HomeGroupsTalkMoreZeitgeist
Search Site
This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and (if not signed in) for advertising. By using LibraryThing you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms.

Results from Google Books

Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.

Much Ado About Nothing by William…
Loading...

Much Ado About Nothing (original 1598; edition 2004)

by William Shakespeare

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations / Mentions
10,60898666 (4.07)1 / 355
Drama. Fiction. HTML:

Shakespeare's comedy play Much Ado About Nothing pivots around the impediments to love for young betrothed Hero and Claudio when Hero is falsely accused of infidelity and the "lover's trap" set for the arrogant and assured Benedick who has sworn of marriage and his gentle adversary Beatrice. The merry war between Benedick and Beatrice with the promptings of their friends soon dissolves into farcical love, while Hero's supposed infidelity is shown to be little more than "much ado about nothing".

.… (more)
Member:Prestonina
Title:Much Ado About Nothing
Authors:William Shakespeare
Info:Washington Square Press (2004), Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:*****
Tags:None

Work Information

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare (1598)

  1. 90
    Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (Shuffy2)
    Shuffy2: Beatrice and Benedick and Lizzie and Darcy- there are some similarties! This is my favorite of Shakespeare's comedies! Two characters who love to spar with words, 2 couples who love each other, and a bad guy! Perfect mix...
Loading...

Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book.

» See also 355 mentions

English (92)  Spanish (2)  Portuguese (Brazil) (1)  German (1)  Swedish (1)  All languages (97)
Showing 1-5 of 92 (next | show all)
I find this story to be a bit shallow, but its a play, not easy to do character development. And its a play written in the early 1600's, where the caste system was in play, every person had a place with certain duties, requirements, and not much leeway for deviation. As a result, these stories are a bit constrained. I think its partly why Shakespeare is still read - he is brilliant at telling a story within these constraints, with double entendres and meanings within meanings. As a result, the story can be understood on many different levels (while also bringing in enough people to pay the rent).

Reading it on a modern level is difficult. Between not understanding common phrases of the day, and words meaning different things today and 400 years ago (for an example, look at the word gay), It also doesn't help that most readers (even back then), won't get references to ancient Greek writings, or even contemporary references to "best sellers" of the day.

Onto the story itself - this is a story about love, but love in the 16th century, where making a good match is more important than actual compatibility between partners. That Claudio and Hero are actually in Love (after only a day after knowing each other, without any sort of conversation) is actually a bonus.

Where the story shines is the relationship between Beatrice and Benedict - always circling each other with quick witted barbs, proclaiming that each other is the worst of the worst. Of course, this is not normally accepted behavior on the part of Beatrice. But Shakespeare allows for it by making her an orphan, being raised by her uncle. She is one of the few woman who actually has some sort of say in what happens in her life.

And, it brings to Don John, the bastard brother of Don Pedro, Prince of Arragon. Don John is actually an evil character. He just wants to cause chaos and watch it all burn, and I think he's a great character. No ulterior motives accept to screw over the establishment.

As for this story, I have a hard time with how poor Hero is condemned so quickly. I know, product of its time, but man, what an awful thing, to be completely ruined by rumor. And Claudio, a man who has only met this girl, doesn't even know her well enough to recognize her voice, when someone pretends to be her. Its fairly standard stuff, and without the witticism's of Beatrice and Benedict, this story would probably be considered one of Shakespeare's lesser story.

And on the edition - I read the Revised Penguin Edition from 1986 - I think the Signet Editions are better put together. I rather have the footnotes on the same pages as they occur, so I don't have to flip pages. Also, I think the Signet books have better information about the play, and drama in Shakespeare's time. ( )
  TheDivineOomba | Dec 3, 2023 |
Ganz schön, ist wahrscheinlich besser als Theaterstück zu sehen. ( )
  Maxim2 | Nov 15, 2023 |
The great bickering couple play, as I think the Shrew is far too broad. Beatrice and Benedict, the perfect Dogberry the Constable, and what more could one ask? If you can find in the streaming world, or on DVD, the lovely Emma thompson-Kenneth Branagh version, you will have the best time indeed! The play was extant by 1600. ( )
  DinadansFriend | Oct 31, 2023 |
Some of this went over my head but the supporting material from Melbourne University’s 10 Great Books was excellent and offered me deeper insights. ( )
  secondhandrose | Oct 31, 2023 |
Read this around a campfire tonight at a Shakespeare Night organized by a wonderful friend who always plans the best things! She’s wonderful too because she cast me as Dogberry, and I had a blast reading his lines.

I’ve been enamored of this play for many years, but I’d never actually read it. I’ve watched the adaptation with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson over and over, and I love the Joss Whedon version too. I remember seeing Whedon’s adaptation for the first time at the Wisconsin Film Festival and giggling my whole drive home, every time I thought of Nathan Fillion’s performance as Dogberry.

It’s a play full of ridiculous schemes, a romantic hero I want to punch, and the best enemies-to-lovers banter I’ve ever read. It’s fun to read and even more fun to see performed, so if you haven’t done either of those things, get on it, people! ( )
1 vote Harks | Dec 17, 2022 |
Showing 1-5 of 92 (next | show all)

» Add other authors (363 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Shakespeare, Williamprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Baudissin, Wolf Heinrich vonTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Bennett, Josephine WatersEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Brooke, C. F. TuckerEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Craft, KinukoCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Dennis, JohnIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Dillon, JanetteEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Foakes, R. A.Editorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Gray, Henry DavidEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Hudson, Henry N.Editorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Kredel, FritzCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Lewalski, BarbaraEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
McEachern, ClaireEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Mowat, Barbara A.Editorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Newcomer, Alphonso G.Editorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Shaw, ByamIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Stevenson, David L.Editorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Trenery, Grace R.Editorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Werstine, PaulEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Wright, Louis B.Editorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

Is contained in

Is retold in

Has the adaptation

Is abridged in

Inspired

Has as a study

Has as a commentary on the text

Has as a student's study guide

You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.
For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.
Canonical title
Original title
Alternative titles
Original publication date
People/Characters
Important places
Important events
Related movies
Epigraph
Dedication
First words
I learn in this letter that Don Pedro of Aragon comes this night to Messina.
Quotations
He wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat.
Silence is the perfectest herald of joy: I were but little happy, if I could say how much.
I thank God I am as honest as any man living that is an old man and no honester than I.
What a deformed thief this fashion is.
Is it not strange that sheep's guts should hale souls out of men's bodies?
Last words
Disambiguation notice
This work is for the complete Much Ado About Nothing only. Do not combine this work with abridgements, adaptations or simplifications (such as "Shakespeare Made Easy"), Cliffs Notes or similar study guides, or anything else that does not contain the full text. Do not include any video recordings. Additionally, do not combine this with other plays.
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Original language
Information from the Italian Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
Canonical DDC/MDS
Canonical LCC

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (2)

Drama. Fiction. HTML:

Shakespeare's comedy play Much Ado About Nothing pivots around the impediments to love for young betrothed Hero and Claudio when Hero is falsely accused of infidelity and the "lover's trap" set for the arrogant and assured Benedick who has sworn of marriage and his gentle adversary Beatrice. The merry war between Benedick and Beatrice with the promptings of their friends soon dissolves into farcical love, while Hero's supposed infidelity is shown to be little more than "much ado about nothing".

.

No library descriptions found.

Book description
Haiku summary

Current Discussions

None

Popular covers

Quick Links

Rating

Average: (4.07)
0.5 1
1 20
1.5 6
2 79
2.5 16
3 358
3.5 43
4 732
4.5 51
5 753

Is this you?

Become a LibraryThing Author.

Penguin Australia

3 editions of this book were published by Penguin Australia.

Editions: 0140714804, 0141012307, 1405856459

Sourcebooks MediaFusion

An edition of this book was published by Sourcebooks MediaFusion.

» Publisher information page

 

About | Contact | Privacy/Terms | Help/FAQs | Blog | Store | APIs | TinyCat | Legacy Libraries | Early Reviewers | Common Knowledge | 203,225,269 books! | Top bar: Always visible