Inside Shakespeare’s mind:

‘Much Ado About Nothing’

Rightfully as the play's title suggest, there is nothing much about to croak about and why Shakespeare had to write such a play. There is no substitute for performance of Shakespeare plays and on and oft, this great playwright has been caught flatfooted upon his plays he could have improved as well as stabilised the characters involved.

Such is the comedy of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ which ends with a double wedding. A loosely knotted comedy and an eavesdropping cast of characters, why Shakespeare had to flip flop his way through this very amateurish play. To begin with, it has no story value except for disguises and deceptions. False reports abound and a conspiracy planned. A little bit of Romeo and Juliet essence when Friar Francis tales Hero and Claudio through marriage.

Beatrice is appalled at what she heard about herself.

So much like Falstaff stepping out in front of the chronicle figures in Henry IV Benedick and Beatrice have a right royal fighting war. This is the rule in this patrician comedy dominated by eavesdropping. The play is a work of glittering artifice based on an Italina tale but it needs a large dose of style performance which it lacks. Otherwise, the directors were not interested in boarding it. Directors often have sought to change the period and put into British Regency fashions. For example, Italy in the mid 19th century, Sicily in 1890 along with Latin America. But the great surprise for the play came from post-mutiny India in some counterparts in Simla or Darjeeling. A recent West End production had Benedick dancing with Beatrice in 1920s Wild West Ball.

However, nothing damaged the play and critics were varying over its changing face year after. Bernard Shaw in 1905 stood strongly opposed and preferred to dismiss it as ‘a hopeless story, pleasing only to lovers of the illustrated papers.’ One passage becomes a test of technique, the moment after the spurning of Hero when Benedick and Beatrice are left alone.

Benedick - Lady Beatrice, have you wept all these while

Beatrice - Yea, and I will weep a while longer

Ben. - I will not desire that.

Bea. - You have no reason, I do freely

Ben. - Surely, I do believe your fair cousin is wronged.

Bea. - Ah, how much might the man deserve of me that would right her?

Ben. - Is there any way to show such friendship

Bea. - A very even way, but no such friend

Ben. - But may a man do it.

Bea. - It is a man's office but not yours

Ben. - I do love nothing in the world so well as you. Is not that strange

Bea. - As strange as the thing I know not. It were as possible for me to say I loved nothing so well as you. But believe me not and yet I lie not. I confess nothing. Nor I deny nothing. I am sorry for my cousin..

- Act. IV Sce. I

Synopsis

The Governor of Messina, Leonato, hosts the Prince of Arragon, Don Pedro, who returns after repressing a rebellion by his bastard brother, Don John, but presently he is reconciled with him.

Claudio the young Floertine lord of whom John is bitter and resentful along with a Paduan lord, Benedick supposed to be a confirmed bachelor are involved with Leonato's niece, Beatrice who is also regarded as a confirmed spinster. However, Claudio is in love with Leonato's daughter, Hero. Don John swears to thwart him. The wedding of Hero and Claudio is planned after a masked ball. A follower of Don John, Borachio tells him that having seen Prince and Claudio listening, he will exchange love vows by night with hero's governess, dressed in her mistress's clothes.

Hero, Ursula and Margeret set a trap for Beatrice.

The plan is set for Pedro, Claudio and Leonato to ensure that Benedick hears them (hidden in a garden arbour) discuss Beatric's presumably passionate love for him. Hero and Ursula play a similar trick.

Leonato's Garden......

Ursula - Yet, tell her of it, hear what she will say

Hero - No, rather I will go to Benedick and councel him to fight against his passion. And truly I will devise some honest slanders to stain my cousin with. One doth not know how much an ill world may empoisn liking....

- Act. III Sce. I

Don John offers to give the Prince and Claudio proof of Hero's unfaithfulness before the wedding. Borachio boasts about his successful deceit to a drunk friend and is arrested by a Watch and taken to Dogberry. The wedding ceremony is due before Leonato knew anything. In the church Hero faints when Claudio denounces her. Disappointed, prince and Claudio leave. Disbelieving the charges, Friar Francis proposes that it should be reported that Hero is dead but hidden somewhere until the truth is known. The highly grieved Beatrice begs Benedick to kill Claudio. At least, everything is revealed and the penitent Claudio promises to marry a niece of Leonato believed to be an exact image of Beatrice. She of course is Hero herself who has come out of hiding. Don John has been taken prisoner.

Exceedingly popular in early years, much ado about nothing was a play acted at Court during the festivities of the marriage of Princess Elizabeth. Until 1721 the play remained in the repertory but in 1748, Drury Lane mounted it with Pritchard as Beatrice. Again Drury Lane revived in 1788.

Thus the play was staged on and oft until 1979 when the Old Vic stepped in while it was under Stratford-Upon-Avon. Many renowned actors slipped in and out of this drama, elevating its acting power of characters. Zefferlli was outstanding in his presentation though it exhausted him at the Old Vic in 1965. New York Shakespeare Festival too launched it in 1988 in Central Park with Kevin Kline and Blythe Danner whose magnetic popularity extended the play. I have no idea whether this was adopted for a film or televised. In Opera, Hector Berlioz scored Beatrice et Benedict in 1862 and was well received by opera fans.

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