William Shakespeare: Most Famous Of All English Writers Essay, Research Paper

William Shakespeare: Most Famous of All English Writers

William Shakespeare, the most famous of all English writers, has written

many works. One such work is Much Ado About Nothing, a comedy that includes

humor, love, and deceit. Several incidents in the life of the author influenced

him to write this play in the fashion that he did. These events come from his

life and the point in history in which he lived, thus producing Much Ado About

nothing.

Shakespeare’s life has very much to do with the style of his writing as

his stories are from his past experiences. Shakespeare had a life that involved

both the good and bad aspects of love. He was married for a short while,

however, the marriage was suspected to be an unhappy one because he spent much

of his later life away from his family. Shakespeare’s misfortune in love is

shown in Much Ado About Nothing when it is said, “Speak low if you speak love.”

(Shakespeare). Contrary to this, the positive side of love is apparent:

“Friendship is constant in all other things

Save in the office and affairs of love:

Therefore all hearts in love use their own tongues;

Let every eye negotiate itself

And trust no agent.” (Shakespeare)

So let it be known, Shakespeare obviously learned a great deal about love

throughout the course of his life. He learned not only the good, but also the

bad, and in this, love plays a major role in Much Ado About Nothing (Wright 10-

13).

Another element used in Much Ado About Nothing is deceit. This deceit

involves a conflict between two brothers in which one wants to keep the other

unhappy and unwed. This conflict is present as it is said, “There’s a skirmish

of wit between them.” (Shakespeare). Shakespeare, in his life, had some

deceitful things forced upon him where he was cheated out of something. He was

forced out of school at an early age of fifteen to help his father financially.

Furthermore, he was forced into marrying a women that was eight years older than

himself because she was three months pregnant. In result of his unsuccessful

marriage, it is reason enough for him involving love and deceit as one in this

play. So Shakespeare also understands deceit as he incorporated it into Much

Ado About Nothing (”Shakespeare, William”).

Contrary to love and deceit, Shakespeare uses comedy as the third and

final element of the play. Comedy is what gives Much Ado About Nothing it’s

cheerful happiness and wit that gives this play it’s recognition. Shakespeare

had many happy experiences in his life due to his great success in being a

playwright. His success started with him becoming the top writer of The

Chamberlain’s Men, which would later be renamed The King’s Men. This led to

his great career of writing which brought him fame and fortune, causing him to

live and die a happy man (Wright 10-13). The happiness and clever wit is

described like, “Merry as the day is long.” (Shakespeare). All throughout this

play, there is constantly a tone of Comedy although interrupted by scenes of

deceitful hate. This is very similar to the life of William Shakespeare, and it

clearly the reason that he writes in the style he does. All in all,

Shakespeare’s ability as a Comedic writer is very well spoken for and is the

reason that he wrote this play.

The elements used in this play as they have happened in Shakespeare’s

life are established in the relationships of the characters of the play.

Benedict and Beatrice, throughout the entire beginning of the play, display

love, deceit, and comedy. Beatrice finds all men to be repulsive, not in the

physical sense, but in the psychological sense. Benedict does not like her

attitude and does everything he can to spite her. Through all this, they both

love each other, but both are as stubborn and hard headed as each other so it is

impossible for either one to know this. At a costume party, Benedict tricks

Beatrice into thinking he is someone else by wearing a costume and disguising

his voice by talking with a different accent. Beatrice, not being aware of this,

talks badly about Benedict to whom she thinks is a stranger. Afterwards,

Benedict is furious about her statements and complains to the prince, so

everyone else conspires to get them together. They do this by letting them

individually overhear talk of each other loving one another. When they hear this,

they are both very happy and end up telling each other their true feelings

resulting in them getting married at the end of the play. The purpose of

telling the story of Benedict and Beatrice is that their dialogue and actions

resemble the tones and elements of the play, therefore they greatly contribute

to what I am proving (Shakespeare).

Finally, the elements used in Much Ado About Nothing directly coincide

with the events of Shakespeare’s life. The style that he uses comes from his

life from birth to death. In this, it is obvious that Shakespeare experienced

love in all it’s aspects, he experienced deceit in a way, but more minor than

others, and also he experienced comedy from all the happy times he had in his

life as do these experiences in the play.