Seminar paper from the year 2005 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 2,0, University of Kassel, course: Shakespeare - Much Ado about Nothing, 10 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: The following paper deals with the comparison of the two relationships in William Shakespeares' Much Ado about Nothing. The first section of the main part contains a short introduction of the author William Shakespeare himself. Furthermore the play itself is introduced with a short description of every important character, a summary of its content, and a brief paragraph about the origine of Much Ado about Nothing as a play. In the first and second section of the main part the four main characters Benedick, Beatrice, Claudio, and Hero are revisualised in detail before their respective relationship is described and analysed. The third section of the main part of this paper handles the comparison of the two partnerships. Here possible similarities and differences will be shown and discussed before a conclusion is drawn in the very last part of the paper. Short-term objective of this paper is to analyse similarities and differences of the two relationships between Benedick & Beatrice and Claudio & Hero. A long-term objective is to find out, which one of the two partnerships fits better into the standard of the Elizabethan age. At the very end of the paper a short perspective shall be given about our point of view concerning the question of which relationship probably lasts longer in the end.

Hidden in the language of Shakespeare's best-loved comedy Much Ado About Nothing are several clues to an intriguing tale. It seems that the witty lovers Beatrice and Benedick had a previous love affair that ended bitterly. But how did they meet? Why did they part? And what brought them together again? When nineteen-year-old Beatrice is brought to live at her uncle's court in Sicily to be a companion to his daughter, she first meets Benedick, a young soldier who is there with a Spanish lord on a month-long sojourn. As they begin to wage their war of wit, their words mask their deep love for one another. But the pair are cruelly parted by misunderstanding and slander. Heartbroken, Benedick sails to England on the ill-fated Spanish Armada. Beatrice returns to her home in the North and an unwanted betrothal. While Benedick must fight for his life on board ship, Beatrice fights for her freedom from an arranged marriage. From the point of view of Beatrice and Benedick we hear the lovers tell their own story, taking us from the sunlit southern courts of Sicily, to the crippled Armada on the frozen northern seas, to the gorgeous Renaissance cities of the north. From Marina Fiorato, author of the acclaimed historical novel The Glassblower of Murano, comes a beautifully imagined Beatrice and Benedick.

35 reproducible exercises in each guide reinforce basic reading and comprehension skills as they teach higher order critical thinking skills and literary appreciation. Teaching suggestions, background notes, act-by-act summaries, and answer keys included.

This volume offers an accessible and thought-provoking guide to this major Shakespearean comedy, surveying its key themes and evolving critical preoccupations. It also provides a detailed and up-to-date history of the play's rich stage and screen performance, looking closely at major contemporary performances, including Josie Rourke's film starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate, Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones at the Old Vic, and the RSC's recent rebranding of it as a sequel. Moving through to four new critical essays, the guide opens up fresh perspectives, including contemporary directors' deployment of older actors within the lead roles, the play's relationship to Love's Labour's Lost, its presence on Youtube and the ways in which tales and ruses in the play belong to a wider concern with varieties of crime. The volume finishes with a guide to critical, web-based and production-related resources and an annotated bibliography provide a basis for further research.