EXAMPLES OF ACTIVE APPROACHES
Much Ado About NothingKey Stage 3 and 4
NATE (National Association for the Teaching of English)
Drama techniques such as Communal Voice and Naming the Space can be used to interrogate the benign and the malevolent tensions motivating the characters in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.
These techniques and other teaching resources for Much Ado About Nothing are published as one of many NATE Drama Packs:
Resources at the NATE Shop »
Exploring the benign tension between characters
Ask the students to form a circle. Project the text extract from Act 1 Scene 1 (see below) onto a screen selecting students to read the parts. Ask two other students to represent Beatrice and Benedick while individuals in the class 'sculpt' them as they think they would appear at the end of the extract. With the characters frozen, the two students (who are not sculpted as Beatrice and Benedick) read the text again from the line:
BENEDICK God keep your ladyship still in that mind! ...
As the reading stops, ask the students which character they think would speak next and what they would say. Ask the student who contributes the line to stand behind the character that they are speaking for (eg: Beatrice). Run the script again but now allow time for the new additional line to be spoken. Pause and ask again who would speak next and what they would say. When a contribution is made, ask the student making it to stand behind the character they are speaking for and again run the script including the new lines.
Explain that this technique is called 'Communal Voice' and can continue with any student standing alongside those who have already contributed and speaking new lines of dialogue so that it builds into an oral script. Explain that there might be silences and that contributors who have already spoken can speak again. Music may be employed to start and end the scene.
You may decide to stop the dialogue at an appropriate point and take the 'voices' away, allowing the two actors representing Beatrice and Benedick to continue improvising the dialogue. End the session by using the 'Role on the Wall' technique, to establish what has been learned about the characters of Beatrice and Benedick.
Exploring the malevolent tension between characters
A similar sequence of events could be employed in the exploration of the more malevolent tensions surrounding Don John's conversation with Conrade in Act 1 Scene 3 with two students sculpted as the characters. Alternatively the students may voice the unspoken thoughts of the characters at intervals during the reading of the script.
Exploring characters' motivations
To promote analysis of the character motivation and the relationship between characters, ask the students to examine the sculpted characters as they appear with each other in the depiction of another scene involving Don John such as that which occurs in Act 3 Scene 2 (see below) where he appears with Don Pedro and Claudio.
Language for meaning
During the Communal Voice exercise, or at a time when sculpted characters thoughts are being spoken, freeze the action and ask those observing to 'Name the Space' between Don John and Don Pedro or Claudio at given points in the conversation. You might stand in the space encouraging the students to describe the space using phrases like: 'This is the space of...' (for example, 'vengeance' or 'bitterness' might be the words contributed in Don John's case).
Resources
Much Ado About Nothing Act 1 Scene 1
BEATRICE I wonder that you will still be talking, Signor Benedick;
nobody marks you.
BENEDICK What, my dear Lady Disdain! Are you yet living?
BEATRICE Is it possible Disdain should die, while she hath such meet foodto feed it as Signor Benedick? Courtesy itself must convert to
Disdain if you come in her presence.
BENEDICK Then is Courtesy a turncoat. But it is certain I am loved of all ladies.
Only you excepted; and I would I could find in my heart that I had not
a hard heart, for truly I love none.
BEATRICE A dear happiness to women - they would else have been troubled
with a pernicious suitor. I thank God and my cold blood, I am of your
humour for that: I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow,
than a man swear he loves me.
BENEDICK God keep your ladyship still in that mind, or so some gentleman
or other shall scape a predestinate scratched face.
BEATRICE Scratching could not make it worse, an 'twere such a face as
yours were.
BENEDICK Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher.
BEATRICE A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours.
BENEDICK I would my horse had the speed of your tongue,
and so good a continuer. But keep your way, o'God's name;
I have done.
BEATRICE You always end with a jade's trick; I know you of old.
Much Ado About Nothing Act 3 scene 2
DON JOHN My Lord and brother, God save you!
DON PEDRO Good e'en, brother.
DON JOHN If your leisure served, I would speak with you.
DON PEDRO In private?
DON JOHN If it please you; yet Count Claudio may hear,
for what I would speak of concerns him.
DON PEDRO What's the matter?
DON JOHN (to CLAUDIO) Means your lordship to be married tomorrow?
DON PEDRO You know he does.
DON JOHN I know not that when he knows what I know.
CLAUDIO If there be any impediment, I pray you discover it.
DON JOHN You may think I love you not. Let that appear hereafter,
and aim better at me by that I now will manifest. For my
brother - I think he holds you well and in dearness of heart -
hath holp to effect your ensuing marriage; surely suit ill spent
and labour ill bestowed.
DON PEDRO Why, what's the matter?
DON JOHN I came hither to tell you; and, circumstances shortened -
for she has been too long a-talking of - the lady is disloyal
CLAUDIO Who, Hero?
