Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing

[TDale313]

So, I went to see Joss Whedon's film version of Much Ado About Nothing. I was very impressed. Beautifully filmed and performed. The language is true to the play, although it is placed in a modern setting.

I was curious what those here familiar with it think of the play from a feminist perspective. In some ways it feels very feminist- particularly Beatrice, who I could make the case is a feminist character. Strong, smart, fiercely loyal, not willing to settle for a husband who won't make her happy just to be married. She's pretty amazing.

The Hero subplot is... complicated. In some ways, it's Shakespeare saying slut-shaming is bad. A young bride is (wrongfully) accused of making love to another man the night before her wedding. The groom and the Prince who arranged the marriage are set up to see the supposed liaison and chose to wait until the wedding to accuse and publically humiliate her. Shakespeare makes a couple of the slut-shamers upstanding, seemingly well-intentioned, charming characters. They are not shown as blameless in this, but are kinda let off the hook because they were tricked. Hero's own father- seemingly a good man- wishes she were dead or had never been born rather than being so publically exposed. Much of this plot and the wrap up revolves around the idea that it's so important that relatively high-born Hero is still a "maid" in order to arrange a good marriage for her. The title, Much Ado About Nothing, could even be seen as referring to the ridiculousness of obsessing over women's chastity. That said, the big "happy ending" where Hero ends up happily marrying Claudio, who was so cruel to her, and publically and proudly declares "I am a maid"... Kind of at odds with much of the rest .

That said, I do love this play, love many of the characters, the romance, the humor.

If you've read this far, thanks, and I'd love to hear any thoughts on it.

[MarianJack]

1. I didn't even know about a Joss Whedon version, but...

...I love the Emma Thompson/Kenneth Branaugh version from about 20 years ago.

I'll look for this one. Thanx!

PEACE!

[TDale313]

2. I don't know that's gotten very wide release.

Was filmed in 12 days at his own home. Many of the actors are ones he's worked with before (Buffy/Angel, Firefly, etc)

Oh, and the Emma Thompson/Kenneth Branagh version is beautiful.

[niyad]

5. I just checked with my local "art" theatre--will start showing on friday!!

[wandy]

6. Thanks, that Joss Whedon........................

Buffy/Angel not all that very much. Firefly/Dollhouse, that should be interesting.
Just in terms as how the music worked into Firefly or how Dollhouse tried to work on about 300 levels at the same time.
Yup, might be interesting.

[MarianJack]

7. Just for the S&Gs,...

...please allow me to say that I'd LOVE to play Hero's dad someday, or if not, her uncle. I AM 2 days short of 58, afterall.

PEACE!

[htuttle]

3. I wonder if that was Shakespeare's original ending?

I bet Shakespeare was bowing to the times he lived in. Whether he changed it himself upon reflection or under pressure from someone else, it reminds me of many great movies where the original vision of the writer or the director was subverted by a studio changing the ending to be 'happier' or otherwise more acceptable to their conception of public taste.

Perhaps the audiences at the Globe wouldn't have stood for the play ending any other way? (aside from a giant sword fight breaking out on stage, perhaps).

[niyad]

4. I adored the emma thompson/kenneth branaugh version. beatrice is a wonderful character.

but, the whole thing about hero and her supposedly lost virginity always set my teeth on edge. the whole patriarchal nonsense about purity and virginity --grrrrrrr. and, I could not see why she would want to marry that fool after his behaviour.

that said, I am looking forward to seeing the new version. just saw a trailer yesterday.

[TDale313]

8. Yeah, that's kinda my reaction, too.

[LanternWaste]

9. Shakespeare has a handful of strong women, but in then end, they acquiesce to the male lead.

Shakespeare has a handful of strong women, but in then end, they acquiesce to the male lead. Take for example, Taming of the Shrew. Katherine is arguable Shakespeare's most fleshed out, multi-dimensional, strong woman. Headstrong, independent, and lacking any cares for what men thought of her, she comes across for most of the production as Wonder Woman. Yet in the final scene, the "happy ending" so to speak, she admits these as "faults", and happily promises to be the perfect bride...

"fie, fie! unknit that threatening unkind brow (I will remove the scorn from my face and be pretty for you),
And dart not scornful glances from those eyes (I'll stop rolling my eyes after you say a really dumb-ass remark)
To wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor (else I offend you, and heavens, we can't have that because you're the man!).
It blots thy beauty as frosts do bite the meads (because all that stuff would make me sooo unattractive)..."
(and on it goes).


Been a while since I've read or watched Much Ado (social commentary aside, Branagh's production of it is top notch-- he really knows how to get the actors to deliver Shakespeare in a manner that we can see WS's genius... except for Keanu Reeves who almost ruined it). Beatrice being the strong force of female anima, "I would eat his heart in the martketplace!!!!", who hates the pomp, the circumstance, and the pettiness of Hallmark romances. But what happens to her? She manipulates Benedick into fighting a fight for her, a fight predicated on the "purity" of her cousin.

It's difficult to read any real affectations of feminism into the Bard's works because he a) was a product of his time, and b) just didn't care about women other than their defined roles in his life, or as plot devices in his plays.


A really good book on Shakespeare that does dedicate more than a little to his female characters is "Expositions of the First Folio of Shakespeare" by Doug Moston