Humour in 'Much Ado About Nothing'

Humour in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’

Characters relevant to humour:

• Beatrice uses humour to be outspoken about marriage

• Benedick amuses his friends and jokes about hating marriage

• Leonato jokes about cuckolding, until his daughter’s honour is questioned

• The Watch are part of the play for comic relief

Beatrice:

• Has a merry war with Benedick

  • ‘I wonder that you will still be talking, Signior Benedick: nobody marks you.’

  • Seeks him out when no-one else is speaking to him

• The source of this is possibly a history between them

  • ‘You always end with a jade's trick: I know you of old.’

  • A ‘jade’ was a broken down, vicious horse

• Uses her humour to be outspoken

  • ‘It is my cousin's duty to make curtsy and say 'Father, as it please you.' ... let him be a handsome fellow, or else make another curtsy and say 'Father, as it please me.'’

  • She is being light-hearted about  about the expectation of her cousin to be dutiful

  • Being outspoken towards her uncle, while acknowledging what her cousin is expected to do

• Jokes about marriage

  • ‘I have a good eye, uncle, I can see a church by daylight’

  • Joking, but also serious, saying she will not marry as she has a realistic view of marriage

• Does not admit to her feelings, disguises them using humour

  • ‘I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books.’/‘No, an he were, I would burn my study’

  • ‘In your books’ means in your good graces

  • She replies joking to a serious question

Benedick:

• Has a battle of…