In Much Ado about Nothing, Shakespeare uses dance as a way to help describe the relationships in this play. This is a play of action and movement. Don John attempts to fumble the steps of his brothers consorts, Beatrice and Benedick moving against each other, and all other characters attempting to choreograph them into a duet. His words in this play are words of action and movement. Choices in diction reflect this with words like “ flight” ( 1.1.32), “halting” ( 1.1.52), “run” ( 1.1.74) all within the first moments of play.
Verbal jest seem to create a floor pattern worthy of Fred and Ginger. (See Youtube video at the end of blogpost) Shakespeare uses the rhetorical device like anadiplosis, which takes the last word previously said and knits into the beginning of the present line. Making for seamless verbal choreography as seen between Beatrice and Benedick in the following exchange.
“BEATRICE
A dear happiness to women: they would else have
been troubled with a pernicious suitor. I thank God
and my cold blood, I am of your humour for that: I
had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man
swear he loves me.
BENEDICK
God keep your ladyship still in that mind! so some
gentleman or other shall 'scape a predestinate
scratched face.
BEATRICE
Scratching could not make it worse, an 'twere such
a face as yours were.
BENEDICK
Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher.
BEATRICE
A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours. “
Act 1. Sc.1. lines 105-114
Not, only does the language create a dance like pattern but the literal references to dance and music are numerous within the text. A highlighted example would be Beatrice’s steamy salsa of a speech to her cousin Hero in 2.1
BEATRICE
The fault will be in the music, cousin, if you be
not wooed in good time: if the prince be too
important, tell him there is measure in every thing
and so dance out the answer. For, hear me, Hero:
wooing, wedding, and repenting, is as a Scotch jig,
a measure, and a cinque pace: the first suit is hot
and hasty, like a Scotch jig, and full as
fantastical; the wedding, mannerly-modest, as a
measure, full of state and ancientry; and then comes
repentance and, with his bad legs, falls into the
cinque pace faster and faster, till he sink into his grave.”
Act 2 Sc. 1 lines 57- 66
Here Beatrice takes the metaphor of dance and applies it to the whole scheme of courting, marriage and life is befitting to life in the upper crusts of Elizabethan society. The separate societies of men and women would converge in the dance hall in ways that was atypical from day to day interactions. Beatrice describes the “cinque a pace” which was dance also known as a galliard. And was known to be the favorite of Queen Elizabeth herself. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galliard). Below is a link to an example of a galliard dance.
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/musdivid/029c.mov
5 comments:
Great post and link! There is such a rhythm to the language of Beatrice and Benedick. Another analogy could be seen in fencing- this constant back and forth in search of the upper hand. I could easily see them in fencing gear saying their lines to the click of their foils.
Great post!
You bring up a very interesting point about dance and the relationships in the play. I never really considered dance to be important or even particularly relevant at first glance, but after reading your post it's hard to say otherwise.
This post was an eye-opener, i'll be paying more attention to this as i read the rest of the play.
Also thanks for the video!
What a fantastic post! I love the parallels you made between dance and movement and the characters in the play. it would probably make a beautiful dance concert or ballet. Perhaps a new project to consider???
What a cool idea and post, Gianna! I really like how you use an analysis of Shakespeare's use of language to support your reading of the scene, as well. I could see this developing into an interesting paper topic...
Thanks! For reading and digging this!!!!! :-D Exploring dance in Shakespeare actually sounds really cool!
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