I'll give Shakespeare props for accurately titling this play. There's a whole lot of adoin' going on, all of which is of little importance. And yet, I don't care. I chuckled all the way through it. I think Shakespeare accomplished exactly what he set out to do. Keep it simple. Keep it light. Keep them laughing. He hit the mark on this one. ....Do you know of any works in which he uh...failed?
The story is short enough that there isn't much time to fully develop characters. Everyone seems somewhat flat and contrived. You've got your two star-crossed lovers. You've got the two sarcastic wits that initially hate each other and then fall in love. And of course you've got the evil antagonist that makes everything happen. If you're looking for depth, go read Hamlet. You're not going to find it here.
What you are going to find however, is a lot of one-line zingers that will make you laugh out loud. Prepare yourself for some curious looks from passersby.
The language is sometimes a small hurdle, but you're not going to be lost if you miss one of Shakespeare's obscure references here and there. The plot isn't that complicated. In fact, I consider the language to be a plus. Once in while, the distinct voice of the 17th century is a refreshing respite from modern literature.
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3 comments:
Love it. I haven't actually read this one yet, but its one of my favorite Shakespeare pieces to see performed. Isn't it great to read a piece of "fluff fiction" you can claim to be a classic as well? :)
I read Love's Labour's Lost recently and I have to say I prefer it to Much Ado. Berowne is the man, and I am seriously considering taking a vow to study for the next 3 years ...
I do agree with the terminology "fluff" as applied to Much Ado. However, I think it can be wxamined as a great display of intelligent conversational banter. The "one-liners" that bring the comedy into the events are similar to what one would expect in reality (assuming you engage in conversation with intellectual individual with a self-depricating or sarcastic sense of humor).
As I read it many years ago, and have since seen it on film many times, it made me reflect on many of my own conversations with both friends and strangers (Jake out to understand a bit of the type of conversations I have coming to mind). There is a lighter side to reality and I find this specific work of Shakespeare to be the fairest representation of that reality in all his writings. The great depth of humankind is explored in the Hamlet's, Macbeth's and Hing Lear's of the world but I find an appreciative sense of humanity in this work.
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