Madison's Commonplace Blog

 I found the Friar to be one of my favorite characters in Much Ado About Nothing , because of his calm demeanor, and his ability to see the truth when everybody else got distracted or confused. He is also extremely wise, and one of my favorite passages of his wisdom comes when he is helping Leonato devise the plan to hide away Hero and make Claudio believe that she is dead, so that his anger at Hero will turn to grief. This is the perfect plan, he reasons, because "that what we have we prize not to the worth whiles we enjoy it, but being lacked and lost, why then we rack the value, then we find the virtue that possession would not show us whiles it was ours" (4.1.229-33). I think the principle that the Friar is teaching here is one that I need to keep in mind more often in my everyday life. I am often reminded how grateful I am for food when I am fasting. I recognize the miracle of modern technology that provides my apartment with heat when I have to walk to campus in the col...

One of my favorite parts of Much Ado About Nothing was when Beatrice was tricked into believing that Benedick loved her. Immediately after hearing Ursula and Hero discuss Benedick's affections for her, Beatrice decides she must leave behind her former contempt and maiden, pride, because such things are not as glorious as the possibility of love. My favorite line (in act 3, scene 2) is line 117: "And Benedick, love on; I will requite thee." This is a softer side of Beatrice, a side that, up until this point, we have not been able to see. This decision to requite Benedick's love may seem sudden and impulsive, like an infatuation that will quickly disappear. However, I think that Beatrice's love is actually much more than this. Perhaps the harsh words and quick tongue that Beatrice displays throughout Much Ado About Nothing  are actually walls that Beatrice has built up around herself to prevent any further heartache than she has already experienced. We learn from B...

A quote that stuck out to me as we were discussing Much Ado About Nothing in class this week is when Dogberry, in describing himself, says, "and a fellow that hath had losses." This phrase is easily missed, as it is accompanied by a jumble of other things Dogberry says about himself, such as the fact that he is wise and "as pretty a piece of flesh as any in Messina." The first time I read through this part of the play, I completely missed Dogberry mentioning that he has also had his losses, because I was so focused on the endearing descriptions Dogberry gives himself, in his comical way of talking that makes him such a lovable character. However, as we discussed Dogberry in class, my teacher brought up the fact that Dogberry points out that he "hath had losses." Once again, I was blown away by the genius of Shakespeare as I recognized that Dogberry was a mirror reflection of so many of the seemingly happy people we encounter every day in today's world...

Much Ado About Nothing: Act 5, Scene 4. I love imagining this scene. Would the chapel be silent as the onlookers gape in astonishment, or would it be full of their excited chatter? Would Hero simply nod in her obedient way as she revealed that she is still alive, or would she be unable to suppress a smug smile from creeping across her face as she saw Claudio's reaction? And Claudio - what would  his expression look like? Shock? Guilt? Joy? The fact is, this moment is a moment that seems, to most of those present at the chapel, miraculous. Hero, the girl who had died the day before, was yet living. I love the Friar's words at this moment: he says that he will explain everything in due time, but "meantime let wonder seem familiar." Isn't this something we do much too often? Our daily lives are filled with miracles - hearts that keep pumping blood to sustain our lives every second of every day, technology that allows us to explore the entire world from the kitchen ta...

 In act 5, scene 2 of Much Ado about Nothing,  Benedick tells Beatrice, "Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably." This quote struck me as odd the first time I read it, and I re-read it a few times to try to understand what Benedick means by this. He says it after having a conversation with Beatrice about loving against one's will, a conversation that is, as usual for Benedick and Beatrice, full of wit. I think this is one of the reasons I love Beatrice and Benedick's relationship as much as I do; they are so different from the classic fairytale story of love at first sight and perfect romance for the entire relationship. I love this because it is so real . No relationship is flawless right from the start, no relationship is free from an argument or difference of opinion. And yet, although managing a relationship is different than the classic fairytale version we hear about in books or see in movies, I think that makes it more rewarding in the end. Sure, Beatrice and...

 Today's quote comes from Act 2, Scene 3, line 243 of Much Ado About Nothing: "these paper bullets of the brain." This quotation is not even a complete sentence, and yet it stuck out to me so much as I was reading this passage. These words are spoken by Benedick, who has just overheard Don Pedro and Claudio talking about Beatrice's love for Benedick, and at this specific moment, he is discovering that, despite his previous claims, he truly does want to be in love. This is when this phrase comes in: he is talking about "quips, and sentences, and these paper bullets of the brain," which will not prevent him from pursuing his newfound love. I think the reason this stuck out to me so much was that I realized that "paper bullets of the brain" is such an excellent way to describe our thoughts. All day long, our brains are racing with thousands of thoughts, and although they may seem harmless ("paper"), they are in fact more dangerous ("bul...