Blog 5: Leonato's and Brabantio's similarities

In Act 1, Scene2, Brabantio accuses Othello of stealing Desdemona and using magic to get her to marry him. Brabantio says, "O thou foul thief", and " Damned as thou art, thou has enchanted her, for I'll refer me to all things in sense, if she in chains of magic were not bound". Clearly, Brabantio has an issue with Othello's race above anything else. Throughout the beginning of the play, Othello is presented in a negative way by a few different characters. Iago uses the term,"The Moor", when referring to Othello. In Shakespeare's day, they used this term to describe any African with dark skin. Blacks were viewed as wicked with negative associations. Roderigo shares Iago's views toward Othello, referring to him as "The Black Ram" and making reference to his "thick lips" in act 1, scene 1. This is unfortunate because Othello is a well rounded, powerful man who did seem to have genuine intentions for Desdemona.
The relationship between Desdemona and Othello bothers Brabantio because he does not feel that "The Moor'', who he views as animalistic, is not a suitable match for his daughter. Of course, to Brabantio, Desdemona is "tender, fair and happy"(act 1, scene 2).
This scenario is similar to Much Ado About Nothing. Like Brabantio's perception of Desdemona, Leonato sees Hero as being pure, kind, and gentle. But when he hears of the accusations regarding his daughters sexual conduct, he is distraught. However, unlike Brabantio, Leonato is honored to give his daughter's hand to the admirable Claudio. That is until Claudio's true colors show. Though the story lines are different, the two plays are similar in that they tackle some touchy issues; race, and the purity of women.

Blog #4: Claudio Blew It!

From the beginning of the play, it seems evident that Claudio is enfatuated with Hero. Unfortunately for the two parties, enfatuation and love are two totally different things. One can question Claudio's true feelings for Hero on more than one occasion. For example, his interest in Hero being the only heir to Leonato leads to questions of whether there are other motives that spark Claudio's interests in the young lady. Also, the fact that Claudio is so easily manipulated by Don John, without seeking CONCLUSIVE evidence on two separate occasions, leads me to believe that he does not feel strongly enough for Hero to actually love her. If he did, he would have had Don John prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was the woman having sexual relations with Borachio. He also shouldn't have believed that Don Pedro would make a move on Hero for himself at the masked ball.
It becomes obvious that Claudio is shallow and insincere in Acts 4 and 5. First, at the wedding ceremony in Act 4, Claudio's outburst was out of line. He tells Leonato, "Take her back again. Give not this rotten orange to your friend." Claudio's rejection of Hero is designed to inflict as much pain as possible, and Hero's and Leonato's reaction to it seem to make things worse.
The last straw is in Act 5. After falling into a state of shock and anger, Leonato challenges Claudio to a duel, as an attempt to avenge his daughters death. Claudio mocks this challenge, claiming that Leonato is too old to fight. He then adds fuel to the fire when he tells Benedick of his recent encounter with Leonato (Act 5. Scene 1, Claudio says to Benedick: We had like to have had our two noses snapped off with two old men without teeth).
Perhaps Claudio has become jaded from war, but his suspicious nature and passion for revenge makes him an unsuitable match for the kind, gentle Hero. He does not deserve a second chance.

Blog #3: Benedick over Claudio as the stand up guy

Early in the story, Claudio and Benedick seem like polar opposites when it comes to love and women. Claudio is the eager one, falling madly in love with Hero, while Benedick curses love and the idea of giving his heart to only one woman. Claudio has the characteristics of a great protagonist. He is the kind lord of Florence who has won great acclaim for fighting under Don Pedro. His vulnerable nature toward love makes him very likeable.
Although Benedick doesn't share Claudio's passion for love and commitment, he is also a very likeable character. He is constantly performing for the benefit of others. This makes it difficult to realize whether or not he has been in love with Beatrice from the beginning of the play. Nevertheless, it is Benedicks wittiness that makes him a great character.
At the end of the day, Benedick is the true hero. Claudio proves to be disrespectful and unforgiving once he learns of Hero's affairs. Claudio should not believe a known villain like Don John. If he loved hero as much as he led on, then he would have questioned the accusations, instead of writing his love off so easily.
On the other hand, Benedick remains loyal to Beatrice, once he is convinced of her love for him. He even leaves his services to Don Pedro and challenges Claudio to a dual after Hero's disgrace, showing his loyalty to Beatrice and her family. Benedick clearly proves to be the stand up guy in the end.

Beatrice is an excellent wife for Benedick

Throughout the play, Beatrice and Benedick are deceiving themselves into believing they feel nothing for each other. Because the arguments between them are so "witty", the audience is led to believe that their disdain for each other is not sincere. The fact that Beatrice and Benedick are dismissive of the opposite sex and believe that they will stay unattached forever only magnifies their similarities and supports Don Pedro's belief that they are meant to be together. This self deception that they show is becomes even more apparent in act 2, scene 1, the scene at the masked ball. Benedick's desire to find out what Beatrice truly thinks of him is a certain sign of his interest in her. Leonato is also doubtful of Beatrice's commitment to single life. He hopes that she will one day find a husband. Also, throughout the first two scenes, it is evident that Don Pedro and Leonato have Beatrice and Benedick's best interests at heart and would not try to match them up if they didn't feel they were right for each other. Clearly, Leonato does not share Don Pedro's passion when it comes to uniting Beatrice and Benedick ( Leonato says to Don Pedro: "My Lord, I am for you, though it cost me ten nights' watchings". Meaning that Don Pedros plan will keep leonato up for nights.) Still, Leonato is on board with the plan. Finally, at the end of act 2, scene 1, Don Pedro's praise of Benedick upon Hero is a way to enlighten Beatrice of Benedick"s "noble strain", and "approved valor".

Shakespeare's World Life and Death

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Shakespeare's World Life and Death

After reading "Shakespeare's World", it is difficult to imagine how anyone could enjoy the theatre at a time of such hardship, restriction, violence and morbidity. With an average life expectancy under thirty years in the 1500's, how could anyone have any aspirations or dreams? Especially with little hope on the horizon. It's shocking how a world with no antiseptics, limited understanding of disease, food shortages, and a plague could produce history's greatest playwright. I was also surprised to hear of the cruel and unusual punishment that took place during the Shakespeare era. From something as little as a slapping to a beheading or hanging, people clearly had less regard for human life than they do today. What's even more disturbing is that people found these events as a form of entertainment, as nearly twenty to thirty people a day were executed in front of large crowds. Finally, It was shocking to realize how certain social and cultural ideas in the 16th century do not differ much from the present day. For example, Executions of convicts in America today allow for an audience. Families of a murder victim can watch a man or woman die in the electric chair. It may not be as primitive as watching a hanging but the same concept applies. Also, five centuries after the English had divided the population into two groups, "rich" and "poor", we still continue this idea of "groups" in a society consisting of upper, lower and middle class. I don't believe it is a coincidence that Shakespeare's tragedies emerged later in his career. Perhaps he became more aware of the problems existing in his era and knew there would be little to know change regarding health, politics, family values, and other issues during his lifetime. Clearly in history, movies and plays have served as a portal for people to escape the harsh realities of everyday life, enabling them to imagine a worse, or dream of a better life. It is surprising to me that Shakespeare could have such a passion for his craft and deliver his visions so artistically in such a grim world.

Shakespear's World Life and Death