Much Ado About Nothing

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Much Ado About Nothing

• Lesson 1

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Comedy

• The genre The story
• cuckold
• masque
• return from death
• disdain
• social critique
• wit
• overheard conversation
• villain
• plot
• sub plot
• euphuism
• codes of conduct

A man lives in Messina, Italy with his family
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Band 5

• Clear focus on the question and use of relevant
  quotations from both extracts. Clear
  understanding of how characters use language in
  both extracts.
• Creates an argument with well-chosen reference to
  the text to justify comments.

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Band 6

• Coherent analysis of the text in relation to the
  question.
• Appreciation of the effects of features of
  language in both extracts.
• Creates a well-developed argument with comments
  and precisely selected references to the text
  integrated appropriately.

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Both bands require

• integrated quotations
• ongoing links to both extracts
• sentences that make a point, embed a quotation
  and explore implications relevant to the
  question in detail
• creation of an argument a chain of linked
  points that respond to the question with a point
  of view that might be maintained or
  reconsidered if appropriate

6
How do these 2 extracts present the character of
Elizabeth Bennett trying to come to terms with
her feelings?

• Extract 1
• She was resolved against any sort of
  conversation with him, and turned away with a
  degree of ill humour, which she could not wholly
  surmount even in speaking to Mr Bingley, whose
  blind partiality provoked her
• She danced next with an officer, and had the
  refreshment of talking of Wickham, and of hearing
  that he was universally liked. When those dances
  were over she returned to Charlotte Lucas, and
  was in conversation with her, when she found
  herself suddenly addressed by Mr Darcy, who took
  her so much by surprise in his application for
  her hand, that, without knowing what she did she
  accepted him. He walked away again immediately,
  and she was left to fret over her own want of
  presence of mind Charlotte tried to console her.
• I dare say you will find him very agreeable.
• Heaven forbid! That would be the greatest
  misfortune of all! To find a man agreeable whom
  one is determined to hate! Do not wish me such
  an evil.

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• Extract 2
• As for Elizabeth, her thoughts were at
  Pemberley this evening more than the last and
  the evening, though as it passes it seemed long,
  was not long enough to determine her feelings
  towards one in that mansion and she lay awake
  two whole hours, endeavouring to make them out.
  She certainly did not hate him. No hatred had
  vanished long ago, and she had almost as long
  been ashamed of ever feeling a dislike against
  him, that could be so called. The respect created
  by the conviction of his valuable qualities,
  though at first unwillingly admitted, had for
  some time ceased to be repugnant to her feelings
  and it was now heightened into somewhat of a
  friendlier nature, by the testimony so highly in
  his favour, and bringing forward his disposition
  in so amiable a light, which yesterday had
  produced.

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How do these 2 extracts present the character of
Elizabeth Bennett as struggling to come to terms
with her feelings?
Opening summary establishes agreement with the
point made in the question that Elizabeth is
struggling to manage her emotions.

• Elizabeth Bennett is trying to make sense of
  her emotions concerning Darcy in these extracts
  from the novel. She is attempting to keep her
  perspective in line with her position in society
  and her sense of justice for all her friends and
  family, who she cares about deeply. Her feelings
  towards Darcy are very much locked into this
  social construct and she struggles against
  acknowledging her instincts.
• In the first extract, Elizabeth is so
  determined to hate Darcy for the slight she
  perceives him to have made that she wishes no
  conversation of any sort with him. When she ends
  up dancing with him, though, it is the fact that
  her resolve is compromised rather than her not
  wanting to be near him that she finds alarming,
  That would be the greatest misfortune of all!
  To find a man agreeable whom one is determined to
  hate!. The reader is aware here that in her
  protests, the leading character is probably
  revealing her inner feelings of love for Darcy at
  the same time as showing her own traits of
  wilfulness and obstinacy.

Coherent analysis of feelings relation to
question.
Uses words with meanings that are linked to those
in the title giving added coherence and showing
understanding of implications.
Argument developed with wide range of references.
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Continued

• The second extract presents us with Elizabeth
  Bennett later in the novel and again, the two
  meet, leaving Elizabeth endeavouring to make
  out her feelings for Darcy. The language used to
  describe her feelings, such as one in that
  mansion, lay awake two hours, alert us to the
  personal drama occurring for her as she
  acknowledges his valuable qualities brought
  forward in such an amiable light. Elizabeth,
  like the reader, knows that Darcy is the man for
  her, but she, locked in the era of strict social
  class and reputation, finds it traumatic to give
  in to her feelings.

Appreciation of the effects of language through
well-chosen relevant comments and quotations.
Argument is developed with move between extracts.
Argument developed into coherent analysis of
question and the characterisation of Elizabeth.
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The reading skills that are assessed in the
Shakespeare Paper are

• your ability to understand a question and select
  relevant material to suit your answer to it
• your appreciation of how the language of the text
  informs your analysis of the question
• your ability to construct an appropriate argument
  and develop your points in a coherent way
• your understanding of character, theme, language
  or performance in relation to the extract

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The Shakespeare Paper does not assess

• your understanding of the whole play or all of
  the extracts
• your version of what happens
• quantity of quotations
• your opinion of the play

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Homework

• Use the 2 extracts from the play to respond to
  the question
• How do these extracts use traditional features
  of comedy in drama?