Compare the beginning of the novel and Sinises film version Of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Compare the beginning of the novel and Sinises film version Of Mice and Men Essay The opening of the novel and the film differ from each other in many ways. The film has a tense and dramatic start where as the novel is set in a quiet and peaceful woodland area as Steinbeck sets the scene in clear detail. The film opens with a haunting, chilling melody lingering in the background of a black screen with white credits appearing for several minutes. Sinise puts the credits at the beginning rather than at the end so that he adds to the drama at the beginning and doesnt ruin the ending with them. As the music fades the black background remains with the occasional, faint beam of moonlight, streaming through the open cracks in the wagon of a train. The camera shot focuses on a lonely figure, crouched in the corner, looking by the expression on his face as if he has the weight of the world on his shoulders, as the frequent train whistles drown out his thoughts. This makes the audience curious about who the man is, which makes them want to watch on to find out the identity of this mysterious character. Suddenly the film explodes into colour in a dramatic style as a panic-stricken woman, with her dress ripped, runs towards a group of men working on a ranch. The next clip is of the group of men, carrying guns on horseback, all laden in denim chasing two apparently un-armed men. These two men are Lennie and George, who are racing through the grassy shrubs of the plains. A sense of danger and menace is created as George is continually looking over his shoulder and dragging Lennie along as the men on horseback continue to hunt the two men. We later realise that this is symbolic of the two mens relationship, as George always has to look over his shoulder in real life. It symbolises a mother always looking over her shoulder to see if her baby is all right. Both of the men fall into a stream and hide under the overgrown reeds and grass from the prairie. The men pass by the stream and this causes a sense of excitement and tension within the audience. The first close up on Lennie shows us his big, frightened eyes, worried like a child, with his dilated pupils reflecting the sunlight. The heavy breathing stops but both men remain silent, and as time goes by the crickets begin to chirp and the audience get a chance to get their breath back. It then goes back to a train noise and by this time night has fallen. Both men jump onto a train, Lennie goes first and is hoisted up by George; this is symbolic of a mother picking up her child after it has fallen down, or is struggling to get up. Lennie tells George that he is tired, so George tells him to lie down and go to sleep. Lennies jacket is wet so George helps him to take it off. This action is symbolic of the mother/child relationship that the two men have. George takes Lennies jacket off like a mother undressing a child. The beginning of the novel is very different as Steinbeck sets the scene in clear detail. He creates a very quiet and peaceful atmosphere by using phrases such as fresh and green with every spring and the leaves lie so deep and so crisp that a lizard makes a great skittering if he runs among them. Unlike this, the film shows an exciting chase in a tense and dangerous atmosphere. The first time you see Lennie and George in the novel they are calmly walking through the trees and peacefully drinking from the pool. His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself down as he drank from the surface of the green pool. This is another symbol of Lennie behaving like a child. On the other hand when we first see Lennie and George in the film they are running away from a gang of rampant ranchers, seething for their blood. In the film they are both wearing different clothes. George is wearing denim and Lennie is wearing dungarees to make him look like a big kid. This differs from the novel as Steinbeck has the two men in identical dress. Both were dressed in denim trousers and in denim coats with brass buttons. Also they both wore black shapeless hats. The end of the novel is also very different to the end of the film. At the end of the novel Lennie hides in the bush where George said it was safe. While he waits he hallucinates and sees an enormous rabbit appear and speaks to him, telling him that he has done wrong and has let George down for all that he has done for him. Then his Aunt Clara appears and starts scolding him for his behaviour. This does not happen in the film as the audience may loose attention and it takes the edge off the seriousness of the atmosphere, that Sinise tries to create. At the end of the film George is looking for Lennie, trying to reach him before the angry mob do and painfully kill him. George runs to find Lennie, running as at the beginning of the film, but this time running by himself, running and falling, which is symbolic of his prediciment with Lennie. George finally finds Lennie wandering at a cut by the stream. Lennie runs to George and falls over in the water by Georges feet. Lennie persists to cuddle George like a child cuddling its mother. There is a long focussed camera shot of George and Lennie in the water. This is the first time we see George taller than Lennie and this is symbolic of the parent/child relationship they have with each other. The camera focuses on them for several seconds to emphasise this aspect of their relationship and to show how close the two men are. In the novel the two men are not in the water when they cuddle and there is no indication that George is bigger than Lennie. They are both on the banks near to the water. Sinise just adds this part in to the film to make it look as if Lennie has just fallen over emphasising his helplessness. In the novel Lennie asks George to tell him the story of how it is gonna be, and after several attempts George shoots him in the head and helps him die painlessly and with a certain amount of dignity. At the sound of the shot the men appear and surround George. They think there has been a struggle and George has shot Lennie in self-defence, only Slim realises what has really happened. Although George is left all alone there is the possibility that Slim and he will develop a closer friendship. Many changes were made from this original ending in the film version. When George was telling Lennie the story of how it was gonna be he shoots him first time after Lennie says and I get to tend the rabbits. Lennie, who was crouched on his knees, is curled up like a baby or an embryo with George standing over him after he had been shot. Once again this is symbolic of the mother child relationship between them and also symbolises Lennie being like a child. The final camera shot on them both expands on a large shot of the pool where George told Lennie it was supposed to be safe. The audience visualises the trust Lennie had in George and this is emphasised in this scene. The next shot goes back to the beginning where it is George who was on the train sitting in the corner lonely and isolated. He has a flashback and remembers the good times that he and Lennie had. In this flashback they both walk side by side, smiling and laughing, Lennie puts his arm around George like a child wanting affection from his mother. This caption is in slow motion to make the audience remember how good the friendship was between the two and to make the audience feel sorry for the lonely George. It then goes silent, the picture fades to a black screen and it ends. Another major difference between the novel and the film is the way in which Curleys wife is portrayed. In the novel she is pictured as a flirtatious tart, where as in the film she is depicted as pretty and only gently flirts. In the novel she is seen as being a tart. She had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red. Her hair hung in little rolled clusters, like sausages. She wore a cotton house dress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers. This extract clearly shows that she is unsuitably dressed for her surroundings. She wore backless shoes (mules) with ostrich feathers on the instep, with a red dress. This was not the clothing you would expect to be worn on a ranch. She only dresses this way so the men pay attention to her because she is bitterly lonely. In the film Curleys wife is seen as very different to this as she has a very pretty face and is only slightly flirtatious, whereas in the novel she blatantly flirts with Lennie. When she asked Lennie what had happened to Curleys hand, Lennie immediately looks at Candy for help and with no reply, he turns his gaze downwards towards his lap. This shows the reader a side of Lennie that is trying to reach out for help like a young child. Needing guidance he vaguely replies, Curley got his hand caught in a machine. Curleys wife laughed Ok machine. Ill talk to you later. I like machines. She picks out Lennie as he is the weakest and probably the most likely to fall for her charm due to his mental immaturity. Again she persists to flirt with Lennie when the four are talking about George. Lennie says Thats the guy, and hes gonna let me tend the rabbits, to which Curleys wife adds Well if thats all you want, I might get a couple rabbits myself. She comes across as very manipulative in this pa rt of the novel. In the film, she seems very lonely, and director Sinise adds a scene, which is not in the novel. In this scene Curleys wife tells George and Lennie of how Curley broke all of her records, which are her only company. This makes the audience feel sorry for her, as she is very lonely as if she has lost all of her friends. In the novel the reader sees Curleys wife as being lonely, but they do not feel sorry for her as she has a very nasty nature. An example of this is when she is in Crooks room and continually calls the men bindle stiffs and bindle bums. She says, they left all the weak ones here. She repeats this vicious nature when saying, Standin here talking to a bunch of bindle stiffs a nigger an a dum-dum an a lousy ol sheep an likin it because they aint nobody else. Crooks tells her to get out of his room and she bombards him with a vicious racial assault saying, Listen Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it aint even funny. This inner personality is only released when she is most lonely, as she believes that Curley cannot satisfy her emotionally or physically, in a marriage she is in to escape a spiral of her self-loneliness. This results in her need to lust for the other men on the ranch, as this may be her only chance to find the happiness she secretly yearns for. This tone that she speaks to people in is exempt from many parts of the film as the director tries to make the audience feel sorry for her, whilst in the novel you are made to think that she deserved to be killed due to the way she threatened Crooks. I feel Sinise did this to make you feel sorry for her when she dies and to bring Georges killing of Lennie into a deeper prospective. The age of Curleys wife also differs in both the novel and the film. In the novel Curleys wife is merely the tender age of fifteen/sixteen, whilst in the film she is portrayed as a much older and more mature age. My personal favourite between the novel and the film, is the novel as it is an epic and thrilling read. I think that the film version is very emotional, and the director Sinise portrays the novel in a different way, although the detail and description of the film can never compare with the original novel. You will find that in most cases the film cannot reproduce the same empathy and imagination used when the author first creates their masterpiece.

The revolt of Israel congregation against Aaron and Moises Essay

The pericope that I choose for this reflection paper is Numbers 17:1-13. This pericope is the last in the series of three narratives about the revolt of Israel congregation against the high priest position of Aaron and the leadership of Moses. The first revolt came from Korah. Korah was a member of the tribe of Levi, the same tribe of Aaron (Exodus 6:16-20). Korah’s rebellion is not merely a personal attack on Aaron but also on his appointed-by-God priesthood. The second revolt led by Dathan and Abiram and the 250 other lay leaders defied and rejected the leadership of Moses. These revolted leaders have a very democratic argument, which is the will of the people must have higher authority than the leadership appointed by God. God answers by kill all the leaders and the followers of these two revolted parties. All those events establish the context for the text in Numbers 17:1-13. In this pericope, God instructs Moses to set up one final test in order to show His approval for A aron’s prietshood. This final test is intended to put an end to the people’s questioning and challenging of the authority of both Aaron and Moses. In this final test, Moses is instructed to take a staff from each tribal leader. The name of each leader is written on his staff. Aaron’s name is inscribed on the staff represents for the Levi tribe. Moses puts all these staves in the Tent of Meeting before the Lord. The next morning, Moses comes to the Tent and the staff of Aaron is sprouted, budded, blossomed and produced ripe almonds. There is something interesting in the way the text describes the staff of Aaron. The text does not simply say the staff of Aaron reaches the final stage of the production cycle and has ripe almond fruit on it. The text lists in det... ...ope that Jesus will come back in the same way He was lifted into heaven (Acts 1:11). The message of this pericope for Christian today is very clear that is honoring your spiritual leaders even when they fall short of fulfilling their callings. God gives salvation universally available for all, but God elects some to save and among whom He saves, He calls a few to lead. There are always failures and corruptions waiting to happen in the ministries of whom God calls to lead, that is inevitable. God wants Christian to honor their spiritual leaders not because who they are but because what they do. A true spiritual leader does two main things: preach the Word of God (Hebrews 13:7) and care for the souls of other Christians (Hebrews 13:17). As long as a spiritual leader commits to do these two things, the church as the God’s people ought to submit to his leadership.

Pregnancy And Breastfeeding Essay

Lisa and her husband have decided that they are ready to prepare for their first child. Lisa is 26 years old, weighs 125 pounds and is 5’6†. Lisa has been reading everything she can find on pregnancy because she knows that her prepregnancy health is important to the success of her pregnancy. She knows she should avoid alcohol, especially because alcohol is potentially toxic to the growing fetus in the first weeks of pregnancy, and she could become pregnant and not know about it right away. Lisa is not a smoker and does not take any medications. Although, she does drink 4 cups of coffee per day and drinks 3 diet cokes each day. She has already modified her diet to include some extra protein, along with more fruits and vegetables. She has always taken the herbal supplements glucosamine for her joints and ginseng for energy. She recently started taking an over-the-counter vitamin and mineral supplement. Lisa has always kept in good shape by running and yoga, and is admittedly worried about gaining too much weight during the pregnancy. She plans to continue exercising throughout her pregnancy. Answer the following questions. Women during pregnany do not recive the proper nourishment of vitamin and mineral supplemts. It is reccomended that they take a prental multiviamin mineral supplement due to the lack of calories, protein, folic acid, vitamin d, calcium, iron, iodine, and zinc in their diets. Deficiencies of these nutrients can result in deficiencies in infants such as low birth weight and reduced head size. I would recommend that Lisa should reduce her coffee and soda intake as they consist of high caffeine. Heavy caffeine use (in animal studies) showed reproductive problems such as mis carriage and birth defects. It would be safe for her to eat up to 12 ounces of fish such as tuna or salmon. The four types of fish that she should avoid are shark, swordfish, kings makerel, and Tilefish which they all contain high levels of meurcury. Consumtion of these products during pregnancy can lead to developmental delays and brain damage. It is common for pregnant women to experience morning sickness and constipation due to hormonal changes in the 1st trimester. I recommend that Lisa eat small frequent meals, eat dry crackers, and avoid food with odors to prevent nausea and vomitting. If she is undergoing constipation, the hormonal changes slow down the GI tract. She should have a high fiber diet and consume at least 8 glasses of fluids a day anlong with exercise daily.

Andrew Cunningham - Admiral Andrew Cunningham - World War II - Royal Navy

Andrew Browne Cunningham was born January 7, 1883, outside Dublin, Ireland. The son of anatomy professor Daniel Cunningham and his wife Elizabeth, the Cunninghams family was of Scottish extraction. Largely raised by his mother, he began schooling in Ireland before being sent to Scotland to attend the Edinburgh Academy. At the age of ten, he accepted his fathers offer of pursuing a naval career and left Edinburgh to enter the Naval Preparatory School at Stubbington House. In 1897, Cunningham was accepted as a cadet in the Royal Navy and assigned to the training school aboard HMS Britannia at Dartmouth. Highly interested in seamanship, he proved a strong student and graduated 10th in a class of 68 the following April. Ordered to HMS Doris as a midshipman, Cunningham traveled to the Cape of Good Hope. While there, the Second Boer War began ashore. Believing there to be an opportunity for advancement on land, he transferred to the Naval Brigade and saw action in Pretoria and Diamond Hill. Returning to sea, Cunningham moved through several ships before commencing sub-lieutenants courses at Portsmouth and Greenwich. Passing, he was promoted and assigned to HMS Implacable. World War I Contributions Promoted to lieutenant in 1904, Cunningham passed through several peacetime postings before receiving his first command, HM Torpedo Boat #14 four years later. In 1911, Cunningham was placed in command of the destroyer HMS Scorpion. Aboard at the outbreak of World War I, he took part in the failed pursuit of the German battlecruiser SMS Goeben and cruiser SMS Breslau. Remaining in the Mediterranean, Scorpion participated in the early 1915 attack on the Dardanelles at the beginning of the Gallipoli Campaign. For his performance, Cunningham was promoted to commander and received the Distinguished Service Order. Over the next two years, Cunningham took part in routine patrol and convoy duty in the Mediterranean. Seeking action, he requested a transfer and returned to Britain in January 1918. Given command of HMS Termagent in Vice-Admiral Roger Keyes Dover Patrol, he performed well and earned a bar for his DSO. With the end of the war, Cunningham moved to HMS Seafire and in 1919 received orders to sail for the Baltic. Serving under Rear Admiral Walter Cowan, he worked to keep the sea lanes open to newly independent Estonia and Latvia. For this service, he was awarded a second bar for his DSO. Interwar Years Promoted to captain in 1920, Cunningham moved through a number of senior destroyer commands and later served as Fleet Captain and Chief of Staff to Cowan in North America and West Indies Squadron. He also attended the Army Senior Officers School and the Imperial Defense College. Upon completing the latter, he received his first major command, the battleship HMS Rodney. In September 1932, Cunningham was elevated to rear admiral and made Aide-de-Camp to King George V. Returning to the Mediterranean Fleet the following year, he oversaw its destroyers which relentlessly trained in ship handling. Raised to vice admiral in 1936, he was made second in command of the Mediterranean Fleet and placed in charge of its battlecruisers. Highly regarded by the Admiralty, Cunningham received orders to return to Britain in 1938 to assume the post of Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff. Taking this position in December, he was knighted the following month. Performing well in London, Cunningham received his dream posting on June 6, 1939, when he was made commander of the Mediterranean Fleet. Hoisting his flag aboard HMS Warspite, he began planning for operations against the Italian Navy in case of war. World War II Contributions With the beginning of World War II in September 1939, Cunninghams primary focus became protecting the convoys that supplied British forces in Malta and Egypt. With the defeat of France in June 1940, Cunningham was forced to enter into tense negotiations with Admiral Rene-Emile Godfroy regarding the status of the French squadron at Alexandria. These talks were complicated when the French admiral learned of the British attack on Mers-el-Kebir. Through skillful diplomacy, Cunningham succeeded in convincing the French to allow their ships to be interned and their men repatriated. Though his fleet had won several engagements against the Italians, Cunningham sought to dramatically alter the strategic situation and reduce the threat to Allied convoys. Working with the Admiralty, a daring plan was conceived which called for a nighttime airstrike against the Italian fleets anchorage at Taranto. Moving forward on November 11-12, 1940, Cunninghams fleet approached the Italian base and launched torpedo planes from HMS Illustrious. A success, the Taranto Raid sank one battleship and badly damaged two more. The raid was extensively studied by the Japanese when planning their attack on Pearl Harbor. In late March 1941, under heavy pressure from Germany to halt the Allied convoys, the Italian fleet sortied under the command of Admiral Angelo Iachino. Informed of enemy movements by Ultra radio intercepts, Cunningham met the Italians and won a decisive victory at the Battle of Cape Matapan on March 27-29. In the battle, three Italian heavy cruisers were sunk and a battleship damaged in exchange for three British killed. That May, following the Allied defeat on Crete, Cunningham successfully rescued over 16,000 men from the island despite taking heavy losses from Axis aircraft. Later War In April 1942, with the United States now in the war, Cunningham was appointed to the naval staff mission to Washington, DC and built a strong relationship with the Commander-in-Chief of the US Fleet, Admiral Ernest King. As a result of these meetings, he was given command of the Allied Expeditionary Force, under General Dwight D. Eisenhower, for the Operation Torch landings in North Africa late that fall. Promoted to admiral of the fleet, he returned to the Mediterranean Fleet in February 1943 and worked tirelessly to ensure that no Axis forces would escape from North Africa. With the conclusion of the campaign, he again served under Eisenhower in commanding the naval elements of the invasion of Sicily in July 1943 and the landings in Italy that September. With the collapse of Italy, he was present at Malta on September 10 to witness the formal surrender of the Italian fleet. Following the death of the First Sea Lord, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound, Cunningham was appointed to the post on October 21. Returning to London, he served as a member of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and provided overall strategic direction for the Royal Navy. In this role, Cunningham attended the major conferences at Cairo, Tehran, Quebec, Yalta, and Potsdam during which plans for the invasion of Normandy and the defeat of Japan were formulated. Cunningham remained First Sea Lord through the end of the war until his retirement in May 1946. Later Life For his wartime service, Cunningham was created Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope. Retiring to Bishops Waltham in Hampshire, he lived in a house that he and his wife, Nona Byatt (m. 1929), had purchased before the war. During his retirement, he held several ceremonial titles including Lord High Steward at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Cunningham died in London on June 12, 1963, and was buried at sea off Portsmouth. A bust was unveiled in Trafalgar Square in London on April 2, 1967, by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in his honor. Sources Antill, Peter,  Admiral Sir Andrew Browne Cunningham, 1883 - 1963.â€Å"Biography of Andrew Cunningham.†Ã‚  Royal Naval Museum, Royal Naval Museum Library, 2004.

Was Justinian A Good Or Bad Emperor - 881 Words

Was Justinian a good or bad Emperor In almost any leader in history we can see a combination of good and bad qualities. The Byzantine emperor Justinian was such a leader he was born a peasant and had a 40 year reign, two years before taking the throne he married Theodora who was a former concubine, he exhibits traits showing both great talents and great personality flaws. Emperor Justinian is sometimes referred to as the last of the Roman Emperors and he desired to return Rome to all of her former glory. He studied and learned from the mistakes of the former Roman Emperors, he developed a large cavalry of horses and an extensively large Navy. He wanted to take back the Western Roman Empire from the Germanic people and succeeded in his conquests as he retook much of the Mediterranean basin. Emperor Justinian’s developed a well-oiled machine and he believed that the Germans practiced a mutated form of Christianity that the Roman Church considered sacrilegious. He did not waste any time and sent his military to reclaim much to the western empire that had been lost after the battle of Adrianople and the fall of Rome, this even included the beloved city of Rome. Since Justinian was loyal to Rome he felt that hit was his duty to reduce this threat and return Rome to the Roman rule. Justinian had a sincere wish to restore the glory of ancient Rome and improve the empire but the means to which he attempted to accomplish this were devastating to his people. With the increase in hisShow MoreRelatedThe Secular Leaders From The Catholic Church1245 Words   |  5 Pagesfaith? What were the positives and negatives of each? The Christian faith was effected differently dependent upon the king at the time, and the changes they decided to make. Sometimes for the positive and sometimes for the negative. Originally the Church and the Roman Empire in the East worked closely together. 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Women And Queen Guenevere And The Wife Of Baths Tale

Throughout history, women have drastically changed ever since the Middle Ages to present-day. Women from the medieval times weren’t able to do what men are doing now: work because there are some women that look up to a man’s lifestyle. Before the time of having their own rights, they were often expected to do ‘womanly’ duties: clean, cook, pleasure their husband, etc. However, in the case of Queen Guenevere and ‘The Wife’, the two ladies were very loving and independent during their time. A women from the medieval times, who is known as ‘The Wife’ from a poem called The Wife of Bath’s Tale is married to five men at the age of twelve-years-old: three young, and two were old. During those times, it was frowned upon due to the strong beliefs†¦show more content†¦Queen not knowing that Sir Lancelot was fooling around with other ladies was to save himself from being caught by the King. Little did she know that Lancelot w as doing this to divert attention from their affair. This describes Queen Guenevere as an adultery, but was still royal to Sir Lancelot. So much of her petty and jealously grew since then. Both women were very vulnerable to men but still remained loyal to them even though their needs weren’t meant to be, and also, by having different viewpoints on being a good spouse. For Queen Guenevere, she was faithful, rich and, a jealous person that truly loved the man of her life, Sir Lancelot. â€Å"Then, as the book saith, Sir Lancelot began to resort unto Queen Guenevere again, and forgat the promise and the perfection that he made in the quest. For, as the book saith, had not Sir Lancelot been in his privy thoughts and in his mind so set inwardly to the queen as he was in seeming outward to God, there had no knight passed him in the quest of the Sangreal; but ever his thoughts were privily on the queen, and so they loved together more hotter than they did to-forehand, and had such privy thoughts together...† (Bk.18, C.1, l.6-11). Although, with his flirtation with many women, he was trying to avoid drama with the King; still ended up fighting each other for the Queen. As for ‘The Wife’, she married her five husbands to be happy. â€Å"If not, a lesson we will have to teach, How fairShow MoreRelatedPerceptions Remain Unchanged By Marie De France Essay1918 Words   |  8 Pagesaspects of everyday life. Women are suppressed and are expected to support men by learning and performing wifely duties, and attending to the needs of the men close to them. There is no opportunity for women to place themselves in positions of authority or influence without a man dictating their function. Although Marie de France is a woman, it is apparent in â€Å"Lanval† that she cannot escape the stereotypical characterizations that plague women in her era. She portrays Queen Guenevere as a villainous and

Much Ado About Nothing Free Essays

In the book Hero Claudio love is the main plot. the whle story line is based on Hero and Claudio. When one reads the book it may bring up many questions do they or dont they love each other? There are many situations when in the book when you say â€Å"there is no way they love each other. We will write a custom essay sample on Much Ado About Nothing or any similar topic only for you Order Now † For example when Claudio returns from war, and he first laid eyes on Hero he insisted that he was that he was in love with her; because he was with Benedick and he says â€Å"Can the world buy such a jewel? † he then goes on and says † I would scarce trust myself, though i had sworn the contrary, if Hero would be my wife. I think it was abit too fast for Claudio to say or to conclude his already in love with someone he has just seen. To make things worse Claudio allows his very good friend Don Pedro to woo the woman that he insists he loves, Don Pedro tells Claudio † I know we shall have a revelling tonight I will assume thy part in some disguise, and tell fair Hero I am Claudio,† i think if Claudio loved Hero as much as he says then he wouldnt let another man go woo her; he would r he should confidently tell her how he feels. Even after Don Pedro woo’s Hero, there is never a point when Hero and Claudio talk or express their feelings for each other . Like Benedick and Beatrice who’s love story is the sub-plot of the story. Beatrice and Benedick fight alot but ina way its inderstandable: but after they were ttricked they actually admit their love to each other Benedick tells Beatrice † I do love nothing in the world so well as you† Benedick even allows to kill his own friend just to prove his love for Beatrice he says, † enough, I am engaged, i will challege him, Claudio shall render me a dear account. That to me is true love. I dont see or feel any of this passion with Claudio and Hero. Another point is when Claudio sees Margret in the window with Borachio and thinks its Hero. His reaction at first is justified, but in my opinion he should have taken time to calm down and go confrim the story for himself. It was stupid to trust Don John again: because when Don Pedro was wooi ng Hero, Don John went to Claudio and told him he heard Don Pedro went to Claudio and told him he heard Don Pedro swear his affection to her. Borachio then adds fuel to the fire by saying â€Å"so so did i too, and he swore he would marry her tonight. † After he hears this immediately gives up on her because he says † farewell therefore, Hero. † And at the wedding his reaction was too exaggerated if he really loved her, he would not have publicy mistreated and embarassed Hero the way he did, and all these actions just proves how much Claudio does not trust Hero. Another strange event is when Hero’s name is cleared and Claudio realises that it was his fault that she’s dead. At first his reaction is exactly what you would except what you would except; but after he told Leonato to take revenge, Leonato told him he would marry Antonio’s daughter and he immediately agree’s to marry her. Hero the woman he claims to love just died and it was his fault, and his already agreed to marry another woman. If he truly loved her he would have told Leonato with all due respect i need time to mourn but he didnt he just agreed to it. but at the same time maybe Claudio wanted to punish himself, because Leonato would remained him of what he did to sweet Hero. With all these poits we cant ignore that there were also some signs that indicated that they were in love. Like in the end when Hero is revealed we could tell also Hero’s reaction when she started crying it showed that they definetly had feelings for each other. If i was in Hero’s position i would definetly not take Claudio back because he humiliated me infront of my family and friends at my wdding and two he has caused my death . So there is a possibility that they loved each other. This could be an I can live with you and can’t live without you relationship. How to cite Much Ado About Nothing, Papers Much Ado About Nothing Free Essays ‘The Jokes which society tells are a significant index of that society’s concerns and anxieties’. (M. Mangan, A preface to Shakespeare’s comedies, 1996) If this is the case what can we learn from ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ about the ‘concerns and anxieties’ of the society in which Shakespeare was living? Sir H Walpole once remarked that ‘a comedy should make us think’, Shakespeare exploits this function of comedy by utilizing jokes on the themes of cuckoldry, infidelity and honour to permit the audience to think about the ‘concerns and anxieties’ associated with these jokes within Shakespeare’s society and what can be learnt from these jokes told. We will write a custom essay sample on Much Ado About Nothing or any similar topic only for you Order Now The figure of the Cuckold in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, a husband of a woman who commits adultery, is a running joke throughout the play. In the play, the character Benedick, who carries a misogynistic view of women, is the main instigator of these jokes, he says that being a cuckold is what happens when you get married and you would have to ‘hang’ his ‘bugle in an invisible baldrick’ and he vows never to allow the plucking ‘off’ of ‘the bull’s horns and’ setting ‘them’ on his ‘forehead’, meaning he does not want to get married. Even though Benedick may be slightly bestial, it is clear there is a fear of getting married in Benedick’s opinions. As Michael Mangan2 comments in ‘Huddling jest upon jest’, the jokes made in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ about husbands and cuckolds indicate to the audience ‘the underlying anxieties about gender roles’ and ‘about women’s possible sexual licence’ common in Shakespeare’s society. The cuckold theme was the subject of many ballads and pamphlets in the Elizabethan Era. An Elizabethan Audience would have been familiar with cuckold jokes and would even probably know the place in London known as ‘Cuckold’s Haven’. However, they would also relate to the concerns of infidelity amongst women, especially the men and some would share these misogynistic views and fears of women. These fears were so strong as a result of the male honour and pride which most men had and also the accosted idea of being the natural heirs. A modern-day audience would be able of relate to the ideas of adultery, as often portrayed in Serial Dramas such as ‘Eastenders’ or ‘Coronation Street’, nevertheless, they would probably not have the same fears as the Elizabethans as more people cohabit rather than marry and are more aware to such problems as adultery and that husbands are involved adultery as much as women. In most of Shakespeare’s comedies there is a ‘shrew’, an outspoken, independent, strong, female stock character, in ‘The Taming of The Shrew’ this is Katerina and in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ there is Beatrice. The strong female character or ‘shrew’ is one of the comic conventions that feature in all of Shakespeare’s comedies and moreover it, is not unusual that there are jokes aimed towards the stereotype. In the play, the men refer Beatrice as ‘Lady Disdain! ‘ and that she has a ‘shrewd †¦ tongue’ being ‘too curst’. It can be acknowledged that as the men make light of Beatrice’s outspoken, shrewish behaviour, underneath it, they are intimidated by her intelligence and strength. An Elizabethan Audience would recognise the stock character but also correlate themselves with the anxieties of strong women. The social hierarchy was of common knowledge; where God came first, then the king or monarch who would be appointed by God, the man, the women and then beast. The Elizabethan men were just accepting Queen Elizabeth I, and would find it hard to adjust to women becoming strong and independent, feeling intimidated as a strong female character placed a threat to the social hierarchy. On the contrary, a modern audience would be accustomed to the idea of the strong woman as of the female rights campaigns throughout the Twentieth Century, women now occupy a more central and public role in society. Nevertheless, sexism does still exist in all spheres of society even after women’s rights In ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, Shakespeare applies sexual innuendos as jokes to comment subtly, on the freedom sexuality in his society and the limits. In the play the sexual innuendos were remarked by women, which would appear strange to an Elizabethan audience. In Act 1 Scene 1 Beatrice remarks whether ‘Signor Mountanto’ has ‘returned from the wars’ meaning ‘Signor Benedick’ and the word ‘Montanto’ meaning the thrust of male genitals and the ‘mounting’ of a partner. Margaret also uses a sexual innuendo by commenting on ‘the weight of a man’ making Hero’s heart ‘heavier’. It was common in Shakespeare’s comedies to use lower status characters to make such commons as not to offend any of the higher status audience and appeal to the lower status. Furthermore, Shakespeare has not only used these sexual innuendos to entertain the more bawdy members of the audience but also, to convey the concerns and anxieties on sexuality in the Elizabethan era, as even though, illicit sexual behaviour was not heard of in the courts and upper classes of society, it was extremely common among the lower classes and Shakespeare was trying to inconspicuously, portray his concern that the Upper classes ignored such behaviour and places such as brothels. An Elizabethan audience, would be able to relate, however, a modern day audience would be used to sexual innuendos as jokes as modern day morals are less religious and restricted. Love as a disease is another joke used in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, to highlight the concerns and anxieties in Shakespeare’s society over love. In Act 3 Scene 2 , after Benedick has apparently fallen in love with Beatrice he claims to have ‘the toothache’ and Don Pedro and Claudio tease him suggesting he ‘draws it’ or ‘hang it’ and in Act 3 scene 4 after Beatrice has supposedly fallen in love with Benedick she claims to be ‘sick’ and Margaret and Hero suggest ‘cardus benedictus’, a holy thistle and a clever pun on Benedick’s name. Shakespeare discreetly portrays how Benedick and Beatrice’s alliance with their honour provokes them to fear being reliant in another person and this explains Benedick’s fear of marriage. Shakespeare is vividly commenting on the fears of love and its effects in Messina as a microcosm of Elizabethan England. An Elizabethan and a modern day audience could relate to this concern, as there are many pressures and problems that come with falling in love such as suitability, personality, appearance and many more. They could also make a connection to the effects love has on a person where it makes them a victim, oblivious to all things around them, gives them a loss of their sense of reality and a blindness to their lover’s faults. In Shakespeare’s society fashion was very topical and in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ he addresses this with jokes about fashion. In Act 2 scene 3 Benedick ponders to himself why Claudio is interested in the ‘fashion of a new doublet’ remarking that love has changed Claudio and yet, ironically, in Act 3 scene 2 Claudio and Don Pedro teasingly comment that Benedick now has the ‘appearance of fancy in him’ and that he ‘rubs himself with civet’ a perfume. Furthermore, being interested in fashion was a sign of a loss of dignity and honour and a person without substance, also the theme of fashion exposes the superficiality of the male code of honour. An Elizabethan audience would appreciate the connection between fashion and a loss of dignity, whereas, in a modern day audience’s society, appearances are the threading that holds together all impressions of a person and wearing the latest style or fashion has become a great necessity for most people. Subsequently, they would not comprehend the concerns and anxieties over fashion. In the Elizabethan era, the Male Code of Honour was a foundation established and seen of great importance, however, in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ Shakespeare exposes this code of honour, by means of jokes, to depict how shallow it was. In the play Beatrice mocks this code of honour by calling Benedick ‘a stuffed man’ and ‘a very valiant trencher man’. She also remarks less humorously, ‘manhood is melted into curtsies’ and that ‘men are †¦ turned into tongue and trim ones’. Therefore through Beatrice, Shakespeare discloses the concerns and anxieties of the male code of honour and how it is superficial and lacks substance in the behaviour and speech which is always very fanciful and uses a lot of hyperbole; Shakespeare shows this by having the men speak in verse in iambic pentameter to demonstrate them as one-dimensional. Especially, in the scene after Claudio has seen Hero and is professing to be in love with her. An Elizabethan audience would be able to network with this theme as they would have held this code in high esteem, on the other hand, a modern day audience would not identify with why the male code of honour would be so highly valued and they would be concerned with matters such as money, status, fashion, love and others. In ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, Shakespeare discreetly uses the malapropisms of the Police Constable Dogberry as a joke to unmask the concerns and fears over the law in Shakespeare’s society. In the play, Dogberry says such things as ‘senseless’ instead of sensible, ‘tolerable’ instead of intolerable and many more. These malapropisms appeal to the audience showing the humour of Dogberry’s behaviour and the stereotypical behaviour the police and authorities in Elizabethan society, who were not taken seriously and often laughed at, which proved to be a major concern in that society. An Elizabethan audience would find the joke humorous but also be aware of the serious undertone, that there is an anxiety over the incompetence of the police force not keeping society safe and secure. A modern day audience would not shoulder the same fears, as the police authorities are respected and feared by law abiding citizens. Out of all the several factions of humour, incongruity of practical jokes are used the most in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ as forms of deception. This conveys the anxieties and concerns that Shakespeare was trying to demonstrate. All of the deception is plotted by men which parallels back to Balthasar’s song ‘men were deceivers ever’ and deception comes naturally to men. In Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ Balthasar’s song is implemented with all the men listening to the song and paying particular attention to it, this places the importance on to how relevant the song is to the men of the play. In the famous gulling scenes Don Pedro, Claudio, Leonato, Hero and Ursula try ‘to bring†¦ Benedick and †¦ Beatrice into a mountain of affection’ with them fashioning ‘it’. As well, Don John and Claudio try to ‘cross’ the ‘marriage’ of Claudio and Hero and they ‘misuse the prince, to vex Claudio’. As the deception of these practical jokes may appear comical, they underline the concerns, in Shakespeare’s society, of deception, as Shakespeare uses it in all of his comedies; ‘Twelfth Night’, ‘The Taming of the Shrew’, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, ‘As you like it’ and ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ this illustrates that deception was not only an entertaining comic convention but a serious and sever anxiety within his society because in that period of time there were many who tried to deceive others, however, the deception was well hidden. A modern day and an Elizabethan audience would be able to connect to this as deception was and still is a very common occurrence witnessed by many in societies. In the title of 3Peter Holindale’s essay on the subject of comedy remarks that there are ‘serious voices in a Comedic world’, this is viewed in Messina and paralleled to Elizabethan England. The jokes crafted and exploited by Shakespeare in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ elaborate and reiterate the anxieties that not only the Elizabethan era faced but every generational society faces and adds to as each day passes and furthermore, make each new generation of audience laugh at these anxieties. How to cite Much Ado About Nothing, Papers