Hero and Desdemona In Othello and Much Ado about Nothing by William Shakespeare, the leading female characters are quite similar. Desdemona is married to Othello (Othello), and Hero is engaged to Claudio (Much Ado about Nothing). Both men accuse their betrothed as being unfaithful to them. Both men also start out with loving words toward their sweethearts; for example, when Othello and Desdemona meet again after having been separated for a period of time. Othello says to her “It gives me wonder great as my content to see you here before me.
Introduction Both Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing are both love stories, however Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy and Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy. Many relationships are brought to light during both plays and the audience discover all these relationships are different and their love for each other is portrayed in different ways. In Much Ado About Nothing Claudio and Hero fall in love, break apart, and then fall in love again, while at the same time, Beatrice and Benedick are being tricked into loving each other. This is very different from Romeo and Juliet as Romeo and Juliet are in a constant struggle for their love. Shakespeare’s plays Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing both contain the elements of; love at first sight, manipulation of love and a detailed love story.
There are three kinds of love that William Shakespeare uses in this play: true love, friendship, and self love. In the play, we can see different relationships that are happening throughout the play. Some of the relationships that we see that are being formed in the play is untrue. For example, the relationship between Olivia and Cesario, Olivia loves Cesario/Viola, but she is blinded by love, because Cesario is actually a girl disguised as a boy. Another example would be, when Maria, Sir Toby, and Sir Andrew play a trick on Malvolio.
The seriousness of their love results from the lovers’ disrepudance (?) of artificial language of ‘love’ and superficial code they had tired by at the beginning of the play. This is seen through the development of language form beginning with rhyme (Levin- “Comedy set the pattern of courtship embodied in dance (rhyme)) heavily used in the first act to its replacement of Blank verse which representative of a for more logical and realistic tone. This also reflects a common Shakespearean comment on Appearance versus Reality which is often a deeper theme discussed in tragedy. Tragedy is said to be further represented in Shakespeare’s use of opposites or antithesis.
Shakespeare presents the concept that deceptive decisions lead to tragic events. Romeo’s rapidly changing character makes irrational and unwise decisions which link up to a strong and prominent theme in the play; deception. Through Romeo’s character Shakespeare juxtaposes true love against infatuation, he does this by showing his melancholy state over his loss of his infatuation Rosaline, then shows how he has found “true love” with his “bright angel” Juliet through his poetic dialogue, although they are from feuding family’s they decide “what’s in a name”, and she implores him to “doth thy name” and “swear by the god of [her] idolatry”. Shakespeare shows the changing of Romeo’s moral compass throughout the play, he goes from an elated state of mind as life was perfect with “thee”, and then, as the “plague on both (their) houses” is begun by the death of Mercutio, Romeo’s unchecked emotions cause him to commit the disloyal act of murdering his wife’s cousin, Tybalt. Despite of his blundering, Juliet see’s this only as dreadful because of his “banished”.
Love is the most predominant theme that William Shakespeare explores the in the romantic comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He explores the unreflected love of Helena and Demetrius, the true love of Lysander and Hermia, parental love between Egeus and Hermia, and the forced love of Thesus and Hippolyta. Each example of love in this play is contradistinctive from the others, and emblematic in its own way. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream unreflected love is shown. Unreflected love shows it’s presence via the relationship between Helena and Demetrius.
That instant when I’d turn’d into a hart; And my desires, like fell and cruel hounds, E’er since pursue me.” (Act 1, Scene 1 – pg. 9) In this quote, it is evident that at the beginning of this play, Orsino is very much in love with Olivia. Since it is a Shakespeare play, this love does not last throughout the rest of the play. Although, for the meantime he wants to get his feelings out to Olivia so he does so through Viola/Cesario. Because of this, they spend time together and Viola quickly falls in love with Orsino.
Comedy in Twelfth Night. Summary: Explores how William Shakespeare creates comedy in the first two acts of his play Twelfth Night. Analyzes the use of pun, comic characters, sub-plot, misunderstood conversations and dramatic irony. Comedy means something farcical that can make people laugh. It is usually done for the purpose of entertainment.
Supporting Characters: Friar Lawrence and the Nurse The roles of Friar Lawrence and the Nurse are hugely important in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The Friar’s well meant but ill advised meddling leads to serious complications in the lives of all those surrounding him. Also, the Nurse’s somewhat vulgar sense of humour leads to much comic relief and displays the aspect of physical love. Friar Lawrence acts as a person for Romeo to confide in, to go to for support and guidance. The Friar, in good nature, takes advantage of that.
From the very beginning when she says, "If it be love indeed, tell me how much" the reader can sense the upper hand she has over him. While one can presume her love for Antony is great, her woes when he returns to Octavia, one can also presume her love for herself is greater. Shakespeare expands on the idea of her killing herself not only as a painless sacrifice to her lover, but more so she will not be a prize to Caesar. The reader comes to this idea in Shakespeare more than in Dryden because the character of Cleopatra is harsher throughout Shakespeare's play allowing the reader to develop Cleopatra as a manipulative mind. In Dryden the reader is allotted more time to know Cleopatra.