Much Ado About Nothing

25 Pages·2010·3.06 MB·English

by  Tiffany Wilson

Much Ado About Nothing
Written By: William Shakespeare
Directed By: Catherine Weidner
Actor Packet By: Tiffany Wilson and
Karly Bergmann
1.
Table of Contents
Pg.1 Cover
Pg.2 Table of Contents
Pg.3 Letter to the Players
Pg.4 The Roles We Play: Hero Our Hero
Pg.5 The Roles We Play: Don John the Bastard
Pg.6 The Roles We Play: The Watch
Pg.7 The Roles We Play: Women in the Church
Pg.8 The Roles We Play: The Waiting Gentlewoman
Pg.9 The Roles We Play: The Ideal Man
Pg.10 The Roles We Play: The Renaissance Woman
Pg.11 Helpful Liars
Pg.12 Webs of Acceptable and Ill-Intended Deceit
Pg.13 Web of Well-Intended Deceit
Pg.14 Malice, Hearsay , and Scandal in the Modern World
Pg.15The Sources of Much Ado About Nothing
Pg.16 The Nobility under Spanish Influence
Pg.17 Welcome to Messina
Pg.18 Masquerades, Festivals, and Parties
Pg.19 A Renaissance Wedding
Pg.20-25 Bibliography
2.
Letter to the Players
If the evening news, magazines, and newspapers teach
us anything, it is that words carry a lot of weight.
Bullied teenagers create slanderous web-pages about
their classmates. Like a swarm of killer bees, rumors
and hearsay travel globally through text messages and
e-mails. The President of the United States makes a
public speech and within seconds he becomes a
talking head on a computer screen. With words
traveling at such a speed, how are we to know if what
we hear is truthful or not? Does the truth lie in status
Arbassino, Alberto. Geri della Rocca de Candal
and relationship changes on Facebook?
In 2008,a mother posed as a 16-year-old boy and convinced one of her
daughter’s classmates that the world would be a better place with out her. Does her act of
social vengeance differ from that of Don John’s? Even in the modern world, words can be
permanent and destructive; sometimes words can be so damaging to one’s reputation that,
like the teenage girl on Myspace and Hero our protagonist, death can be the only escape from
the stigma of lies and rumors.
Four-hundred years ago, before the existence of web-cams and caller-
identification, a signature and seal was the only way proving that what was written on a piece
of paper were the words of the person who it was from. The truth was based of ocular proof.
Leonato’s house was not rigged with hidden cameras, so the town of Messina only has what
two people claim they saw as proof that Hero was unfaithful. Benedick can’t place wire taps
on Beatrice’s cell phone to find out if she really has a crush on him. Without our current
technological advances, word travels slowly through whispers from one person to another
until the web of rumors is so intricate that it is nearly impossible to discern truth from lies.
What is the result of this tangled web of misinformation? The citizens of Messina create much
ado about noting; in other words, a lot of fuss is made over speculation and gossip. Since
gossip is usually false information, it is nothing. As a result, we have much ado about nothing!
-Tiffany Wilson and Karly Bergmann
3.
The Roles We Play:
Hero Our Hero
Hero:Someonewhohasgivenhisorherlifetosomethingbiggerthanhimorherself
-JosephCampbell
Hero’s Adventure According to Joseph Campbell
Departure: The hero, like everyone else, begins in a state of dependence
and protection.An evolution takes place where the hero isforced to leave
childhood behind and become an adult. They are forced to leave the state
ofdependencyinordertotakeonataskgreaterthanherself.
Hero has been forced to depart from her
state of dependency. Claudio has publicly
shamed her, so she can no longer rely on
thecommunityforprotection.
(Illustration provided by Cowden and Clark
c.1830)
Fulfillment: The hero recognizes that she is needed for a task that
will benefit someone else. After she leaves childhood, she faces
the unknown with no one to depend on but herself. This journey
towards fulfillment is a death and resurrection; the hero has left
one condition where she was protected by someone else and
Hero is fulfilling her task by “dying to
made the choice to enter another condition where she is
live”. Her departure from the infantile
responsible for only herself .
stage to the more mature stage
requires her to literally die and
Return: After going through the resurrect.
trials and revelations of his or her (Illustration provided by Cowden and
Clarkc.1830)
departure and fulfillment, the hero
returns bringing forth new life, and,
in our case, “another Hero!”
Hero has resurrected, and returned to
marry Claudio. The town of Messina has
learned the truth about her shaming, and
thepowerthatliesandhearsayhavewhen
theygounchecked.
(Illustration provided by Cowden and Clark
c.1830)
4.
:
The Roles We Play
Background
Don John the Bastard
Don John was the illegitimate son of Charles V
(Holy Roman emperor) and Barbara Blomberg.
Don John wasn’t recognized as royalty until 1559
when Phillip II of Spain, Don John’s half brother,
publicly announce d that he was a part of the royal
family. Don John then became known as Don Juan
de Austria.
Phillip II intended for Don John to become a monk,
but Don John gravitated more towards a military
career.
Military Career:
Don John’s first military excursion was in 1568
Don John of Austria 1547-1578
when he was first appointed as Commander of 33
Lepanto galleys. His mission was to defeat the Algerian
G.K. Chesterton pirates.
1911
Don John lead squadrons to victory in both Grenada
…In that enormous silence, tiny and unafraid,
and Lepanto, thus gaining him a reputation as highly
Comes up along a winding road the noise of the
Crusade. respected admiral.
Strong gongs groaning as the guns boom far,
Don John of Austria is going to the war,
Stiff flags straining in the night-blasts cold Lepanto:1571
In the gloom black-purple, in the glint old-gold,
Torchlight crimson on the copper kettle-drums,
Don John gathered the Christian forces in Messina
Then the tuckets, then the trumpets, then the
of June 6 of 1571.
cannon, and he comes.
Don John laughing in the brave beard curled,
Spurning of his stirrups like the thrones of all the Don John was extremely sensitive about his birth
world, and resented his older brother Phillip II. Lepanto
Holding his head up for a flag of all the free.
was his chance to prove that he could handle a
Love-light of Spain -hurrah!
position of leadership just as well as his half-brother.
Death-light of Africa!
Don John of Austria
Is riding to the sea… Don John led his mere 208 galleys to victory over
the Turkish armada which consisted of 230 galleys.
**A galley is a low flat-built sea-going vessel with one deck, propelled by sails and
oars, formerly in common use in the Mediterranean. (Oxford English Dictionary) 5.
The Roles We Play:
The Watch: Dogberry, Verges, Oatcake, Seacoal, and the Sexton
Rank:
Dogberry and
the Watch
interrogating
The High Constable-Dogberry:
Borachio and
Condrade Dogberry is the chief of the civilian
(Illustration police known as the watch. He is the
provided by principal officer of noble and
Cowden and
aristocratic households. He also acts
Clark)
as the supreme judge of military
offences and questions of chivalry.
Dogberry is in charge of regulating all
matters connected with tournaments,
and trials by combat.
The Parish Constable-Verges
Verges is an officer of a parish or
township appointed to act as
conservator of the peace and to
perform a number of public
administrative duties in her district.
The Parish Constable is second in
command only to the high constable.
The Watchman-Seacoal and Oatcake
Seacoal and Oatcake are a members of
the civilian military guard. Their job is
to keep a lookout and give warning of
approaching danger or knaves.
The Sexton
The sexton is responsible for the
grounds keeping of the church. Some
of the sexton’s duties are bell-ringing,
Rembrandt’s Night Watch 1642
depicts civic upheaval involving the grave-digging, and keeping records of
civilian militia in the Netherlands. burials and inquiries to the church.
6.
The Roles We Play
Italian Women in the Church: Mother Frances
The Position of Women in the Clergy:
Italian women lacked political, legal, familial, and religious
authority. They could not become priests or higher ecclesiastical
figures.
Italian Women could not become priests or higher ecclesiastical
figures.
The Role of Religion in the Daily Lives of Italian Women
Italian women assumed spiritual and moral leadership within the
Saint home.
Catherine
of Siena,
Because they were denied access to institutions of education,
Andrea
Vanni, no their ability to speak wisely was taken as proof of their
date. miraculous converse with God.
Why a feminized Friar is important to Much Ado: The Female Public Religious Figures:
“The Friar’s understanding emerges from The religious offices offered to women in the renaissance were:
a feminized perspective of [Hero’s]
circumstances, that is, he correctly Oblates: laywomen who followed a religious life.
interprets Hero’s non-verbal behavior and
responds with Christian charity instead of Eremites: holy recluses; were members of a religious order.
speaking her verbal condemnation… the
Friar is in the world but not of it, He
The Virtues of the Religious Italian Women:
occupies, instead, a privileged position
somewhere between God and man.
Women were to Imitate and embody Christ-like virtues.
Consequently, other than his liturgical
responsibilities, he becomes somewhat
“If the Roman Catholic Church did not permit them to reach
transparent in the affairs of men. He is
from the pulpit, they preached with their bodies and deeds.”
quiet, patient, modest, obedient, nurturing
and compassionate. In other words, he
Women imitated Christ by Praying, working, and tending to the
becomes a woman.”–
suffering.
ConstantinaMichalos, Shakespeare’s
Woman who dedicated their lives to the church took vows of
Feminized Friar
poverty and repentance.
7.
:
The Roles We Play
The Waiting Gentlewoman: Ursula and Margaret
Domestic servants in Italian households were often referred to as Domenica. The duties and
treatment of dominca varied from house to house. The information below was taken from
records and journal entries that Italian landowners left behind about their female servants.
Job Benefits:
The master of made provisions for the
domenica’s dowry, so that she will be
able to marry at a suitable age.
If the domenica has been a loyal
servant and a hard worker, she gets to
keep the clothing and linens that the
master provided her with.
When She Begins Work:
The average domenica begins her
The Kitchen, Vincenzo Cambi c.1580 domestic duties around the age of 9,
The painting above depicts servant woman and stays with the family for about
busy at work cooking, cleaning, and taking eight years, or until she is old enough
care of babies. Since there was always a lot
to marry.
of work to be done in the larger household,
younger more energetic women were the
Job Description:
ideal.
EOE Guidelines:
As a domenica you will be
responsible for the sewing, cooking,
It should be noted that the average
dinner preparations, cleaning and
wealthy land owner is NOT an
childcare.
equal opportunity employer.
Sometimes a domenica would be
Therefore beautiful, modest , shy
hired as a companion to the
girls from respectable families may
mistress of the house. Her duties
have the upper hand in the hiring
would be to follow the mistress
process.
around, converse with her, and keep
the mistress company.
8.
The Roles We Play:
The Ideal Man of Society: Leanato, Antonio, Claudio, Benedick, Don Pedro, Don John
A man in Renaissance Italy was always poised and well-mannered. One of the major works
that outlines the behavior of the Renaissance man is Castiglione’s The Book of the Courtier.
Belowareacoupleofkeypointsthatarediscussedinthiswork.
The Ideal Man was Master of his Domain:
The ideal man ruled calmly and in a stately and
composed manner.
He lived to appease himself, not the court.
The ideal man did not live to serve the prince, but
worked towards his own perfection. (e.g. during
wartime the courtier would only perform tasks that
were beautiful and dignified—a battle was not to be
fought in the name of duty, but l’onore [honor])
Castiglione Raphael 1514 The Ideal Man Must be Properly Educated and Trained:
The portrait above is from the cover of
Castiglione’s The Book of the Courtier.
The ideal man must have strengths in all sports, master
several languages especially Latin and Italian, be
How he Ideal Man Interacts in Society
familiar with literature and the fine arts, have practical
skills in music, and be an excellent dancer.
The ideal man must mask his
insecurities and weaknesses with
The ideal man must be graceful as he moves.
wit, elegance, and grace.
The ideal man has a fit and toned physique.
The ideal man always uses
Sprezzatura, or the illusion of
The ideal man uses gymnastics for both preparation for
effortlessness.
war and personal health.
The ideal man must frequently practice as many sports
as he can—including running, leaping, swimming,
wrestling, and dancing.
9.
The Roles We Play
The Renaissance Woman: Hero and Beatrice
Education
The upper-class Renaissance woman was
given the same quality of education as a
man of the same social ranking.
Most woman were educated in Latin,
Poetry, and ancient literature.
The Renaissance Woman in Society:
Upper-class women in 15thand 16thcentury
Italy stood at the footing of equality of
men.
The Lute Player Gentileschi
Women were expected to be able to carry
an intelligent conversation about music and
literature.
An ideal woman should be gifted in music
and dance.
The Role in the Family:
It was the woman’s role to influence and
moderate powerful men (e.g. Catherine de
Medici).
Wives were to make sure that their
husbands were virtuous in all areas.
Poems by Boiardo and Ariosto depict
women as heroes defending their
The Italian Woman Matisse
husband’s honor.
10.