Much Ado About Nothing Teachit KS3 Interactive Pack updates 2008
3 Themes
LESSON 12: Love and Marriage
To explore and evaluate the theme of love and marriage, and particularly the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick.
Starter
· Write the following on the board:
‘…Take me of my ………….., and with her my ……………….: his ……………… hath made the ……….…’ (2.1)
· Ask students to complete the quotation. Encourage them to refer to the text if necessary.
· Now ask students to focus on the missing words. What can we learn about marriage from this quotation and these words in particular? [He is referring to the money he must offer as a dowry, as well as the fact that the Prince has been instrumental in wooing for Hero, almost as if he has stood as guarantor of Claudio’s good character. This is important as it explains why Don Pedro is equally shamed by Hero’s seeming betrayal in 4.1.]
Introduction – Hero and Claudio
· Ask pairs or small groups to select quotations from the set sections which reveal the following:
1. It is the father’s duty to give their daughter to the husband (5.4, 14-15)
2. A man wishing to marry a woman must ask permission from her father (5.4, 28-31)
· Consider the question: ‘Is there any time that Hero has a say about the future marriage?’
[They may point out that, generally, it seems the female’s duty is to serve the wishes of her father and it seems merely good luck, or down to Shakespeare’s romantic nature, that Hero does love Claudio.]
Development – Beatrice and Benedick
· Now, focus in on the relationship of Beatrice and Benedick. Consider the same question about choice for this relationship.
[They may realise out that Beatrice seems to have a say (though she is silenced by Benedick’s kiss). This should say a lot about her character and may be worth further discussion.]
· Explain that Beatrice and Benedick’s relationship is complex and their language often ambiguous. As a way of exploring this, watch a performance of Beatrice and Benedick’s conversation at the end of 4.1 and 5.4, lines 74 – 100 (from “Soft and fair, friar. Which is Beatrice?” to “Peace, I will stop your mouth.”)
· At the end of each section there is a kiss: the first ends with Benedick kissing Beatrice’s hand before departing to kill Claudio, in the second he stops her mouth with a kiss. Pause the DVD / video at each kiss and invite students to thought-track Beatrice and Benedick at the end of each section.
· (Alternatively, complete this task as a drama activity, with actors freezing just before the kiss).
· Distribute Worksheet 17 and as a class read through each of the quotations from Benedick and Beatrice. Using what they have deduced about each character in each section, encourage groups to puzzle out what they are actually saying to each other. Share answers and ask students to find a way of describing the exchanges between Beatrice and Benedick. [They may claim it is confused and/ or paradoxical – or that they keep contradicting themselves.]
· As an additional task on the theme of love, distribute Worksheet 18 and ask students to complete the grid by commenting on the quotations.
Plenary
· Ask students which relationship is their favourite in the play. They should be prepared to justify their opinion with reference to the sections that they have studied.
· Extend their thinking by asking them to consider how the relationship between Hero and Claudio is conventional while the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick is unconventional.
Worksheet 17: Are they in love?
The relationship between Benedick and Beatrice is very confusing. Look at the following quotations and try to work out what they are saying about their feelings for each other.
A quotation from the play / What are they saying?BENEDICK
I do love nothing in the world so well as you: is not that strange?
BEATRICE
As strange as the thing I know not. It were as possible for me to say I loved nothing so well as you: but believe me not; and yet I lie not; I confess nothing, nor I deny nothing.
BENEDICK
To bind me, or undo me; one of them.
Signior Leonato, truth it is, good signior, Your niece regards me with an eye of favour.
BENEDICK
'Tis no such matter. Then you do not love me?
BEATRICE
No, truly, but in friendly recompense.
BEATRICE
I would not deny you; but, by this good day, I yield upon great persuasion; and partly to save your life, for I was told you were in a consumption.
Worksheet 18: All kinds of love?
When asked a question about love it might help to think about more than the romantic love that Claudio and Hero and Benedick and Beatrice feel. What other types of love might you find explored in these set sections? Circle the relevant ones.
Brotherly love Fateful love Familial love Loyalty between soldiers
Complete the grid below, thinking carefully how each point and piece of evidence reveals these different kinds of love.
Point / Evidence / ExplanationIn Act 4 Scene 1 Benedick reveals his loyalty and strong bond to Claudio, when he agrees to help Leonato keep the secret that Hero is still alive. / BENEDICK
And though you know my inwardness and love
Is very much unto the prince and Claudio,
Yet, by mine honour, I will deal in this
As secretly and justly as your soul
This loyalty between soldiers is also clear in Act 5 Scene 4 when the Prince continues to stand beside Claudio through the difficult situation with Leonato. / LEONATO
The prince and Claudio promised by this hour
To visit me.
In Act 4 Scene 1 Beatrice shows how close she is to her cousin Hero in her anger at Claudio. / BEATRICE
Sweet Hero! She is wronged, she is slandered, she is undone.
This bond between family members is also evident in Act 5 Scene 4 when Hero is clearly very keen to see Beatrice happy in a marriage with Benedick. / HERO
And here's another
Writ in my cousin's hand, stolen from her pocket,
Containing her affection unto Benedick.
LESSON 13: Power, Status and Honour
To explore and evaluation the theme of power, status and honour.
ICT Activity 5a and 5b
Starter
· Ask students to briefly rank the following characters from the most powerful position in society, to the least powerful): Don Pedro, Benedick, Leonato, Claudio, Hero, Beatrice. You could do this as a physical task, by moving students representing each character accordingly.
Introduction – Who’s number 1?
· Distribute Worksheet 19 and ask students to complete Task 1, ranking the characters in each scene. Take feedback, clarifying and amending as you go. Alternatively, you could use ICT Activity 5.
· Ask students to complete Task 2, giving explanations for their choices. Share and discuss, being careful to explore the differences between the power of men and women at this time.
[It is also important to note the hierarchy, with the Prince still remaining the most powerful character despite the difficult situation he finds himself in. However, students might note that Benedick has a lot of power in both scenes and this might have something to do with the honourable way he has acted throughout the play.]
Development – Character and situation force fields
· Distribute Worksheet 20 and ask students to match the idea about power, status and honour with a quotation.
· Ask students to create a force field diagram to show pressures on each character for the quotations.
[In this, the situation is represented in the middle of the page, then arrows are used to represent the pressures that are acting upon it from different directions. Model the first one if necessary, as follows:]
Plenary
· Ask students to use one of the ideas and quotations to write a paragraph.
[This might be a good time to remind students that they should explain the quotation, linking it to the idea that answers the question. Lower ability students may benefit from watching as a paragraph is modelled. Make explicit as you write the links you are making in the explanation between the quotation and the idea that answers the question.]
· Ask several students to share the paragraphs that they have written. Celebrate students’ successes and offer suggestions for further improvements.
Worksheet 19: Who’s Number 1?
Task 1: Complete the table below. You should give each character a number that reflects how powerful they are in that scene. The most powerful character should be number 1, the next powerful should be number 2, and so on until each character is given a number.
Character / Power in Act 4 Scene 1 / Power in Act 5 Scene 4Hero
Beatrice
Benedick
Leonato
The Friar
Claudio
Don Pedro
Task 2: Explain your choices. Which are the strongest in each scene? Which the weakest? Why?
Worksheet 20: Exploring power, status and honour
Match the idea with a quotation that supports what it is saying. Draw a line between the two boxes that you think match.
Hero has been publicly disgraced, which has led to Leonato being devastated at his loss of honour and status. / BENEDICKBut, for my will, my will is your good will
May stand with ours, this day to be conjoin'd
In the state of honourable marriage:
Benedick chooses love over status when he agrees to the plan to lie to Don Pedro and Claudio. Also, when he later agrees to challenge Claudio he will likely be forced to leave the Prince’s company. / CLAUDIO
For this I owe you: here comes other reckonings.
Re-enter ANTONIO, with the Ladies masked
Which is the lady I must seize upon?
In order to regain his honour, Claudio has agreed to marry Antonio’s daughter. / LEONATO
Being that I flow in grief,
The smallest twine may lead me.
In respect to Leonato’s status, Benedick asks his permission to marry Beatrice. / BENEDICK
And though you know my inwardness and love
Is very much unto the prince and Claudio,
Yet, by mine honour, I will deal in this
LESSON 14: Deception
To explore and evaluate the theme of deception.
Starter
· Remind students that Act 4 Scene 1 sees the aftermath of the play’s biggest deception: it is the plot twist that causes the romantic love of Hero and Claudio to become complicated and makes the audience curious to know how this can possibly resolve itself. The audience knows the play will likely end in Hero and Claudio’s marriage, as they are watching a comedy.
· Ask students to explain why deception is one of the most important themes in Much Ado about Nothing.
Introduction
· Ask students to list examples of deception in the two set sections they have studied.
[They are likely to mention the Friar’s plan to lie about Hero’s death, the agreement from Benedick to tell the lie, the possible manipulation of Benedick by Beatrice, the use of the masks, Beatrice and Benedick’s self-deception as they once more claim that they don’t love each other.]
· Ask students to decide if the lies that are told in these two scenes are harmless or a bad idea.
Development – Lies revealed
· Distribute Worksheet 21 and ask students to find the quotation which reveals the truth behind each deceit. Encourage students to explore how the lie is revealed, and why. (This might work nicely as a group task, in which case you may wish to allocate one lie per group and share findings.)
· Share and discuss responses. As a class, explore the final question – why Shakespeare felt it to important to unravel all the deceptions at the end of the play.
[They may point out that the conventions of a comedy dictate there should be a happy ending and that all the problems created should be resolved. Refer back to Lesson 5 if necessary]
Plenary
· Much Ado About Nothing has been described as a play involving 3 hoaxes, 4 secrets and 3 metamorphoses. Do students agree? Can they suggest what the hoaxes, secrets and metamorphoses might be?
Worksheet 21: Lies revealed
Task 1. Each of these deceptions is unravelled at the end of the play. For each of the lies below find the quotation where the characters learn the truth.
Deceit 1: Hero is dead.
Deceit 2: Beatrice and Benedick do not love each other.
Deceit 3: Claudio is to marry Antonio’s daughter.
Deceit 4: The lies Don Pedro told to get Benedick and Beatrice together.
Task 2. Why do you think that Shakespeare chose to reveal all of these deceptions at the end of the play?
See also (from your Teachit KS3 Interactive Pack) … lessons in love
Lesson 3: Messina Matchmaker
Worksheet 4 and 5: What makes a good partner? (ICT Activity 3) and Character profiles (ICT Activity4)
Focus of lesson: The four lovers
When: Before considering character in depth