Deception And Lies In Much Ado About Nothing

November 28, 2021 by Essay Writer

Deception can come from benign or malicious reasons but they often use the same actions to get there, Tricking and manipulation others to get what they want. The plot of Much Ado About Nothing is based upon deliberate lies and deceptions to fool someone to believe something that is not true, Shakespeare uses both malevolent and benign deception on two different people. Although deception comes from the art of lying some kinds of deceptions can come from good intentions. William Shakespeare uses this logic to decipher Don John and Don Pedro’s actions as benign or malicious, by what their ideal outcome is. (edit)

It is innate in humans to lie but people who possess machiavellian qualities can do so cunningly, creating havoc, which separates the good from the bad. Don John plays an essential role for nearly all of the malicious trickery and deception in the play, Much ado about nothing. He is a catalyst and an instigator for trouble, whose only wish is to destroy the love and happiness between Claudio and Hero. Shakespeare uses foreshadowing of Don John’s villainy to display the trickery and deception, with “It better fits my blood to be disdained of all …I am a plain-dealing villain… Let me be that I am, and seek not to alter me.’ (Act I, Scene 3), He is honest about who he is and his intentions to others it is his belief that if you ate to fall for his tricks that is your fault. The first instance of trickery and deception is when Don Pedro tells Claudio that he will woo Hero for Claudio to marry her in Act I Scene I. Tricking her to believe that Don Pedro himself has feelings for Hero, ‘I will assume thy part in disguise, and tell fair Hero that I am Claudio, And in her bosom, I’ll unclasp my heart, and take her hearing prisoner with the force and strong encounter of my amorous tale. Then after, to her father will I break: and the conclusion is, she shall be thine. (Act I, Scene 1. )Shakespeare uses don john to show the difference between good and bad intention when dealing with lies and deceit. Don John uses his cunning nature to trick others into believing something else. “are you not signor benedick” (p33) he asks Claudio this because, although he knows who it is, his lie will be much more believable if it sounds like the message wasn’t meant for him. Additionally the metaphor of “medicine to my soul” exemplifies his spiteful nature, because it conveys the idea that he feels unwell when others are happy and he can only become happy if someone else is suffering from his well-executed plans.

Deceiving others is not always done with malicious intent but rather, can be motivated by good nature intention and love for someone else., Shakespeare conveys this idea in the play “Much ado about nothing” by using Don Pedro as a comparison to Don John as he believes that everyone deserves to be happy. Shakespeare displays an extended metaphor throughout the play to demonstrate his benign intentions “If we can do this, Cupid is no longer an archer his glory will be ours, for we are the only love Gods,” we as the audience now know that he is doing for love as he is comparing himself to a God who helps people, and it is his belief that he is helping everyone around him and not causing harm to anyone. Don Pedro conveys his plan to the audience so that the dramatic irony sets in “ Will in the interim undertake one of Hercules’ labours, which is to bring Signor Benedick and the Lady Beatrice into a mountain of affection the one with the other. I would fain have it a match, and I doubt not but to fashion it if you three will but minister such assistance as I shall give you direction.’ (act 1 scene 1) Don Pedro uses deception in a benign way to get together Benedick and Beatrice, because it is his belief that they will be perfect to gether but their stubbornness will stop it, he lies to his friends to get them together but it is not his intention to cause harm to anyone, that separates Don John and Don Johns personality traits. Don Pedro conveys the repeated metaphor of “If we can do this, Cupid is no longer an archer his glory will be ours, for we are the only love Gods, it is his belief that they are becoming a God and just trying to do what’s best for everyone else around them, furthermore Don john is trying to run life fr everyone else because that is what believes as just.

Deception is used to hide the truth from others to create a reality that you want, in the artwork “deception” by Jen Coffey, the theme of deception is displayed by the centrepiece of the work, a woman taking off her mask. Because of the dark hair and the lightness of the background, our eyes are drawn to the centrepiece of the artwork, a woman taking off her mask. Her mask describes the women as a caring person who was listening and sympathising with one or more of her friends, her real expression is shown as the opposite as she looks like she is plotting something big about the information that she just got, her eyes are slanted and her eyebrows are up.

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