Book #26 - Much Ado About Nothing
(Have also in the meantime read Henry IV part I and A Midsummer Night's Dream for my Shakespeare class, but since I read those last year I won't count them. Same will go for The Merchant of Venice, which is up next.)
It amazes me that I spent _months_ in rehearsals for this play back in high school and missed so much of what was going on. Don Pedro flirting with Beatrice?! How'd I miss that? And speaking of Beatrice, I can now say that I do indeed think Portia is cooler. Not by _too_ much, and actually the only difference is that Beatrice wails to Benedick to duel Claudio until he concedes, whereas Portia would have just rolled up in drag and done it herself. ;)
And alas, among all the greater insight I now have into this play, I still think Hero is a cardboard cutout: insert good-girl daughter of venerable old man and love interest for hot young soldier here. Really there's not much else to her character. I guess Shakespeare was either saving himself for writing such awesome females in The Merchant of Venice or had already shot his load doing so.
Title: Much Ado About Nothing
Author: William Shakespeare
Pages: 197
26 / 36 books. 72% done!
It amazes me that I spent _months_ in rehearsals for this play back in high school and missed so much of what was going on. Don Pedro flirting with Beatrice?! How'd I miss that? And speaking of Beatrice, I can now say that I do indeed think Portia is cooler. Not by _too_ much, and actually the only difference is that Beatrice wails to Benedick to duel Claudio until he concedes, whereas Portia would have just rolled up in drag and done it herself. ;)
And alas, among all the greater insight I now have into this play, I still think Hero is a cardboard cutout: insert good-girl daughter of venerable old man and love interest for hot young soldier here. Really there's not much else to her character. I guess Shakespeare was either saving himself for writing such awesome females in The Merchant of Venice or had already shot his load doing so.
Title: Much Ado About Nothing
Author: William Shakespeare
Pages: 197
26 / 36 books. 72% done!