For this assignment in Shakespeare in Community, we were given many tools to try to find different ways into the text:

“This week’s text lectures have considered the way a Shakespeare play moves from one medium to another…For the assignment this week, we encourage you to look at what else individual words can tell us, either in Much Ado About Nothing or in one of the other plays in this course. What words stand out when you close read the text on your own? What words stand out when you use a digital tool to visualize the words or to look at them from a distance?”

“The goal for this assignment is not to make something or break something, but to experiment with at least one tool you haven’t used and to see how it might help you encounter Shakespeare in a new way.”

So, since Much Ado About Nothing is now my favorite Shakespearean play, I decided to try experimenting with a condensed version of Benedick’s and Beatrice’s love story. Here are the results via Voyant and Coggle:

 

 

Note that in all four word bubbles, Benedick and Beatrice are most prominent. This is due to the frequent mention of their names within the diaglogue, but also because they were frequent speakers, and I chose to keep the speakers’ denotations. The next prominent word that jumps out at me is love, which is befitting of a love story. Many of the words are simple connecting words, conjunctions and such, that appear often in any sort of text. However, I do see a significant amount of pronouns: me, my, she, her, they, and you. I didn’t notice this preponderance while reading through the text itself, searching for key scenes that were quite memorable in the movie.

Benedick_and_Beatrice_A_Love_Story_Condensed

(This is a PDF of a weird, branching visualization of several key scenes of Much Ado About Nothing)

I don’t know that these exercises have allowed me to encounter Shakespeare in a new way, necessarily… I think being able to hear the words come alive in theatrical and film versions has really changed the way I view Shakespeare, particularly in Much Ado About Nothing, which has opened my mind to adaptations of these classics. Before now, I sought out the most “accurate” re-tellings of these stories, if such a thing even exists, but my desire to see my favorite actors and director put on this play (Joss Whedon’s 2012 version of the same title) allowed me the opportunity to watch a Shakespeare play in a completely new light.

I encourage you to explore new ways into Shakespeare — it is well worth the effort!

 

Here is the text I used to create these visualizations. It is a a set of scenes that represent the three stages of their courtship: absolute denial, dishonest love (love by way of trickery, with the best of intentions), and true love. The last line is probably my favorite of the whole play. Oh, the irony. 😉

Benedick’s and Beatrice’s Love Story: The Condensed Version

BENEDICK

That a woman conceived me, I thank her;

that she brought me up, I likewise give her most

humble thanks. But that I will have a recheat

winded in my forehead or hang my bugle in an

invisible baldrick, all women shall pardon me.

Because I will not do them the wrong to mistrust

any, I will do myself the right to trust none. And the

fine is, for the which I may go the finer, I will live a

bachelor.

PRINCE

I shall see thee, ere I die, look pale with love.

BENEDICK

With anger, with sickness, or with hunger,

my lord, not with love. Prove that ever I lose more

blood with love than I will get again with drinking,

pick out mine eyes with a ballad-maker’s pen and

hang me up at the door of a brothel house for the

sign of blind Cupid.

 

LEONATO

Well, niece, I hope to see you one day fitted

with a husband.

BEATRICE

Not till God make men of some other metal

than earth. Would it not grieve a woman to be

overmastered with a piece of valiant dust? To make

an account of her life to a clod of wayward marl?

No, uncle, I’ll none. Adam’s sons are my brethren,

and truly I hold it a sin to match in my kindred.

 

BENEDICK

This can be no trick. The

conference was sadly borne; they have the truth of

this from Hero; they seem to pity the lady. It seems

her affections have their full bent. Love me? Why, it

must be requited! I hear how I am censured. They

say I will bear myself proudly if I perceive the love

come from her. They say, too, that she will rather

die than give any sign of affection. I did never think

to marry. I must not seem proud. Happy are they

that hear their detractions and can put them to

mending. They say the lady is fair; ’tis a truth, I can

bear them witness. And virtuous; ’tis so, I cannot

reprove it. And wise, but for loving me; by my troth,

it is no addition to her wit, nor no great argument of

her folly, for I will be horribly in love with her! I

may chance have some odd quirks and remnants of

wit broken on me because I have railed so long

against marriage, but doth not the appetite alter? A

man loves the meat in his youth that he cannot

endure in his age. Shall quips and sentences and

these paper bullets of the brain awe a man from the

career of his humor? No! The world must be peopled.

When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not

think I should live till I were married. Here comes

Beatrice. By this day, she’s a fair lady. I do spy some

marks of love in her.

 

URSULA

But are you sure

That Benedick loves Beatrice so entirely?

HERO

So says the Prince and my new-trothèd lord.

URSULA

And did they bid you tell her of it, madam?

HERO

They did entreat me to acquaint her of it,

But I persuaded them, if they loved Benedick,

To wish him wrestle with affection

And never to let Beatrice know of it.

URSULA

Why did you so? Doth not the gentleman

Deserve as full as fortunate a bed

As ever Beatrice shall couch upon?

HERO

O god of love! I know he doth deserve

As much as may be yielded to a man,

But Nature never framed a woman’s heart

Of prouder stuff than that of Beatrice.

Disdain and scorn ride sparkling in her eyes,

Misprizing what they look on, and her wit

Values itself so highly that to her

All matter else seems weak. She cannot love,

Nor take no shape nor project of affection,

She is so self-endeared.

URSULA

Sure, I think so,

And therefore certainly it were not good

She knew his love, lest she’ll make sport at it.

HERO

No, not to be so odd and from all fashions

As Beatrice is cannot be commendable.

But who dare tell her so? If I should speak,

She would mock me into air. O, she would laugh

me

Out of myself, press me to death with wit.

Therefore let Benedick, like covered fire,

Consume away in sighs, waste inwardly.

It were a better death than die with mocks,

Which is as bad as die with tickling.

 

BENEDICK

Soft and fair, friar.—Which is Beatrice?

BEATRICE

I answer to that name. What is your will?

BENEDICK

Do not you love me?

BEATRICE

Why no, no more than reason.

BENEDICK

Why then, your uncle and the Prince and Claudio

Have been deceived. They swore you did.

BEATRICE

Do not you love me?

BENEDICK

Troth, no, no more than reason.

BEATRICE

Why then, my cousin, Margaret, and Ursula

Are much deceived, for they did swear you did.

BENEDICK

They swore that you were almost sick for me.

BEATRICE

They swore that you were well-nigh dead for me.

BENEDICK

’Tis no such matter. Then you do not love me?

BEATRICE

No, truly, but in friendly recompense.

LEONATO

Come, cousin, I am sure you love the gentleman.

CLAUDIO

And I’ll be sworn upon ’t that he loves her,

For here’s a paper written in his hand,

A halting sonnet of his own pure brain,

Fashioned to Beatrice. He shows a paper.

HERO

And here’s another,

Writ in my cousin’s hand, stol’n from her pocket,

Containing her affection unto Benedick.

She shows a paper.

BENEDICK A miracle! Here’s our own hands against

our hearts. Come, I will have thee, but by this light

I take thee for pity.

BEATRICE I would not deny you, but by this good day, I

yield upon great persuasion, and partly to save your

life, for I was told you were in a consumption.

BENEDICK

Peace! I will stop your mouth.

They kiss.

BENEDICK

Come, come, we are friends. Let’s have a

dance ere we are married, that we may lighten our

own hearts and our wives’ heels.

LEONATO

We’ll have dancing afterward.

BENEDICK

First, of my word! Therefore play, music.—

Prince, thou art sad. Get thee a wife, get thee a wife.