My son's got an English Lit question to answer and I'm hopless! He needs to find out what the phrase 'Much ado about nothing' as used by Shakespere actually means. Hope someone can help. Thanks!
2007-01-11 08:42:01 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Theater & Acting
Noting
Another motif occurring throughout the work is the play on the words nothing and noting, which, in Shakespeare’s day, were pronounced as homophones.[3] Taken literally, the title implies that a great fuss (“much ado”) is made of something which is insignificant (“nothing”), such as the unfounded claims of Hero’s infidelity. However, the title could also be understood as “Much Ado about Noting.” Indeed, much of the action of the play revolves around interest in and critique of others, written messages, spying, and eavesdropping. Additionally, nothing is a double-entendre, as it was commonly used by Shakespeare as a euphemism for the female genitals. Thus the title could be read as "Much Ado about Female Genitalia".[4]
2007-01-11 08:46:20 · answer #1 · answered by beckett 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Becket's wikipedia quote a few answers back is spot on.
There are multiple possible layers of meaning to the title.
The play is largely about the dangers of loose talk. In both the plot and sub-plot, characters lives and reputations are seriously effected by overheard words. In the main plot, lies told by Don John cause Claudio to (falsely) believe that his fiance, Hero, is "an approved wanton, a common stale" a more polite way of saying "whore." In the subplot, lies overheard by Beatrice and Benedick cause the two of them to fall in love with each other.
Beatrice, of all people, should know better, as she herself says "words are but wind." In this regarding, "nothing" could be refering to the words and lies spoken by all the characters. After all, in the end, it was all a big kuffufle about lies.
Furthermore, regarding Hero's genitalia, the question of a woman's virginity was a major thing when it came to marriage since that was the only way for a man to be sure that any children were his. Since Claudio refuses to wed Hero on account of the fact that he believes she is not a virgin, it could be said, with some justification, that this is "Much Ado About Genitalia." To expand a little on the Wikipedia quote, "thing" was common slang for male genitalia. In Hamlet, the title character insults the king by saying "The king is a thing." Sort of like calling the guy a dick, if you'll pardon my French. Thus "No Thing" would be the female genitalia.
Anyhow, I hope this is helpful!
2007-01-11 09:14:08 · answer #2 · answered by Joey Michaels 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It means that a lot of energy and work was put into something that means very little. Like a person who spends thousand of dollars and hundreds of hours planning a party to celebrate the third Monday of 2007. Not much of a real Holiday. That is much ado about nothing.
B
2007-01-11 08:45:23 · answer #3 · answered by Bacchus 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
well, i watched the movie w/ kenneth branagh (which i loved)..and is a common theme in many of shakespeare's plays:
there was a lot of ruckus caused by the simplest thing as Miscommunication. remember, the young girl (kate beckinsale) was betrothed to some guy (robert sean leanard). but at night, he saw with his OWN EYES in his fiance's room a woman w/ same hair making love to this fat dude! so he started mistreating her and trying to call off the wedding, and all this stuff happens w/ people fighting and killing and warring each other, when in fact it happens to be her Maid who was doing it w/ the fat dude.
so, long story short, instead of talking to each other and nipping the problem in the bud, the characters allowed their imaginations and assumptions go wild and cause Much Ado about NOTHING. :)
2007-01-11 08:52:12 · answer #4 · answered by sasmallworld 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Look up the word "ado" in a dictionary -- no, better, get *him* to look up the word "ado" in a dictionary.
2007-01-14 23:59:55 · answer #5 · answered by replybysteve 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
much ado about nothing means much fuss about nothing
2007-01-11 08:50:53 · answer #6 · answered by Dooby 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A great big hoohah (fuss) over something trivial (in the great scheme of things) - blown out of all proportion, made into something it's not blah, blah, blah!
2007-01-11 08:50:21 · answer #7 · answered by Flossie 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
A lot of hubbub over nothing....just think about the premise of the play...a supposed death over a lie.
2007-01-11 11:48:08 · answer #8 · answered by renaissance_amy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Essentially it means 'a lot of fuss about nothing'
2007-01-11 08:49:57 · answer #9 · answered by KB 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
making a lot of fuss about nothing at all
2007-01-12 09:26:35 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋