music in Much Ado About nothing :: essays research papers

In literature, music can be used both to enhance the mood of the plot and it can be used as an actual part of the plot or story line. In Shakespeare's play "Much Ado About Nothing" music is used in both scenarios: both to set the mood and also as part of the actual story, serving as an event in the play, a necessary part in the sequence of events. The mood that is set by the music in the play seems to play a significant role in the progression of the plot in helping the audience become more aware of the character's feelings. Only with the combination of the motives of the music is the message of love able to be portrayed. It is quite obvious how music is able to have an effect on the mood or tone of an event. By playing slow music the audience gets a more solemn picture that otherwise might not have been portrayed to such an extent without the enhancement of the music. Faster music creates a more excited or anticipatory mood. This type of music is used as a catalyst or a tool for effectiveness in order to trigger emotions or feelings from the audience. It also allows the audience to get in on the feelings of the characters that are not expressed with words. In Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" he uses the music as a part of the scenery in order to set the mood. In act 1 scene 2 the stage description is: "[enter Antonio's son with a Musician and Attendants.]" While this might be easy for a play director to portray in performing a play, while reading the play a large part of the effect can be lost. One can hypothesize what type of music would be playing at this point in the play when Leonato is telling his cousins what must be done so "that she may be better prepared for an answer (lines 22-23)". He is trying to undermine the plan that he misunderstands. Leonato is told falsely that Don Pedro intends to pursuit his daughter, Hero. It is up to the reader to decipher what type of music should be played at this point of the play and through that what type of mood to set. It can be assumed that a mysterious, or conquering with notes of excitement, music should be played.