ENGL 4430 Article Summary Williams, Lyman

In Nova Myhill’s “Spectatorship in/of Much Ado about Nothing,” she discusses the possibility of one’s appearance, in early modern England, was not of one’s doing, but of another’s, principally from a theatrical execution, audience’s lack of knowledge and many possible interpretations. That the audience’s, including the actor’s on stage, perceptions can be drastically alter with the absence of a single, significant scene. Even one’s “inspection” can be heavily deceptive; a theme seen throughout the article.

Myhill starts off with a bit of a history lesson that the same “trayterous and fellonious stratagem” (291), present in a play, can be easily transfer to “reality” by the theatre goers. She goes on to say that one point of view is that it is meant teach (Northbrooke), but also to avoid (Heywood). In Gosson’s Playes Confutedin FiveAction, he suggests that, “we will all have no choice but to learn from the same example” (294). “We” as in male, which leads to a point Myhill makes about women in the theatre environment. "What safegarde of chastitie can there be, where the woman is desired with so many eyes, where so many faces look upon her and again she upon so many” (Northbrooke, 63). When a woman walks into a room, men are going to take notice. “In becoming spectators-a role that Gosson implicitly denies them-women make spectacles of themselves and are vulnerable to the judgment of the male spectator” (294). This point will later be use to discuss Hero’s accusations in the article.

Myhill then enters the two main themes of the article which is that of “audience's perception of an event is based on both what it is allowed to see and hear and what it expects” (295) and deception. She gives two examples of audience’s observations: one of Don John’s false accusation of Hero and another of the Beatrice and Benedick love conspiracy. The audience witness these two events, but it’s their perception that shapes the play. For example, Don Pedro’s good intentions versus Don John’s criminal intent; both scenes having a sense of deception, as well. According to Myhill, eavesdropping is the most acceptable form of finding out information (295) and that all male upper class men were aware of the possibility of deception (295). All four characters, Don Pedro, Claudio, Benedick, and Beatrice are in some form of eavesdropping and deception. What makes the scenes that more compelling, is that each one character’s scene is being centered on their unawareness of their presence and the deception that’s being perform on them. But the audience are aware of the “staged” presence, which switches the roles. The characters believed this awareness created “performance.” Benedick and Beatrice both assume the roles of spectators, under the assumption that they know more than the individuals they eavesdrop upon, and believe they hold some hidden power.

Myhill examines scenes that are acted out, but others that are left to the minds of the audience. For example, the scene from Act 1 where Don Pedro is discretely conversing to Claudio on the plot to win Hero for Claudio. Myhill believes that the audience being present gives them a sense of privilege. However, this sense could be contested. No one else knows about Don Pedro’s scheme. Until, the audience sees that two different individuals, Antonio’s servant and Borachio, who were nowhere seen to the audience earlier, tell each respective master about the plan. Now everyone significant knows about this “secret” ploy, which in turn brings the audience to inquire on what they thought was information only to themselves. Another scene(s) that Myhill discusses is Don John’s two successful attempts of deception. The first one being that Don Pedro woos Hero for himself. She mentions that Claudio is easily duped and instantaneously expose his distrust for a man he called friend. She continues with one of the major themes which is interpretation. How sight or seeing through “eyes” plays an integral role in interpretation. How easily one’s understanding can be effortlessly manipulated. This leads to

ENGL 4430 Article Summary Williams, Lyman

Don John’s second attempt at dissuasion which is Hero’s unfaithfulness. He’s advised by his accomplice, Borachio, to tell Don Pedro and Claudio a lie. Don John does go through with it, but it’s not through the lie that draws in the two. It’s for them to “see” through his eyes what they will see. Don John is full of belief that this eavesdropping will be the best way to relay information. Even if it’s “false,” it is the most acceptable and effective way. It’s this trick on observations that win over their minds and convince them of her “disloyalty.” However, the audience are not allowed the privilege to witness the scene. They do not see what Borachio describes what Don Pedro and Claudio sees through false eyes. They do not see if the “true” Hero is being untrue, so they are left to judge on their own observations, which can be contested as deceptive as much as Don Pedro and Claudio. When the scene comes of Claudio judging based off his observations that false night, the audience are left to Claudio’s observations as well, leaving Hero to stay quiet because of the earlier mention of women in the audience allowing themselves to be “center stage” for judgement. Same goes for Hero as she’s left to be judged by the accuser’s observations and her outward expressions. Even her own father judges his daughter’s credibility through his observations; Hero’s blushing and these sharp accusations. Their observations are not through their own eyes, but from the “eyes” of Don John and a lie from Borachio.

It takes certainly a deux ex machina character observations to remove the veil of deception off. Beatrice makes the notion of falsity, that they must have been victims of trickery, but Friar Francis seeing the “virgin” appearance leads him to question these accusations. Myhill then compares the observations of Beatrice and the friar to Don Pedro and Claudio, concluding that there’s no clear winner. Beatrice and Benedick were very much willing to concede to the “notion” of each one’s love, just as Don Pedro and Claudio jumped on board with Don John’s accusation. Everyone’s observations can be easily deceptive and replaced through eyes not of their own. In Messina, nothing is as it seems. That’s why everyone in Much Ado about Nothing are easy to jump the gun on what they believe is true could be false.