Summary
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare has influenced many generations of dramatists and filmmakers. Most of the classic works or films inspired by the play attempted to resemble the original work as closely as possible and added a little variation to the existing topics. Shakespeare’s work explored love and how deception can significantly impact relationships between humans who have undeniable feelings for each other. The author investigated the language of love and how it can produce confusion in the mundane lives of Renaissance courtiers (McEachern 65). To illustrate the story’s characters and Shakespeare’s thoughts from a unique perspective, modern writers and directors reinvented and modernized various domains of the work. For example, in his 1993 motion picture Much Ado About Nothing, Kenneth Branagh attempted to present Shakespeare’s ideas more light-heartedly to convince the viewers of their inherent positivity and hidden optimism. By following contemporary cinema trends and selecting directorial methods that created a unique and more cheerful adaptation, Kenneth Branagh was able to transform and modernize the nature and themes of the play.
Topics of the Play
Themes
The original work attempted to discuss many important topics, such as love and the nature of patriarchy in society. Shakespeare’s work was a drama of good and evil, of passionate union rescued from dread and malice, and of societal concord calming the ferocity of psychological warfare (McEachern 1). The play has mainly been censored for violating the decorum of humor and characters or for its depiction of patriarchy (McEachern 2). The theme of love was mainly examined through the relationship between Hero and Claudio. Their pairing was developed on the basis of already existing traditional stories of conventional romance (McEachern 4). The presence of patriarchy was explored in the actions of the male characters in the plot. For example, Don Pedro serves as an undeniable political force in the story and represents the classical nobleman of the 16th century. Other characters that symbolize traditional patriarchal people are Leonato and Don John. Their presence emphasizes the importance of freedom of thought and the disadvantages of poisonous masculinity, which often results in competition and evil deeds.
Nature
The nature of the original play by Shakespeare was also inspired by the author’s community gender divide and its duality. One aspect of the story was about confining and facilitating communal forces (McEachern xvi). The forces of society could change someone’s welfare according to their gender (McEachern xvi). The dramatist presented a world where gender and position in the hierarchy influenced the success of a person. The gender traditions and difficulties of the community were defined by men and women dreading each other on a daily basis (McEachern 1). The men were competitive to the point of sacrificing their moral obligations to achieve victory over their opponents (McEachern 1). The women were less ambitious but also skilled in many arts, such as negotiation. The presence of opposing genders allowed Shakespeare to discuss their perspectives on the hierarchy of society and success.
Duality
The duality of the play is primarily symbolized by the two pairs of lovers. Their different environments depicted the different yet similar problems that affected people in relationships. The first pair, Hero and Claudio, represented scholarship and its dark elements (McEachern 1). The second pair, Benedict and Beatrice, illustrated the theatre and its dramatic interactions (McEachern 1). The tragic elements of the plot are centered on Hero and slanders about her. In addition, Claudio’s revenge and its consequences demonstrated the devastating forces of the play and its tragic aspect.
Humor
The presence of Benedict and Beatrice brings humor to the tragic incidents connected to Hero. By introducing jokes and clever remarks, Shakespeare attempts to illustrate another aspect of the story that relieves characters and viewers from the tragedies of life. For example, as the couple discusses the topic of marriage, Beatrice notes, “I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me” (Shakespeare 158). Then, as a response, Benedict provides a joke about her views: “God keep your ladyship still in that mind, so some gentleman or other shall scape a predestinate scratched face” (Shakespeare 158). Such interactions allow Shakespeare to support the presence of humor and simultaneously develop the plot.
Previous Adaptations
Shakespeare’s play adaptations predominately attempted to recreate the spirit of the original work and only slightly altered the characters and their roles in the story. According to statistics, 25 films (in the English language) based on Shakespeare’s works were produced between 1989 and 2016 (Sheppard 15). One such version was Branagh’s film, which attempted to describe the classic’s ideas in a new and entertaining form understandable by modern people. The previous versions of the play strictly merged the classic artwork and provided allusions to already established ideas and forms (Sheppard 16). On the other hand, the originality and ability to create new and undiscovered works defined Shakespeare and his style. Therefore, a work that was truly inspired by Shakespeare’s ideas required creativity in presenting the old ideas to modern viewers.
Branagh’s Version
Branagh’s film focused on the already-established ideas of the play, such as love, honor, and deception. However, the director decided to present the story in a different and light-hearted manner to emphasize further the humorous part of the original work. In the 90s, the cinema industry had an increase in the number of productions of Shakespeare adaptations such as Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet (Sheppard 30). The majority of the movies attempted to create alternate versions by incorporating comedic or tragic elements into opposing genres (Sheppard 41). After creating a film titled Henry V, Branagh decided to produce a more cheerful adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing. As a result, Branagh’s version of the play had a unique tone that corresponded to the trends of the cinema of the 90s.
Branagh’s Directorial Decisions
Emphasis on Comedy
The first decision of the director that demanded changes in adaptation was to create a larger emphasis on the characters of Benedict and Beatrice. The film’s goal to represent the characters in a cheerful manner demanded more screen time for the jokes and puns. Since the pair constituted the humorous aspect of the original play, the director decided to increase their presence in the movie. Although many critics suggested that their story could be successfully separated from the main events, the movie attempted to illustrate that their presence was also vital to the plot (McEachern 4). By incorporating comedic remarks and increasing the roles of Benedict and Beatrice, the director was able to create a unique and cheerful version of the play.
Pacing
Another directorial decision that separated the film and the play was changing the pacing of the story. The director removed some of the dialogues from the play, for example, the interactions between Don Pedro and Claudio in the second act. Such a difference changed the reception of the movie by creating more emphasis on other conversations. Additionally, the director altered the first scene by replacing some of the dialogue with visual representations. Other elements that defined the film were the theatrical expressions and gestures that the characters used to convey their feelings. By adding more visual interpretations of the scenes, Branagh was able to adapt the original theatrical work to the considerably smaller time format of the cinema.
Structure Changes
In addition to changes in pacing and emphasis, Branagh omitted some of the scenes from the play. The relationships of the two pairs were conveyed by their gestures instead of dialogue. For example, Hero and Don Pedro’s interactions were removed from the first act. In addition, the director omitted the scene where Don Pedro and Claudio mock Benedict in the third act. Such alterations shifted the tragic perception of the film toward a more positive one. The original work utilized those interactions to create a balance between a negative environment and an optimistic relationship. However, the edits and changes in structure did not significantly alter the main plot. The decisions of the director improved the movie by making it more accessible to an audience that did not have much experience with Shakespeare’s works. By changing some of the structure of the original work, Branagh was able to create a more understandable adaptation of the play for regular viewers.
Depiction of Deceit
Another decision by the director was to change some of the crucial elements in the play. For example, the complex deceit by Don John involved Borachio and Margaret presenting their sexual intercourse as Hero’s betrayal. Some critics suggested that its role of Margaret in the evil plan was not substantial and only served as an example of the dark nature of humans that pursue money (Dugan 126). Other critics claimed that Margaret’s part was crucial for illustrating how women converse with one another in private as a contrast to the usual dialogue of competitive males (Dugan 126). Branagh, on the other hand, made the decision to maintain the mystery by leaving out portions of the conversation sections. This choice created an opportunity to maintain the sexual scene’s mystery and to prevent viewers from recognizing Margaret. Such visual and structural changes covered up textual errors that could have been associated with Borachio’s deceit (Dugan 126). Branagh’s choice increased the success of the picture and offered spectators a different viewpoint on the drama.
Shakespeare’s play discussed the topics of love, deceit, and society. The presence of humorous elements incorporated the author’s optimism and ideas. In a similar and cheerful way, Branagh attempted to reintroduce Shakespeare to a modern audience. The change in the pace and general structure created a unique and modern version of the story. By replacing many conversations with non-verbal interactions, the director was able to adapt Shakespeare’s vision to the cinema’s screen limitations. Another element that contributed to the director’s success was removing the scenes that contradicted his vision of the play. By omitting some of the negative events of the plot, Branagh was able to present the work from a new and unique perspective.
Works Cited
Dugan, Holly. “Desiring H: Much Ado About Nothing and the Sound of Women’s Desire.” Queer Shakespeare: Desire and sexuality, edited by Goran Stanivukovic. Arden Shakespeare, 2019, pp. 116-128.
Sheppard, Philippa. Devouring Time: Nostalgia in Contemporary Shakespearean Screen Adaptations.McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2017.
Shakespeare, William. Much Ado About Nothing, edited by Claire McEachern. Arden Shakespeare, 2006.