much ado about nothing
Eva Cunningham
Both Shakespeare in ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ and Duffy with ‘Quickdraw’ explore difficult relationships. The writers do this in different ways, and although the two texts, one a play and the other a poem were written over 400 years apart there are several comparisons that can be made between them
Central to ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ is the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick. At first, they seem to hate each other and they take every opportunity to insult each other both face to face and about one another with their friends. For example, we know this from Benedick’s reaction to Don Pedro questioning his feelings for Beatrice. Benedick develops the metaphor of a ‘dish’ to describe Beatrice. He refers back to this throughout the play. The metaphor is referring to distatelfulness; he says, ‘here’s a dish, I love not.’ This is implying that he hates her. Using the word dish shows us that Beatrice is always the same and is just passed around. As the play develops the acrimonious wit inflicted between Beatrice and Benedick increases with hurtfulness.
Our first impression of the words from the person on the other end of the phone in Duffy’s ‘Quickdraw’ is that they are hurtful, ‘Your voice a pellet in my ear.’ Although we are never told the words that are spoken to the narrator we still feel they are spiteful. In fact, I feel leaving the callers words out of the poem intensifies the cruelty of what is said.
It is not just the content of what is spoken in both ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ and ‘Quickdraw’ that defines the difficult relationships but also tension is demonstrated by the fast response of the characters to each other. With Beatrice and Benedick, right from the start of the play they have a quick spontaneous war of insults. Benedick says to Beatrice, ‘ You are a rare parrot teacher’, to which Beatrice instantly replies, ‘A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours’. The poem, ‘Quickdraw’ is set within the imaginary of
Both Shakespeare in ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ and Duffy with ‘Quickdraw’ explore difficult relationships. The writers do this in different ways, and although the two texts, one a play and the other a poem were written over 400 years apart there are several comparisons that can be made between them
Central to ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ is the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick. At first, they seem to hate each other and they take every opportunity to insult each other both face to face and about one another with their friends. For example, we know this from Benedick’s reaction to Don Pedro questioning his feelings for Beatrice. Benedick develops the metaphor of a ‘dish’ to describe Beatrice. He refers back to this throughout the play. The metaphor is referring to distatelfulness; he says, ‘here’s a dish, I love not.’ This is implying that he hates her. Using the word dish shows us that Beatrice is always the same and is just passed around. As the play develops the acrimonious wit inflicted between Beatrice and Benedick increases with hurtfulness.
Our first impression of the words from the person on the other end of the phone in Duffy’s ‘Quickdraw’ is that they are hurtful, ‘Your voice a pellet in my ear.’ Although we are never told the words that are spoken to the narrator we still feel they are spiteful. In fact, I feel leaving the callers words out of the poem intensifies the cruelty of what is said.
It is not just the content of what is spoken in both ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ and ‘Quickdraw’ that defines the difficult relationships but also tension is demonstrated by the fast response of the characters to each other. With Beatrice and Benedick, right from the start of the play they have a quick spontaneous war of insults. Benedick says to Beatrice, ‘ You are a rare parrot teacher’, to which Beatrice instantly replies, ‘A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours’. The poem, ‘Quickdraw’ is set within the imaginary of