Things to consider as you watch the movie and read the play "Much Ado About Nothing"
this is an essay "Much Ado About Nothing" Notes
Factoids:
• Probably first acted in 1598-99; first published in 1600.
• All male actors at the time.
• This is one of Shakespeare's "comedies"-not because it has funny parts, but because it has a happy ending: the good people are rewarded and the bad people are punished. His comedies are closer to what we would call romances. He also wrote tragedies (everyone dies at the end, e.g. "Hamlet" and "Romeo and Juliet") and histories (e.g. "Richard III") that have funny parts as well.
• Comic (in our sense) elements in Shakespeare's plays are usually associated with lower class characters like Dogberry in "Much Ado." Even the tragedies have their moments like this. Think of the gravedigger in "Hamlet" or the porter in "Macbeth."
Things to consider (and write about) as you watch the movie and read the play:
• Again, think of what the movie leaves out that the play has, and what the movie adds that the play doesn't have.
• Think about the differences in scenic capability (settings) between movies and plays: how does that affect your perceptions of the basic plot?
• Think of the other imagery that the director, Kenneth Branagh, uses to control your reading of the movie/play. Think in terms of all five senses: obviously, sight and sound (what about the background music?) are important in a movie, but does he also evoke touch, scent, and taste?
• Think about the characters in the play and movie. Did the interpretations of any of the actors in the movie surprise you? Did seeing the characters acted out help clarify any motivations for you?
• Be sure, as you write in your reading notebook, that you talk about both the play you read and the movie you watched, so I can give you credit for reading the play.