How to Make a Bachelor Fall In Love: Much Ado About Nothing (1993)

An analysis of Benedick and Beatrice in the 1993 film adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing

The brilliant lines and characters of Shakespeare come to life in this 1993 adaptation of the comedy Much Ado About Nothing. The story covers Hero and Claudio's journey to the altar, but the real stars of the show are Beatrice (Emma Thompson) and Benedick (Kenneth Branagh). They start the film trading witty insults, making the audience believe in their genuine disdain for each other. Then it is revealed by Beatrice that she had lent her heart to Benedick in the past, but he had won it with "false dice". This is interpreted to mean that they had a past relationship or friendship that ended in bad blood. But this hate does not go on for much longer when Don Pedro, Leonato, Claudio, Hero, and others devise a plan to play Cupid and trick them into loving each other. This film follows the story of the Shakespearean play but differs due to elements like its addition of physical comedy, music, changes to the dialogue, and the delivery of lines. 

Act 2, Scene 3 demonstrates the differences between this film adaptation, the original, and other adaptations. In this scene Benedick overhears the staged discussion of Claudio, Don Pedro, and Leonato, which is most often called the gulling scene. This scene shows the transformation of Benedick and demonstrates how different performances affect the audience's experience of the play. 

Changes to Shakespeare's original Dialogue:

Balthasar's lack of confidence in his singing was not in the film. In the original play, before he starts to sing, he says this "Note this before my notes/There's not a note of mine that's worth the noting"(2.3.55-56). This repeated use of the word "note" and the irony in the fact that he is going to sing but puts himself down first by telling the audience that it is not going to be any good is what makes this exchange humorous. But in the 1993 film, the lines of Balthasar are cut out, reducing the humor of the scene. 

The film cuts most of the lines of Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato in this scene. This impacts the performance by placing most of the humor onto the reactions of Benedick, rather than the elaborate story created by these three men. These cuts allow the film to quickly move to the central point of the scene, which is to trick Benedick into believing that Beatrice is in love with him. But the comedy of the scene is affected by this removal. In Shakespeare's play, the humor is drawn from all the characters and how they interact with their wordplay and reactions. But in the 1993 adaptation, the comedy is  drawn from Benedick's physical reactions. 

Benedick's Physical Comedy

In many productions of Much Ado About Nothing, there are some additions to add to the humor of the play. In Shakespeare in the Park's Much Ado About Nothing, Benedick yells "Kobe" when he jumps, which adds humor and a modern element to the scene. In this particular adaptation, the inclusion of Benedick's chair adds to the humor. Both adaptations add a different aspect of physical comedy that are not present in the Shakespeare text. 

Benedick struggles to stand up his chair

From the beginning of this scene, Benedick's is seen fighting with this chair, so that makes it even funnier when the chair breaks, causing him to fall to the ground just as he hears Don Pedro say, "...What was it you told me of to-/day? that your niece Beatrice was in love with Signior/ Benedick?" (2.3.92-94). This element adds to the non-verbal performance and exaggerates the humor of Benedick's reactions. His physical fall also reflects his falling in love with Beatrice, as he is losing control and finding it harder to resist love. 

Another addition that is not in the play's stage directions is Benedick making crow sounds. Benedick becomes offended when Don Pedro says he has a contemptible spirit so, he yells out and to cover himself, he starts cawing like a crow. This action adds to the total ridiculousness of the scene and sparks the action of Leonato, Claudio, and Don Pedro, who imitate him by making bird gestures with their hands. This shows a different side of Benedick than was shown at the start of the film. At first, Benedick is shown to be witty and confident, but in his attempt to hide himself, he is made to look increasingly foolish. 

The delivery of lines:

Benedick changes a lot between his monologue at the beginning and end of the scene. His delivery of lines makes that change evident. 

Benedick's monologue at the start of the scene is delivered with a tone of anger. Benedick is so enraged by how Claudio is acting now that he is in love with Hero. This tone impacts the scene by making Benedick's thoughts seem like an argument with himself. Him taking this all so personally tells the audience that he is beginning to have thoughts of love but is pushing them down by convincing himself that he will never be a fool and fall in love. His gestures, including the throwing up of his hands and pointing which connect to his frustration by showing that the topic of love really just confuses him. Benedick has lived his whole life as a Bachelor and soldier, so the idea of throwing away that life to fall in love is something he finds hard to accept. In this monologue or soliloquy, the words of Benedick are being indirectly directed at the audience; this reveals his internal thoughts without the presence of another character. When Benedick learns of Beatrice's "love" for him, he is in disbelief and runs to get closer to the conversation to hear all that is being said. 

After Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato leave the garden, Benedick is left alone to grapple with his feelings for Beatrice. In Benedick's soliloquy, he delivers his lines with happiness and thoughtfulness. This shows that he accepts the love of Beatrice and is willing to change himself so that he can requite it. There is background music used in this scene that is heard only by the film's audience. The music builds throughout Benedick's realization that he is in love with Beatrice. This is one way in which play performances differ from film adaptations because films can use music to influence the audience's emotional response to a scene. But in a play, the emotions of the scene must be entirely conveyed through the actor's performance and the words of Benedick. The music in the film emphasizes Benedick's growing happiness and shows the audience how much his thoughts of Beatrice have changed throughout the scene. 

The scene finishes with the entrance of Beatrice. When Benedick sees that she is coming to get him, he lets out a scream or yell that heightens the scenes comedy. Beatrice is suspicious and confused why Benedick is acting so strangely. The addition of Beatrice having a knife during the line, "Yea, just so much as you may take upon a/ knife's point..." (2.3.248-249) is another example of the film's physical comedy. The addition of the knife and cutting of the rest of the line turns the metaphor into a visual joke. The original line suggests she does take pleasure in the message, but only a little bit, but the film cuts out the idea of Beatrice enjoying the message at all. Instead, the knife makes her words seem more threatening. The film then ends this scene at the line, "...there's a double meaning in that" (2.3.252) which excludes the rest of the line. This impacts the scene by ending it on a comedic moment rather than on the thoughts of Benedick. 

Conclusion

This 1993 Adaptation of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing demonstrates that the choices of the performer can change how the audience experiences the play as a whole. This film shifts the humor of the gulling scene into Benedick's physical reactions rather than on the wordplay. Benedick's chair, his crow sounds, and over-the-top reactions make his transformation from Bachelor to lover evident. Compared to the Shakespeare in the Park production, this film shows how different comedic elements can change the way an audience experiences the same story.