A humorous or farcical interlude in a serious literary work or drama, especially a tragedy,intended to relieve the dramatic tension or heighten the emotional impact by means of contrast.
Before
The action switches from light hearted comedy to nasty and vindictive trickery.
Don John tells Claudio and Don Pedro that Hero is cheating even though she isn't and Claudio believes it straight away without even asking Hero.
Don John tells Claudio and Don Pedro that Hero is cheating even though she isn't and Claudio believes it straight away without even asking Hero.
NOW
Learn that Dogberry and Verges aren't very good watchman. They mess up on word confusing themselves and others. (malapropism)
Borachio and Conrade enter and, within earshot of the watch, discuss how Borachio earned 1,000 crowns by executing an evil plan for Don John. Borachio then reveals his evening's activity to Conrade, describing how he and Margaret enacted a scene of Hero's infidelity outside her bedroom window. Borachio also tells Conrade how Claudio became angry and swore that he would shame Hero at church the next morning. Just as Borachio finishes his tale, Seacoal and his men emerge from the shadows; the two are placed under arrest and taken offstage.
After
Claudio will shame Hero even though she has done no wrong.
We know that Don John's trickery is likely to be revealed.
Learn that Dogberry and Verges aren't very good watchman. They mess up on word confusing themselves and others. (malapropism)
Borachio and Conrade enter and, within earshot of the watch, discuss how Borachio earned 1,000 crowns by executing an evil plan for Don John. Borachio then reveals his evening's activity to Conrade, describing how he and Margaret enacted a scene of Hero's infidelity outside her bedroom window. Borachio also tells Conrade how Claudio became angry and swore that he would shame Hero at church the next morning. Just as Borachio finishes his tale, Seacoal and his men emerge from the shadows; the two are placed under arrest and taken offstage.
After
Claudio will shame Hero even though she has done no wrong.
We know that Don John's trickery is likely to be revealed.
A03 - Criticism
Take away from Much Ado all that which is not indispensable to the plot, either as having little to do with it or at best like Dogbertt and comrades forced into the service. When any other less ingeniously absurd watchman and night-constable would have answered the mere necessities of the action; take away Benedick, Beatrice, Dogberry and the reaction of the former on the character of Hero, -and what remains? The implication is nothing, or almost nothing: so that the play as a whole has no purpose that it has no unity and failing to show even a thwarted striving toward unity, is most conveniently for the critic resolved into its elements. Coleridge
Any other less ingeniously absurd watchman and night-constable would have answered the more neccessities of the action. Coleridge
Questions
1. What does Dogberry utter so many "malaprops"? Identify three such misusages of words?
- "First who think you the desartless man to be constable?" (desartless malapropism for deserving meaning the complete opposite."
- "This is your charge: you shall comprehend all vagrom men;" (comprehend malapropism for apprehend)
- "You are thought here to be the most senseless and fit man for the constable of the watch." (senseless malapropism for sensible)
2. What is the serious social problem underlying the satire on Dogberry and his all volunteer watch?
The serious social problem is that the police are ineffective they want to do as little work as possible and think that they cannot be associated with people such as thieves because honest men such as they are should not mix with dishonest men. They also do not wanna deal with anything if it did happen so if they see a vagrant they don't have to run after him if he doesn't stop because it is no longer their problem.
3. What seems to be Dogberry's primary concern in his instructions to the volunteer watchmen?
Dogberry's primary concern is not having to be disturbed from his sleep and have to deal with anyone. He may also be a really lazy person who has no cares at all about anyone else but himself and so if the other watchmen do not disturb him then he has had what he wanted.
4. How are the watchmen able to discover what Borachio has done? How much do they understand of what they have found out?
The watchmen are able to discover what Borachio has done by overhearing the conversation Borachio has with Conrade telling him about how he got 1,000 crowns by executing an evil plan for Don John. They don't understand any of what they have heard they just know it is wrong somehow. This is because although Borachio did the crime he wasn't the perpetrator and Conrade was only hearing about it from Borachio so didn't know about it until the watchman learnt about it.
5. From what we learn from Borachio's account of the deception how was he able to fool the Prince and Claudio?
From Borachio's account of the deception we learn that the Prince and Claudio didn't really see Hero messing around with another boy but instead it was him and Margaret who were doing it to fool Claudio into thinking it was Hero. We also learn that he only did it because he was paid good money by Don John, which links to when Don John says that 'You may think I love you not; let that appear hereafter, and aim better at me by that I now will manifest.' because he is showing that he doesn't love Claudio because he is trying to ruin his relationship.
This scene enforces ideas about appearance. So long as one seems to be doing the right thing then that is all that is important. Consider how all the male characters do very little other than 'talk'.
ReplyDeleteThe 'truth' is uncovered in this scene, not through any action but through the watch doing 'nothing'. Even then they misunderstand what is actually happening (much like most of the characters in the play).