Much Ado About Nothing- Key quotes

What, my dear Lady Distain! BenedickAct 1 Scene 1ExclamativeVocative High class Parallel to “Signoir Benedick”
– Can the world buy such a jewel?- In mine eye she is the sweetest lady that I have ever looked on ClaudioAct 1 Scene 1InterrogativePersonification- malePatriarchal societyIdolisation of Hero through the concrete noun “jewel”Reinforced by the modal verb “can”Superlative “sweetest””looked on”- dynamic verb phrase- appearance and reality
With anger, with sickness, or with hunger, my lord, not with love BenedickAct 1 Scene 1Syndetic triad of noun phrases- shows Benedick’s refusal of love- ironic due to following events
– I hide who I am- I had rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in his grace Don JohnAct 1 Scene 3- appearance and reality
I trust you will be ruled by your father Antonio (to Hero)Act 2 Scene 1Role of women in societyDynamic verb “ruled” suggests overwhelming power- women as property
– Why, he is the prince’s jester: a very dull fool- The prince’s fool! Ha? It may be I go under that title because I am merry Beatrice (to Benedick)Act 2 Scene 1Declarative compound sentenceSocial class”fool”- Benedick falls in love with BeatriceTwo noun phrases mixed in order to make the exclamatory declarative
But that my Lady Beatrice should know me, and not know me BenedickAct 2 Scene 1″my” possessive pronoun suggesting women as property but also Benedick’s feelings for BeatriceDramatic irony- masked ball, appearance and reality
And there shall appear such seeming truth of Hero’s disloyalty BorachioAct 2 Scene 2Appearance and reality Archaic modal auxillary “shall” suggests certainty”disloyalty”- abstract noun- contemporary ideas of morality
Bait the hook well; this fish will bite ClaudioAct 2 Scene 3Dynamic verb- “bait” implying trap- ironic as DJ is planning to trap ClaudioDemonstrative determiner “this” shows targetAnimalistic imagery- suggests vulnerability
This can be no trick BenedickAct 2 Scene 3Gulling sceneDramatic irony
Love me! BenedickAct 2 Scene 4Imperative- order over womenExclamatory declarative- shock, disbelief
Benedick’s monologue Said in proseLess romanticised than Beatrice’s and Claudio in speech
I do spy some marks of love in her BenedickAct 2 Scene 3Dramatic ironyDynamic verb “spy”- reinforces appearance and reality
There’s a double meaning in that BenedickAct 2 Scene 3Dramatic irony- the play is full of puns and double meanings
The false sweet bait HeroAct 3 Scene 1- gulling of BeatriceRepetition of phrase- used as a concrete nounJuxtaposition of the pre-modifying adjectives
Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps HeroAct 3 Scene 1First clause relates to Hero and Claudio and second relates to Beatrice and BenedickBut could be argued that the second also refers to C&H because of the ending
And, Benedick, love on; I will requite thee BeatriceAct 3 Scene 1Imperative “love on”- stative verbUse of the vocative- personal
The lady is disloyal Don PedroAct 3 Scene 2Declarative- certaintyClaudio doesn’t need convincing “lady” as vocative- all that is seen is her social rank
O mischief strangely thwarting! ClaudioAct 3 Scene 2Exclamatory simple sentencePersonification of the abstract noun “strangely”- adverb of manor shows deceptionarchaeic dynamic verb- stopping
You shall comprehend all vagrom men Dogberry Malapropism”apprehend”
– God give me joy to wear it! For my heart is exceeding heavy- ‘Twill be heavier soon by the weight of a man Hero then MargaretAct 3 Scene 4Ironic because Margaret is the one to sleep with BorachioResponsibilities of a woman- male dominance
Whose worth may counterpoise this rich and precious gift? Claudio Act 4 Scene 1InterrogativePre-modifiers relate to Hero’s social class but being used in an ironic way due to what the audience knows about
Take her back again Claudio Act 4 Scene 1ImperativeShows how rank is diminished by the act
That she were a maid by these exterior shows ClaudioAct 4 Scene 1Exclamative and interrogative Paired with harsh sounding alliteration
– Not to be married, not to knit my soul to an approved wanton- savage sensuality ClaudioAct 4 Scene 1Repeated negation of phrases”wanton” archaic concrete noun for a sexually promiscuous woman- shows the importance of virginity
Do not live, Hero; do not open thine eyesBut mine and mine I loves and mine I praised and mine that I was proud on LeonatoAct 4 Scene 1Demonstrates the importance of reputation at the timeRepetition of the possessive pronoun- women as property
Oh, on my soul, my cousin is belied! BeatriceAct 4 Scene 1Shows Beatrice as a more modern moral character Exclamative
– Kill Claudio- Sweet Hero! She is wronged, she is slandered, she is undone BeatriceAct 4 Scene 1Simple declarativeBeatrice shows a moral compassAsyndetic list of simple declaratives
Is our whole dissembly appeared? DogberryAct 4 Scene 2Malapropism “dissembly” collective noun- order and disorderInterrogative
It is in my scabbard: shall I draw it? BenedickAct 5 Scene 1Talking about wit- seen as sharp, punDramatic irony- audience know Benedick’s intentions
You are a villain; I jest not BenedickAct 5 Scene 1Declarative compound sentenceReference to jester from Beatrice’s earlier comment at the masked ball
Done to death by slanderous tongues ClaudioAct 5 Scene 3[Read from a scroll] pre planned atonementAlliteration reinforced brutality
How dost thou Benedick, the married man? Don PedroAct 5 Scene 4InterrogativeAlliteration
July 3, 2019