Much Ado About Nothing
By: Joshua Gillis
Benedick (Played by Jim Carrey)
In Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, Benadick is a handsome bachelor who covers up his desire for love with humorous jabs to the person he secretly longs for. Mr. Carrey is playing the role of Benadick because not only does he bring a smile to the viewers faces with his witty and comical insults, he is also sensitive enough to be capable of love.
Claudio (Played by Karl Malden)
One of Much Ado About Nothing's main characters included Claudio, a melodramatic, love-crazed romantic who just wants to get married. I have seen Karl Malden's work in "Streetcar Named Desire" and observed him in a romantic situation where he looses the girl. His acting talents he displayed when playing the part of a hart broken dreamer fits the bill. He was also picked for the part because just like Claudio, he appears to be a big teddy bear but he bottles up his emotions until they explode.
Don Pedro (Played by Morgan Freeman)
Don Pedro, the prince of Argon, appears to be put on a pedestal by all of the characters in the play because of his nobility and power. When Claudio asked him for a favor there is hardly hesitation before accepting Claudio request. I have watched Morgan Freeman in Bruce Almighty and I think that the nobility and humbleness he shows while playing God, proves that his skills are coped to play the part of Don Pedro.
Benedick and Beatrice
Although "Much Ado About Nothing" revolves around the ludicrous relationship between Hero and Claudio, Benedick and Beatrice bring comedic relief to the story. Shakespeare starts the play leading the reader to believe that they (Benedick and Beatrice) have had a rough past and are not very fond of each other. Later, the other characters in the story devise a plan to get both Benedick and Beatrice to realize they are perfect for each other. A group of men will go to the garden where they know Benedick will be, and Hero and her servant do the same for Beatrice. Both groups speak loud enough so that Benedick and Beatrice will be able to hear them and the groups successfully convince their victims the other love them.
Tomfoolery on the balchony
After a successful attempt at the masked ball to get Hero to fall for Claudio, Don John wanted to separate the two of them. He sent his servant Borachio to a balcony to where Claudio was expecting to see Hero and Borachio dresses his wife Margaret up in the clothes of hero. After Claudio arrived Margaret and borachio began there shenanigans leading Claudio on to think that Hero was being unfaithful. It was at this point in time that Hero's family had to fake her death to hide her from the shame of cheating until the truth was reveled.
Surprises at the wedding
On the next Monday (the day Claudio and Hero were planning on becoming husband and wife) Claudio arived expecting to marry the cousin of Hero. The "cousin" was wherein a thick white vial and requested that Claudio confess his love for her before she showed her face. After doing so, the so called cousin reveled herself to be Hero and they lived happly ever after. Right after Hero and Claudio were wed, Benadick, put his hart on the line and admitted to everyone that he wanted to marry Beatrice and after a bit of hesitation from the both of them they both realized that even though they were tricked into loving each other, they truly did have strong feelings for one another and they too lived happly ever after
Theme
Percy Sledge one of the greatest singers of his time, wrote a beautiful song entitled When A Man Loves A Women. This song is about all of the things a man will do for a women when he loves one. Many of the characters in Shakespeare's play "Much Ado About Nothing" do some ridiculous things because they are in love, therefore this song captures the theme of never giving up on who you love perfectly. Sledge sings "when a man loves a women he can't keep his mind on nothing else" just like Claudio's Life revolved around Hero from the second they met, and how even though she "cheated " and "died" he was head over heals for her. This situation between Hero and Claudio also supports the theme of never giving up because for most people, when there loved one dies that would be a good time to give up but Claudio didn't move on and Hero came back to him. Sledge also sings "When a man loves a women... he'd give up all his comfort" just like Benedick and Beatrice (the so called bachelors) did when they were forced to admit their love for each other at the wedding when they were informed that there love was built on a lie. Also, even though Hero's plan to get Beatrice to fall for Benedick was not yet executed and she treated Benedick like dirt, when a man loves a women you never give.