Words Can Really Hurt free essay sample

In reality words can really hurt and sometimes even kill. It can be in many forms, such as cursing, lying or slandering. Although Much ado about Nothing is considered a comedy, speeches and words often take the form of brutality and violence. Throughout the play characters overhear false dialogue and battle each other with words. Shakespeare expresses it by defining the characters, displaying the relationship between them, and some issues can be related to everyday modern world such as love deception. Beatrice and Benedick are perhaps Shakespeare’s most famous characters that use brutality and violence on their words throughout the play. Neither ever lets the other say anything without countering it with a criticism. One notable characteristic of their attacks upon each other is their ability to include a metaphor in their dialogue. When Benedick calls Beatrice a â€Å"rare parrot-teacher,† Beatrice responds, â€Å"A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours† (Act 1, Scene 1). Benedick continues the reference to animals in his response, saying, â€Å"I would my horse had the speed of your tongue† (Act1, Scene1). It is as if each anticipates the other’s response. Though their insults are biting, their ability to maintain such clever, interconnected sparring seems to illustrate the existence of a strong bond between them, which is considered as â€Å"a kind of merry war betwist Signior Benedick and Beatrice. They never meet but there’s a skirmish of wit between them† (Act 1, Scene1), by Leonato. The conversations between these two characters, do not really mention to be hurtful. One could conclude that the bitterness, the cleverness, and the sarcasm between these two are not used to really hurt themselves, but just because they are really in love, but being afraid of admitting it, they criticize each other in order to make it seem they really don’t like one another. And that’s how Shakespeare reveals the intensity between these two characters. Shakespeare defines this character, Don John as the bad guy, and he is the one who really mentions to be bad. As he says â€Å"I’m a plain-dealing villain† (Act 1, Scene 3), Don John practices violence and brutality as being the bad guy. Since violence is a very strong word, which means to hurt, it could be said that he is just a sick and crazy guy who enjoys crossing other’s plans for his joy. One could wonder why Shakespeare created such a bad and villain guy to this play, since it is a comedy, and the answer for this would be that Shakespeare didn’t want to show violence only through words, but also by being a bad person, who wants the evil to the other, and that’s who Don John is. He is the bastard. But anyways, it could be considered that so far there hasn’t been any real violence or brutality in words that could really hurt someone’s feelings. Benedick and Beatrice have their reasons for being in their â€Å"merry war† and as it exactly says, it is a merry war. And Don John is just who is, the bastard. When Shakespeare really mentions it seriously and expresses such words in a dialogue that could kill a character from bitter and heartbreak is in act 4 after Hero’s disgrace at the wedding ceremony. When Leonato says he would rather have Hero dead than she lived with such shame is where Shakespeare uses brutal words the most. â€Å"O Fate! Take not away thy heavy hand! Death is the fairest cover of her shame. That may be wished for. † (Act 4, Scene 1). In real life, a daughter would probably be very hurt if a father said such words like Leonato did. â€Å"Do not live, Hero, do not ope thine eyes, For, did I think thou wouldst not quickly die, Thought I thy spirits were stronger than thy shames, Myself would, on the rearward of reproaches, Strike at thy life. † (Act 4, Scene 1). Besides of not believing in Hero; he didn’t even give her a chance of trying to explain herself and worse, he wished she was dead; and that is what really hurts. Wishing someone is dead; wishing someone made of your own blood is dead, that could be the end of the world for someone to hear it. When referring to the young lovers, Claudio and Hero, it is time to mention the fact that Shakespeare relates issues dealt with everyday modern world. A perfect example would be the deception of love. As said before in the previous paragraph, Hero was unfairly judged by her own father at the wedding ceremony, but what led to this disgrace is the distrust of Claudio towards Hero. He chose to believe in Don John the bastard rather than in Hero, who was said to be his only and true love. He wrongs Hero and insults her with these bitter and horrible words when he says â€Å"Give not this rotten orange to your friend. She’s but the sign and semblance of her honor. † (Act4, Scene 1). And followed by the humiliation, which is evident and shows how slandered and hurt she felt when she says â€Å"Oh, God defend me! how am I beset! —What kind of catechizing call you this? † (Act 4, Scene 1). The readers can see she is desperate, not believing such horrible things could be said by her own father and the one who swears to love her. As well analyzed on these four previous paragraphs, it could be said that Shakespeare was successful in turning his words into weapons but since it is a comedy play, these words into weapons weren’t so tragic all the time. Like the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick, their battles are most likely puns. Also Shakespeare relates some modern world tissues on those days, the love deception for example. So what, (â€Å"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me†) and yes, words can really hurt one’s feelings.