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julshakespeare 's review for:
Much Ado About Nothing
by William Shakespeare
Reread 2021 - rating unchanged. Shakespeare said “just sprinkle in several Romeo and Juliet parallels but make it a comedy and julia will eat it up”
5/5 stars
Plot: 5/5 - I'm literally embarrassed that this is my first complete reading of Much Ado About Nothing but now that I know I love it there's no turning back. This is one of Shakespeare's comedies that takes his usual tropes and REALLY amps them up- PURPOSEFULLY mistaken identities, all the sass and fun with Benedick and Beatrice, Hero's faked death!! And also it always makes me happy when the "bad guy" gets his comeuppance in the end.
Characters: 5/5 - I love both Beatrice and Hero so so so much!! They are such wonderful foils for one another and yet their bond is so strong and it's just fabulous. There were also some parallels between Hero and Juliet, which was super fantastic for me. I also really enjoyed Leonato, Hero's father, which was just wild to me because I can't think of another father of Shakespearean lit who I have a fondness for..?? And obviously it goes without saying that Beatrice and Benedick are adorable. They're all the banter of Katherine and Petruchio except actually likeable together!
Pacing: 5/5 - I mean lowkey the scenes with the constable and the watchmen weren't very thrilling, but in the end we needed them, so I'll drop my complaints. Also come on, it's a play. It's pretty dang short and it'd have to go terribly wrong somehow to lose points on pacing.
Writing: 5/5 - Do I even... do y'all really need me to elaborate on this one? It's Shakespeare. This is literally the pinnacle of written language, in my opinion. Just for fun I'll share a few of my favorite quotes:
"Silence is the perfect herald to joy. I were / but little happy if I could say how much." (the precursor to Mr. Knightley's "If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more"? I think so).
"O God, that I were a man! I would eat his / heart in the marketplace!" ICONIC.
"My griefs cry louder than advertisement." / "Therein do men from children nothing differ."
"In a false quarrel there is no true valor."
"Why what's the matter / that you have such a February face, / so full of frost, of storm, and cloudiness?"
Enjoyment: 5/5 - I mean in case I wasn't clear, I love this play a lot. It has joined the ranks of A Midsummer Night's Dream for my favorite comedies. Do read it.
"I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your good books."
"No. An he were, I would burn my study."
5/5 stars
Plot: 5/5 - I'm literally embarrassed that this is my first complete reading of Much Ado About Nothing but now that I know I love it there's no turning back. This is one of Shakespeare's comedies that takes his usual tropes and REALLY amps them up- PURPOSEFULLY mistaken identities, all the sass and fun with Benedick and Beatrice, Hero's faked death!! And also it always makes me happy when the "bad guy" gets his comeuppance in the end.
Characters: 5/5 - I love both Beatrice and Hero so so so much!! They are such wonderful foils for one another and yet their bond is so strong and it's just fabulous. There were also some parallels between Hero and Juliet, which was super fantastic for me. I also really enjoyed Leonato, Hero's father, which was just wild to me because I can't think of another father of Shakespearean lit who I have a fondness for..?? And obviously it goes without saying that Beatrice and Benedick are adorable. They're all the banter of Katherine and Petruchio except actually likeable together!
Pacing: 5/5 - I mean lowkey the scenes with the constable and the watchmen weren't very thrilling, but in the end we needed them, so I'll drop my complaints. Also come on, it's a play. It's pretty dang short and it'd have to go terribly wrong somehow to lose points on pacing.
Writing: 5/5 - Do I even... do y'all really need me to elaborate on this one? It's Shakespeare. This is literally the pinnacle of written language, in my opinion. Just for fun I'll share a few of my favorite quotes:
"Silence is the perfect herald to joy. I were / but little happy if I could say how much." (the precursor to Mr. Knightley's "If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more"? I think so).
"O God, that I were a man! I would eat his / heart in the marketplace!" ICONIC.
"My griefs cry louder than advertisement." / "Therein do men from children nothing differ."
"In a false quarrel there is no true valor."
"Why what's the matter / that you have such a February face, / so full of frost, of storm, and cloudiness?"
Enjoyment: 5/5 - I mean in case I wasn't clear, I love this play a lot. It has joined the ranks of A Midsummer Night's Dream for my favorite comedies. Do read it.