One of the reasons we study Shakespeare's plays is because of the universal themes that can be found in the content.
Answer the following:
1. What do you think a universal theme is?
2. What universal themes can be found in Much Ado About Nothing?
3. Knowing about universal themes, write a paragraph addressing the following: Is Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing relevant for a modern audience? Explain your answer with reference to the play's content and characters.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
As a class, we have determined that a universal theme encompasses the following things:
ReplyDelete1. It is an idea or concept that can be easily related to by a wide variety of individuals.
2. The idea or concept is not limited to one society, culture or time period.
3. The ideas or concepts that can be viewed as universal themes are easily recognisable.
As a class, we also came up with the following list in answer to Question 2:
ReplyDelete1. Jealousy - Don John is jealous of Claudio and all the attention he was receiving. There was evidence of jealousy between Don John and his brother Don Pedro (Don John is jealous of the respect and admiration, etc that Don Pedro receives because of his position).
2. Heartbreak - Hero feels heartbroken when Claudio rejects her and accuses her of being unfaithful. Claudio also feels heartbreak when he is led to believe that Hero has betrayed him and also when he finds out she is 'dead' and he realises that she was pure.
3. Anger - The supposed betrayal of Claudio (by Hero) demonstrates that many characters display anger. Claudio is angry, Leonato is angry, Beatrice becomes angered. As well as this, Don John appears to be an angry character throughout the play.
4. Love - Throughout the play, the story line is focused on the love of two separate couples: Hero and Claudio and Benedict and Beatrice. Hence, love is one of the central themes in the play.