3.1
Now its beatrice's turn to get tricked into falling in
love. Interesting that Hero is a poetry times part in this heavily prose
play. (scaffolding anyone?) and this whole scene remains in verse. a
welcome variation to audience ears.
this scene completely mimics the gulling of Beatrice, but its a
great deal shorter with now musician, etc. My personal favorite line?
If it proves so, then loving goes by haps:
Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps.
If it proves so, then loving goes by haps:
Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps.
(I like to tell Dan that the trap for me was his endless supply of coffee...)
Not
only does beatrice remain in prose, SHE STARTS RHYMING! oh she's got it
bad for sure if such a strong rhyme scheme shows up...
3.2
the scene where everyone teases the hell out of Benedick. Best retort from him?
Well, every one can master a grief but he that has it. Fair statement. Pithy. Point for Benedick.
The teasing continues until Benedick asks to speak privately with
Leonato (it is assumed that he wants to talk of marrying Beatrice)
as
soon as benedick leaves, Don John enters and spoils everyone's fun by
saying he has ill news. He's particularly sparse with his words which
makes them all the more cruel:
DON JOHN
I came hither to tell you; and, circumstances shortened, for she has been too long a talking of, the lady is disloyal.CLAUDIO
Who, Hero?DON PEDRO
Even she; Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's Hero:
leonato's
hero, your hero, every man's hero.... its so slimy sounding! (does
anyone else hear that line and think of the rhythm in Rocky Horror with
"she's lucky, I'm lucky, we're all lucky!"??)
Yet more cruelty:
The word is too good to paint out her wickedness; I could say she were worse: think you of a worse title, and I will fit her to it.
Again, it disturbs me that Claudio seems more apt to believe this
accusation than don pedro... but he joins the club soon enough:
And, as I wooed for thee to obtain her, I will join with thee to disgrace her.
The scene ends with:
DON PEDRO
O day untowardly turned!CLAUDIO
O mischief strangely thwarting!DON JOHN
O plague right well prevented! so will you say when you have seen the sequel.
Ha. the way Don John steals their language to move them forward in his plot for chaos...
3.3
and now we finally get to meet Dogberry... and he bursts on the scene with: Are you good men and true?
DOGBERRY
First, who think you the most desertless man to be constable?First Watchman
Hugh Otecake, sir, or George Seacole; for they can write and read.
comment
It's really quite hard to blog about Dogberry because I think the lines are FAR funnier when heard than when read.... So instead of going through specific lines for the rest of the scene let me say that i think this is one of the hardest parts of the play to get right, but when done right it shines and when done poorly it is painful.
(side note: MLitt/MFA peers: how badly do you want to see Chris Johnston as Verges a la his characterization of Silence from 2 henry IV?!?! or to just have him write a 2 man show for that character because I could watch that for HOURS.)
Of course, as soon as dogberry and Verges leave the watchmen, Borachio and Conrad enter.
It's really quite hard to blog about Dogberry because I think the lines are FAR funnier when heard than when read.... So instead of going through specific lines for the rest of the scene let me say that i think this is one of the hardest parts of the play to get right, but when done right it shines and when done poorly it is painful.
(side note: MLitt/MFA peers: how badly do you want to see Chris Johnston as Verges a la his characterization of Silence from 2 henry IV?!?! or to just have him write a 2 man show for that character because I could watch that for HOURS.)
Of course, as soon as dogberry and Verges leave the watchmen, Borachio and Conrad enter.
We
find out its raining. there's a lot of silly drunken wordplay and
Borachio confesses his villainy and is then promptly taken by the
watchmen. who'd have thought they'd be so effective?!
3.4
commonly referred to as the beatrice
has a cold scene, many productions cut this scene out completely but I
think there are some truly lovely moment.
This scene is full
of the giddyness Hero has about her wedding day and shows off the an all
female space in a way that we rarely see onstage.
Margaret gets a chance to show off her love of bawdy humor/life
choices that makes us understand how she may have thought it normal to
be called Hero by Boraccio during their night time tryst. one example:
HERO
These gloves the count sent me; they are anBEATRICE
excellent perfume.
I am stuffed, cousin; I cannot smell.MARGARET
A maid, and stuffed! there's goodly catching of cold.
oh
margaret, you saucy minx. Margaret also seems to think that what
beatrice needs to cure her cold is a good dose of Benedick. and she
stands her ground.
BEATRICE
What pace is this that thy tongue keeps?MARGARET
Not a false gallop.
the scene ends with the ladies leaving to finish helping hero get ready for her wedding.
3.5
Dogberry
and Verges try to warn Leonato of what Don John is up to but Leonato
doesnt have the patience to really hear them and leaves for the wedding.
Oh leonato, i am about to really hate you for a
while. something fierce.
Dogberry realizes what they need to be understood is to have
someone who can write record their questioning of Borachio. False things
come via word of mouth but the truth comes written down is one of the
odd thematic recurrences in this show...
till next time friends (hopefully tomorrow!)
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