships Claudio
Claudio Friendship “No, I pray thee speak in sober judgement” (Claudio)
->
discussing Marriage
Hero (Act 1, Transformation “Can the world buy such a jewel?” (Claudio)
->her superficial beauty is that of a jewels.
scene 1)
“Yea, and a case to put into” (Benedick)
->
“In mines eye she is the sweetest lady that ever I looked on”
(Claudio)
->
“I can see yet without spectacles, and I see no such matter”
(Benedick)
->
MOMENT 3 Don John is a Deception Don John “I am a plain dealing villain” (DJ)
->
Borachio and malcontent Borachio
Don John (and (Elizabethan - (Conrade) “I would rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in his
grace” (DJ)
conrade) Jacobean era type ->
make the plan of character in
“That young start up hath all the glory of my overthrow if I
for Claudio’s plays) as he is can cross him anyway, I bless myself everyway” (DJ)
demise (Act 1, discontented with ->
scene 3) social structure and
“I have decreed not to sing in my cage. If I had my mouth, I
is an outsider would bite” (DJ)
(ostracized). ->
MOMENT 4 Love Beatrice "That I was disdainful, and that I had my good wit out of 'The
Hundred Merry Tales' " (Beatrice)
Masked ball Relationships Benedick ->
B&B (Act 2, Deception
"Why he’s the prince’s jester, a very dull fool" (Beatrice)
scene[ 1) Vanity ->
Humour
“His only gift is in devising impossible slanders" (Beatrice)
->
"For he both pleases men and angers them" (Beatrice)
->
“That I was the prince’s jester”. (Benedick)
Moment Context Themes Characters Quotes & Notes
KEY QUOTES Messina is a haven Love Beatrice “In time the savage bull doth bear the yoke”.
TO KNOW for war. At Relationships Don Pedro
beginning of play Honour Benedick
characters have Happiness Don John
returned from war. Shame Claudio
Setting for love. Friendship Hero
Shakespeare uses Deception Leonato
Italy to set 14 out Transformation (&Antonio)
of 37 of his plays. Marriage Dogberry
Vanity (&minor
Gender characters)
Humour
MOMENT 1 Link to Orlando Love Beatrice “I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear
he loves me” (Beatrice)
Opening Furioso, as both Relationships Benedick ->
scene (Act 1, male leads are Transformation
“A predestined scratched face” (Benedick)
scene 1) returning from war, Gender ->Saying that Beatrice is a beast whom scratches men’s faces
Roggero and
“Scratching could not make it worse, and ‘twere such a face
Bradamente of yours were” (Beatrice)
compares to ->
Beatrice and
“A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours”
Benedick. (Beatrice)
Both plays written ->
within 100 years of “I would my horse have the speed of your tongue”
each other = (Benedick)
->
society had similar
views on love.
MOMENT 2 Love Benedick “I noted her not, but I looked on her” (Benedick)
->
Benedick + Relationships Claudio
Claudio Friendship “No, I pray thee speak in sober judgement” (Claudio)
->
discussing Marriage
Hero (Act 1, Transformation “Can the world buy such a jewel?” (Claudio)
->her superficial beauty is that of a jewels.
scene 1)
“Yea, and a case to put into” (Benedick)
->
“In mines eye she is the sweetest lady that ever I looked on”
(Claudio)
->
“I can see yet without spectacles, and I see no such matter”
(Benedick)
->
MOMENT 3 Don John is a Deception Don John “I am a plain dealing villain” (DJ)
->
Borachio and malcontent Borachio
Don John (and (Elizabethan - (Conrade) “I would rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in his
grace” (DJ)
conrade) Jacobean era type ->
make the plan of character in
“That young start up hath all the glory of my overthrow if I
for Claudio’s plays) as he is can cross him anyway, I bless myself everyway” (DJ)
demise (Act 1, discontented with ->
scene 3) social structure and
“I have decreed not to sing in my cage. If I had my mouth, I
is an outsider would bite” (DJ)
(ostracized). ->
MOMENT 4 Love Beatrice "That I was disdainful, and that I had my good wit out of 'The
Hundred Merry Tales' " (Beatrice)
Masked ball Relationships Benedick ->
B&B (Act 2, Deception
"Why he’s the prince’s jester, a very dull fool" (Beatrice)
scene[ 1) Vanity ->
Humour
“His only gift is in devising impossible slanders" (Beatrice)
->
"For he both pleases men and angers them" (Beatrice)
->
“That I was the prince’s jester”. (Benedick)
