Much Ado About Nothing-Follow the Action
For the next few weeks the blog posts will be based on Shakespeare's play, "Much Ado About Nothing." Unfortunately we are reading the Pelican Shakespeare published by Penguin Books instead of watching a movie version:
There's two to choose from!:
The prompt for this blogpost is:
Choose a challenging passage from Act I, and follow the action. Explain your process of following the action and then write the passage in your own words using contemporary English.
The beginning of Much Ado About Nothing is the most challenging to follow the action because many of the characters are on stage and speaking. At times it becomes difficult to tell who is talking and to whom they talking too. My plan to follow the action was to pay more attention to the script and what is going on.
Lines 87-111
Leonato: My niece, you will not go mad from catching Benedick.
Beatrice: No, not if January were to become hot.
Messenger: Don Pedro has arrived.
(Don Pedro, Claudio, and Benedick come onto the stage)
Pedro: Signor Leonato you welcome trouble by meeting my party. The rest of the world avoids trouble, you meet it..
Leonato: Trouble does not come from your visits, your Grace. When trouble leaves, there is comfort. When you leave, there is only sorrow and no happiness.
Pedro: You take your duties too willingly. (Looks at Hero) I believe this is your daughter.
Leonato: Her mother has told me many times that she is my daughter.
(Benedick interjects)
Benedick: Did you doubt she was your daughter that you had to ask her mother?
Leonato: Of course not, Signor Benedick. You were only a child when my daughter was born so I know she is mine.
Pedro: Ah, he got you Benedick! Leonato knows your reputation with women. It is obvious who her father is. Be glad, lady. You look like an honorable man, your father.
Benedick: If Signor Leonato is her father she would not want to look like him for all of Messina.
(Beatrice interjects)
Beatrice: Why are you still talking, Signor Benedick? No one is paying attention to you.
Benedick: Ah, Lady Disdain! Are you still alive?
Beatrice: How can Disdain die when there is so much food provided for her by you, Signor Benedick? Courtesy must become Disdain when she is around you.
Benedick: Then Courtesy is a traitor. But it is true that all the ladies love me, except you. If I could, I wish that I did not find myself to have a hard heart because I love no women.
Beatrice: Women are lucky because you would be a hurtful suitor. Thank God and my own cold blood that I am like you. I would rather listen to my dog bark then listen to a man swear he loves me.
Benedick: I hope God keeps you like that or some gentleman will find his face scratched by you.
Beatrice: Scratching a face like yours would not make it look any worse.
Benedick: Well, you are teaching me just like a parrot would parrot my own words.
Beatrice: A bird that talks like me is better than the beast that you are.
Benedick: I wish my horse was as fast and nonstop as your talk. In God's name, stay the way you are. I am done.
Beatrice: You get away again with the same trick. I know you and your tricks.
The prompt for this blogpost is:
Choose a challenging passage from Act I, and follow the action. Explain your process of following the action and then write the passage in your own words using contemporary English.
The beginning of Much Ado About Nothing is the most challenging to follow the action because many of the characters are on stage and speaking. At times it becomes difficult to tell who is talking and to whom they talking too. My plan to follow the action was to pay more attention to the script and what is going on.
Lines 87-111
Leonato: My niece, you will not go mad from catching Benedick.
Beatrice: No, not if January were to become hot.
Messenger: Don Pedro has arrived.
(Don Pedro, Claudio, and Benedick come onto the stage)
Pedro: Signor Leonato you welcome trouble by meeting my party. The rest of the world avoids trouble, you meet it..
Leonato: Trouble does not come from your visits, your Grace. When trouble leaves, there is comfort. When you leave, there is only sorrow and no happiness.
Pedro: You take your duties too willingly. (Looks at Hero) I believe this is your daughter.
Leonato: Her mother has told me many times that she is my daughter.
(Benedick interjects)
Benedick: Did you doubt she was your daughter that you had to ask her mother?
Leonato: Of course not, Signor Benedick. You were only a child when my daughter was born so I know she is mine.
Pedro: Ah, he got you Benedick! Leonato knows your reputation with women. It is obvious who her father is. Be glad, lady. You look like an honorable man, your father.
Benedick: If Signor Leonato is her father she would not want to look like him for all of Messina.
(Beatrice interjects)
Beatrice: Why are you still talking, Signor Benedick? No one is paying attention to you.
Benedick: Ah, Lady Disdain! Are you still alive?
Beatrice: How can Disdain die when there is so much food provided for her by you, Signor Benedick? Courtesy must become Disdain when she is around you.
Benedick: Then Courtesy is a traitor. But it is true that all the ladies love me, except you. If I could, I wish that I did not find myself to have a hard heart because I love no women.
Beatrice: Women are lucky because you would be a hurtful suitor. Thank God and my own cold blood that I am like you. I would rather listen to my dog bark then listen to a man swear he loves me.
Benedick: I hope God keeps you like that or some gentleman will find his face scratched by you.
Beatrice: Scratching a face like yours would not make it look any worse.
Benedick: Well, you are teaching me just like a parrot would parrot my own words.
Beatrice: A bird that talks like me is better than the beast that you are.
Benedick: I wish my horse was as fast and nonstop as your talk. In God's name, stay the way you are. I am done.
Beatrice: You get away again with the same trick. I know you and your tricks.
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