6.7 Much Ado About Nothing, Act 1 Scene 1: I had rather hear my dog bark …
Learning Intentions In this section you will … ✓ See how Shakespeare deals with themes of love and gender through the characters of Beatrice and Benedick. ✓ Learn how an actor uses body language and position to dramatise a script. ✓ Practise using emphasis and tone of voice to increase your confidence when performing.
LITERACY BEING CREATIVE MANAGING INFORMATION AND THINKING Before Reading
1. What mood is the woman in the image expressing though her body language? Discuss your answers in small groups.
2. How could the following moods be expressed in body language? Discuss this and act out the moods in your group.
NUMERACY STAYING WELL 32
• Anger • Worry • Hatred • Love
3. Choose a mood or an emotion. Communicate the emotion though body language. Your group must guess the emotion.
Reading
Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy about love, misunderstanding and deception. It concerns a girl called Hero and her suitor (i.e. the man who wants to marry her), Claudio. However, the main action of the play is often side-lined so that the audience can enjoy the funny conversations between Claudio’s friend Benedick and Hero’s cousin Beatrice.
On the next page is an extract from the opening scene of the play. Don Pedro’s army has just arrived in Messina and been welcomed by the governor, Leonato. Benedick, a soldier in Don Pedro’s army, speaks with Beatrice, who is Leonato’s niece. The subject of their conversation is relationships between men and women. (As this extract begins, the men are referring initially to Hero who does not speak here.)
