Much Ado about nothing Reflection

ch Ado About Nothing Reflection In our grade ten English class we studied the book Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. I found this book interesting to read because it was different from any other Shakespeare book I had ever read. Before this play I had only learned about tragedies but some of the parts of this play that I understood I found funny. I found this book very interesting because it was easy to follow and many lessons to be learned. In this play there are many things to be learned from it even though it is from over 400 years ago.
The language that this play is written in is sometimes hard to understand but with some reading over and careful thought, I understood. I think that because of the time that it was written in, the language is suitable for circumstances that happen in this play. The language in the 21st century has dramatically changed since the time of Shakespeare. I think the value of learning about this old play is to gain an understanding of the language and time of these people. This play was written in a time where women and men did not always choose who they got married to.
Women did not have the same rights as men in the shakespearian time, therefore most women had arranged marriages. Men were allowed to do whatever they please, but women were expected to be put together all of the time. A family’s reputation could be ruined by the action of one daughter, sister ect. In today’s society people do things that wouldn’t even be imaginable back then. We are surrounded by a society telling us that chastity is not important, that is something you would never hear of in the Shakespearean time. While read the play, Much Ado About Nothing, the importance of a foil character became clear.

While Hero and Claudio seem to be the main characters, Benedick and Beatrice mirror there love story. They seem to go through the same types of conflict and in the end everything is resolved. Also while reading this play, the theme of marriage as a form of entrapment for women becomes visible. Hero, being the only daughter of Leonato, would be able to inherit her father’s possessions if she married. Also marrying into a higher status was very traditional. By Hero marrying Claudio his status would be raised. This play, Much Ado About Nothing, is classified as a comedy.
I believe that this is a comedy because of the the numerous jokes, lacking of deaths, and the marriage. A classic Shakespearean comedy consists of a conflict being resolved and a marriage. In this case it was a double wedding, Hero and Claudio’s and Beatrice and Benedick’s. The theme of our year, healing broken relationships, fits well with this play. After Claudio accuses Hero of being of unfaithful, Hero and her family must forgive Claudio for his false accusation. Leonato does forgive him and gives Hero to be his wife. There is a happy marriage at the end of the play and all relationships were healed.