Much Ado Act I: Who wants to cast me as Beatrice?!?!?!

While I think 12th night is the best of Shakespeare's comedies, Much Ado is still my favorite. I first read this for pleasure and because one of my teachers said I would fall in love with Beatrice- and I did. instantly. Beatrice is one of my dream roles and I knew from the moment I read this play I could never marry someone who wouldn't verbally spar with me or who couldn't keep up with my wit. So Dan can thank Benedick for being a major influence on "my type". 

 

1.1

I learn in this letter that Don Peter of Arragon comes this night to Messina.

*note- most versions of the text have pedro. apparently the mit online souce doesnt like the spanish influence?

Dr. Cohen likes to think of this play as the men from Love's Labour's Lost all grown up and coming to the turf of the ladies, and this first line certainly sets that as the main point of action (I won't say much more on his theory since we haven't gotten to LLL yet, but if you're curious/don't already know it, remind me to talk about it when we get to LLL)

right off the bat we get the idea that happy times must be here because we've just gone through a military action and when asked about the people lost the response is: 

But few of any sort, and none of name.

This same messenger also gives us the first description of Claudio: doing, in the figure of a lamb, the feats of a lion: 

I mentioned that this play is my favorite though perhaps not the best. Its not. It is by no means the perfectly fitted ticking time piece that some of shakespeare's plays are (that's how Giles Block described the Tempest). The seems show. Some may even say there is bad writing in some scenes. example- in this scene we hear Claudio has an uncle who has wept with joy to hear of his exploits and honor. We never hear of this uncle again, but i'm glad that loose end is in there because it allows Leonato to have this line:

A kind overflow of kindness: there are no faces truer than those that are so washed. How much better is it to weep at joy than to joy at weeping!

Quick! someone stitch that on a handkerchief and sell it for weddings!

Of course, Beatrice doesn't much care about what Claudio's done so she asks the messenger to report on Benedick instead. She then immediately starts teasing the man before the audience is introduced to him:

 I pray you, how many hath he killed and eaten in these wars? But how many hath he killed? for indeed I promised to eat all of his killing.

According to Beatrice, Benedick is more of an talker than a fighter.

Messenger

I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books.

BEATRICE No; an he were, I would burn my study. 

 

the first time I read this play, I remember quite clearly that THAT was the line that convinced me that surely beatrice and benedick were going to get together, or at the very least it was obvious she was in love with him. because not only do i not believe for  a second that beatrice would burn books, and.. she's just so wonderfully playful about her taunting! and if I was instantly in love with her, Benedick would have to be a huge idiot not to fall for her too... and this is a comedy for pete's sake! you know there's a wedding coming! Things just get better when we get to the first verbal sparring of the couple:

BEATRICE

I wonder that you will still be talking, Signior Benedick: nobody marks you.

BENEDICK

What, my dear Lady Disdain! are you yet living?

BEATRICE

Is it possible disdain should die while she hath such meet food to feed it as Signior Benedick? Courtesy itself must convert to disdain, if you come in her presence.

BENEDICK

Then is courtesy a turncoat. But it is certain I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted: and I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart; for, truly, I love none.

Does anyone else's brain automatically add "only you excepted" to the end of that line? because I think rhetorically its just begging you to fill in that blank. In fact, i think that is one of the things I love about this play so much. it is constantly asking you to fill in the blanks. More examples of this throughout this entry and the rest on this play...

But let's get back to the fabulousness of beatrice and how much I relate to her, such as how she expresses my sentiments exactly (well, what they were until I met Dan):

I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.

Amen. and why else do I love her? BECAUSE SHE WINS! anyone who knows me well knows i have an almost cripplingly competitive nature sometimes (ok, some of you are laughing at the way I even dared include sometimes as a qualifier. I get it!) but seriously... she bests benedick with wit practically every time and the only way he can win is by cheating:

BEATRICE

A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours.

BENEDICK

I would my horse had the speed of your tongue, and so good a continuer. But keep your way, i' God's name; I have done.

BEATRICE

You always end with a jade's trick: I know you of old.

The woman wins the war of wits- GOD I WANT TO PLAY HER!!!

Shortly after that, the women and the rest of Leonato's house exits the stage leaving only the three musketeers of bromance times. Benedick immediately starts teasing Claudio about his fawning over hero and asks

But I hope you have no intent to turn husband, have you?

Turn husband. SUCH a good phrase. almost as good as "I would wife that" anthimeria is my favorite rhetorical device. 

But that isn't enough to prove his point so Benedick continues:

That a woman conceived me, I thank her; that she brought me up, I likewise give her most humble thanks: but(...) Because I will not do them the wrong to mistrust any, I will do myself the right to trust none; and the fine is, for the which I may go the finer, I will live a bachelor.

OK... so now we know that Benedick's manly man I want to be single forever air may stem from some trust issues huh? Meanwhile, Claudio is not listening to any of Benedick's teasing and explains that this feeling for Hero is different than what he had for her before. I also think the switches in this play from poetry to prose and back again are fascinating and I'd love to hear from actors/directors who have worked on a full production if they make anything of it, if there's a pattern, or if it just means that the prose pieces required more time to memorize ;)

anyway, here's what Claudio has to say about his feelings for Hero: 

When you went onward on this ended action,
I look'd upon her with a soldier's eye,
That liked, but had a rougher task in hand
Than to drive liking to the name of love:
But now I am return'd and that war-thoughts
Have left their places vacant, in their rooms
Come thronging soft and delicate desires,

So... according to this speech, love makes a man soft (common theme/assertion throughout the canon. thoughts? Is that necessarily a bad thing?) I also think this speech reinforces what we learned during Romeo and Juliet. Its awfully hard for love to flourish during a time of war. Don Pedro steps in to offer his grand plan to get Claudio and Hero to the altar... and... well... read for yourselves:

I will assume thy part in some disguise
And tell fair Hero I am Claudio,
And in her bosom I'll unclasp my heart
And take her hearing prisoner with the force
And strong encounter of my amorous tale:
Then after to her father will I break;
And the conclusion is, she shall be thine.
In practise let us put it presently.

WHAT?! HOW DOES THIS MAKE SENSE AT ALL?! WHY does this need to happen? it doesnt. its useless 3rd party drama but if you have any qualms about it... in performance they are often resolved by how ridiculous and fun the mask is that you forget how STUPID this plan really is since there's no indication that Claudio is a Cyrano who needs other people to voice his love...

1.2

A short scene where Antonio and Leonato talked. another loose end: apparently antonio has a son we never hear about again Antonia talks about overhearing don pedro's great plan in his orchard (hmmm eavesdropping in an orchard... that will come in handy later...) except eaves dropping quickly leads to untruths and Antonio thinks it is the prince who is trying to woo hero, and not claudio who is in love and is allowing the prince to woo on his behalf

1.3

We get to know the villain of the story: Don John.

CONRADE

What the good-year, my lord! why are you thus out
of measure sad?

DON JOHN

There is no measure in the occasion that breeds;
therefore the sadness is without limit

OK.... so we have a villain without a reason... but who apparently loves alliteration:  apply a moral medicine to a mortifying mischief

We find out from Don John's buddy conrad that he should cool his bad attitude because he's already been bad toward his brother Don Pedro who has already forgiven him once. Hmmmm dear don pedro fool me once shame on you fool me twice... is there an addendum to this saying for fool me a third time?!

Then there's this line that I have a fondness for ever since I heard Stephen Booth talk about it:

I had rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in his grace

It's easy enough for Don John to find a way to cause trouble because Don Pedro's plan is so ridiculous and easily manipulated. So let's get past this villain introduction and get to the mask! Hopefully i'll have act 2 up tomorrow now that All My Sons is up and running (hence the delay between Hamlet and this play- tech week is exhausting!! But Dan and I are truly loving being a part of this production and hope to see any of you local readers at a performance.) 

oh, and your media clip of the day:

 

Who's excited? skeptical? doesn't care what could go wrong because they are such a die hard Joss Whedon fan?