"The Function of the Word in Much Ado About Nothing" by Lauralee Weiss
 

Date of Award

2-1975

Degree Type

Master's Essay - Restricted

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

English

Abstract

The critical history of Much Ado About Nothing has been a varied one. Critics have recognized in the play valuable elements, but to point to clear and specific aspects which make it a success is not as easy as it might seem. Coleridge observed that though plot was indeed important in Much Ado, it was not the pivotal issue and by virtue of the fact that the three plots of the play seem connected only loosely, many critics have judged it to be structurally weak. The Hero-Claudio and Beatrice-Benedick parallel is obvious, but the "intrusion" of the Watch in the third act without any prior introduction poses problems for many.

Comments

An Essey Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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