Intensional or Accidentall? Similarities between Romeo And Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing!
There are many similarities between Shakespeare's Much Ado About
Nothing and Romeo and Juliet. Was this Intentional or Accidental? Even though
Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy, and Romeo and Juliet, is one of his
saddest tragedies, the two plots share many common incidents. Did Shakespeare
mean to have these coincidences or did they happen by accident? In both of his
dramatic works, the Masque is a key element furthering the infatuation of the
lovers. Also the balcony scenes in both plays are crucial because without them
the plot could never have reached its denouement. It seems that God came into
both of the plays in the spirit of the friars, because they had good plans to keep
love together.
In both plays, the masque functions as a dramatic device which initiates
the love plot. It occurs in a social gathering, but not without the help of costumes.
If it were not for costumes the result of love might have been drastically different.
How was the masque used to get lovers together? In the case of Romeo and
Juliet, Romeo hears about the masque and decides to go, thinking that he might
be able to get away with this scheme. Upon entering he sees Juliet and right
away, he knows it is love. If he had not worn the costume, the hosts might have
ejected him from the party and he might not have met Juliet. Much Ado About
Nothing has a similar but also different approach towards love at the masque. In
Much Ado, Count Claudio is not able to gather the courage to court Hero. Instead
Don Pedro, who is one of Claudio's very close friends, offers to go and woo Hero
for his...