Tricky Language Translations

BEATRICE                                                            BEATRICE:
You had musty victual,                                            You had rotten food, and he helped you eat it. He's a
and he hath holp to eat it:                                         very brave eater- he has a strong stomach.
 he is a very valiant trencherman; he 
hath anexcellent stomach.


BENEDICK                                                           BENEDICK:
Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher.                         Listen to you, instructing me like a parrot would.


BEATRICE                                                            BEATRICE:
You always end with a jade's                                  You always slip out of the argument like this. I
trick: I know you of old.                                          know you from before.

 

 

"No Fear Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing: Act 1, Scene 1, Page 6." No Fear Shakespeare: Shakespeare's Plays plus a Modern Translation You Can Understand. Web. 08 Mar. 2011. <http://nfs.sparknotes.com/muchado/page_12.html>.

Example of Production

The video clip demonstrates one way of producing Much Ado About Nothing. In this production the set used is very versatile and does not change. Which is reminiscent of the theatre of the 17th century. Also, the costumes are historical accurate for the time when Much Ado About Nothing first premiered, however they do not reflect the dress that women in Messina, Italy would have most likely worn in the summer months. Also, this clip clearly shows the diversity in the characters.


"YouTube - Much Ado About Nothing (1987 TV) Stratford, Ontario 14/14." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 08 Mar. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSPRuDrrEcI&feature=related>.

Facts on Setting

Much Ado About Nothing is set in Messina, which is a small island off of the coast of Italy. When designing a set and thinking about costume, it is important to look at the area in which the show takes place. You wouldnt want to put all the characters in snow coats when the show takes place in Hawaii, for example.

Messina, Italy is located in the Mediterranean. Thus it can be assumed the climate is relatively hot/warm and thus light, flowing clothes would be appropriate. Some of the heavier garments of the 17th century would seem out of place in such a hot climate. Also, during the dinner scenes and banquets that take place in Much Ado about Nothing, the food on the table would reflect the Mediterranean style. Therefore, fish, fruit, vegetables, bread, and not red meat or fried foods. Also wine would be a big part of any celebration or dinner. Lastly, the garden scene would be filled with the plants that are normally found in Italy. Plants such as bourgainvilla, campsis, the bird of prardise, and cactus are some of the most commonly found vegetation.

Bougainvilla

The Bird of Paradise

"The Sicily Site - Sicilian Plants." Sicily - Holidays in Scicily Italy. Web. 08 Mar. 2011. <http://www.thesicilysite.com/Pages/plants.htm>.

Set Design and Stage

During the 17th Century, theatre productions tended to have little or set changes and normally a small set. The language of the production was used as a tool to establish where the action was taking place.

For Example:

LEONATO
      I learn in this letter that Don Peter of Arragon
      comes this night to Messina.

BENEDICK
     In my chamber-window lies a book: bring it hither
     to me in the orchard.

In both of these examples the characters from Much Ado About Nothing clearly state where they are in the scene. Thus the audience will understand where the action is taking place and the production can get away with a minimal set design.

Also, theatres during the 17th Century were constructed of wood and normally in a octagonal or circular shape. They had a large platform stage that jutted out into the audience in a thrust stage fashion. They would have also had a backstage area and entrances and exits for the performances. 




CWU Library: Off Campus Login. Web. 08 Mar. 2011. <http://www.oxfordreference.com.ezp.lib.cwu.edu/views/ENTRY.html?entry=t117.e2535&srn=4&ssid=122818237#FIRSTHIT>.

CWU Library: Off Campus Login. Web. 08 Mar. 2011. <http://www.oxfordreference.com.ezp.lib.cwu.edu/views/ENTRY.html?entry=t79.e981&srn=9&ssid=122818237#FIRSTHIT>.

Women in theatre

During the 17th century, women first appeared on stage. This meant that men no longer had to play the female roles in productions. This allowed for more female roles and more dynamic/serious female characters in productions. However, this also meant that women had a harder time in the theatre because they were constantly being scrutinized on their performances. Men playing women roles had been the norm and they had been favored for their performances. So women had a lot to live up to in order to be respected.

"Women of Theatre - 17th Century Women of Theatre." Women of Theatre - Home. Web. 07 Mar. 2011. <http://www.womenoftheatre.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3&Itemid=1>.

Costume

In the mid 17th century a man named Wenceslaus Hollar published a series of engravings on the costume of women during this time. These engravings now serve as a historical tool for understanding the dress of the people during the 17th century. If a director decided to do a production of Much Ado About Nothing in the correct time period as it was originally produced, these engravings would be a valuable research.

The engravings show the women's dress of the time to be bell-like dresses with sleeves and over coats. The dresses are not low cut and do not reveal too much. Also, the hair if always up with curls and sometimes decorated with ribbon and flowers.













These engravings also show the women with props. Some have small fans which would have been very popular during this time. Others have fur on their clothing and matching fur muffs that would have been used during the winter time against the cold.






Lewis, Jone Johnson. "Women's Fashions of the 17th Century - Hollar Engravings - Page 10." Women's History - Comprehensive Women's History Research Guide. Web. 02 Mar. 2011. <http://womenshistory.about.com/od/fashionancmed/ig/Women-s-Fashions-17th-Century/Hollar-Drawing-10.htm>.

Lighting

During the 17th century when Shakespeare wrote Much Ado About Nothing, there wasn't any electricity. Therefore, theatres had to be creative about how they lit the performances.Many productions would have performances during the day in order to use the sun as a means of lighting the stage. This worked well for the outdoor theatre spaces, and many of the indoor theatres had large windows that allowed the sun light to illuminate the stage. However, sometimes the sun would not be enough light, or it would be setting at an earlier time than the performance would take place. This issue was resolved with candles and torches. Candles would be placed throughout the theatre space, especially on or around the stage, and the actors would carry torches and candles during what was supposed to be "night scenes." By carrying a candle or a torch, the characters would be illuminating the stage and also showing the audience what time of the day the scene was taking place.

1655 German Stage, notice the candles used for lighting hanging around the stage.

Several times throughout the play, Much Ado About Nothing, the characters meet at night to scheme or meet in secret. In order to show these scenes, the actors would have been most likely carrying torches or candles during the scene, even if the performance was during the day.

"17th Century Images and Notes." Helicon in Cockaigne - Kate Brown's Site for Baroque Opera, Contemporary Opera, Lady Hamilton's Attitudes, and Santa Maria Paraguay. Web. 02 Mar. 2011. <http://www.cockaigne.org.uk/research/17thCent.html>.

Dutton, Richard. The Oxford Handbook of Early Modern Theatre. Oxford [u.a.: Oxford Univ., 2009. Print.