Fishing

One of my favorite lines from Much Ado is

”Bait the hook well; this fish will bite”.

Sylvia Morris really opened my eye as to the reason why Shakespeare liked this conceit of fishing. (See the Comments)

A Hero Unfaithful!

So everything comes to this, one of the most violent reports to be made in the play--the accusation of fair Hero.  Here Claudio, supported by the prince, accuse Hero of being a harlot and of cheating on Claudio the very night before their wedding.

Claudio:
She knows the heat of a luxurious bed; Her blush is guiltiness, not modesty.
Here the theme of Reporting has truly reached a climax, Claudio's report weighs heavy on all who attend.  This report however is truly deceitful in nature also arguable one of the dominant themes of Much Ado. The reactions of King, Hero, Beatrice, Benidick, and the friar to which are most revealing.  Their reactions almost mimic the "classes and social groups" of types of people found in the world today.  In other words, cretin groups of people react in a specific way to reports, tragedy, etc.

Hero:
She, upon the horrific assault, turns to life itself for refuge, willing to bet her life, everything to show her innocence, Refuse me, hate me, torture me to death!  This is her plea if she is guilty.
Even today we people of this nature who turn to emotion for nullification, she is turning to human nature and empathy from others to release her from her guilt.  She is pleading that surly if she is willing to place all this on the table she is innocent.  Upon sympathy she puts down the report.

Beatrice:
In similar fassion first turns to her own soul for repose, O, on my soul, my cousin is belied!
This is the only public display of opposition in the written play that we receive, however, in the movie Beatirice throws up her hand in an attempt to stay the raging Claudio in defense of Hero.
Once in private Beatrice shows her true freelings, wishing she was a man she swares to kill Claudio for the offences heaped upon Hero.  She is not so much concerned about the root or cause or reason for the affence, but the vessel--Claudio. Kill Claudio, are her words! In our world there are those people who care not for the purpose or reason for an offence but just that the offender is dully punished and revenge paid.

Frier:
The frier attacks the acusation directly with an appeal to the princess and the missunderstanding of Claudio,
And in her eye there hath appear'd a fire, To burn the errors that these princes hold Against her maiden truth.  He also put his reputation on the line, calling for trust, his knowledge of the bible, his age, reverence, calling, and even divinity, to witnesses Hero's innocence.  From here the Frier add a new reaction to a report, he comes up with a plan to discover the truth.  There is a plan created, a hypothesis stated, and a test set into motion.  He reaction is to discover the truth through experiment and observation and then pass judgment.

Benedick:

His responce to the acusation is to look for the souce where did the report really come from and why was it given.  He appeals to the repuation and honor of both the prince and Claudio and concluds that the lie must have come from the bastard.
Two of them have the very bent of honour;
And if their wisdoms be misled in this,
The practise of it lives in John the bastard,
Whose spirits toil in frame of villanies.

Here we see the tendency to look through the reporter to the source of the report being given.

King:

The King, like many in our world today, took the bate hock, line, and sinker, he swallowed it all!  This reaction is extreamly vivid in the movie.  He reacts by wailing and joining in the abuse, he grabs Hero by the hair and throws her around, tries to beat her, only to be restrained by the friar.  In the text he questions why he had to have a daughter and wishes she had never been born or a least to die now and end the shame.  Because of the report Hero's reactions to the public dishonor and physical abuse show evidence to the king of her guilt, he sees every sign pointing to her guilt.  She blushes--guilty, cries--guilty, faints--guilty, Beatrice not her bed fellow--evidence, she's guilty!!  He completely over the looks the fact she could be innocent and skips right to condemnation, everything is scene through the eye of the report!  Making Claudios line, "are our eyes our own"  altogether fitting and proper.  How often this role in society is played.  We see people constantly painting a scene to fit the report they were given.

Even the movie itself in costumes and character casting was tailored to fit the report of the play:
I think this is also one of the great assets of the movie as well, all of the scenery, actors and costumes were painted to fit their stereo type.  We get the idea from the text that the king is this wealthy yet kind of fickle man, this image summons the image of someone middle height, with a beard and slightly plum--movie was a perfect match. The prince was unique in the text, in his reasoning, status, and prose--he was cast black; this fit perfectly with persona of the prince, for he did stand out and was noble.  Hero, young and fair, the castle, grand and noble, the bastard, tall dark and awkward, everything fit the stereotype or report perfectly.  I really think this was a great asset to the work.

Other View of Kennith's Production (See the Comments as well)

Beatrice, Beatrice, Beatrice

Beatirce

• Beatrice. Good Lord, for alliance! Thus goes every one to the 
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  world but I, and I am sunburnt; I may sit in a
  corner and cry heigh-ho for a husband!

• Don Pedro. Lady Beatrice, I will get you one.

• Beatrice. I would rather have one of your father's getting.
  Hath your grace ne'er a brother like you? Your 
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  father got excellent husbands, if a maid could come by them.

• Don Pedro. Will you have me, lady?

• Beatrice. No, my lord, unless I might have another for
  working-days: your grace is too costly to wear
  every day. But, I beseech your grace, pardon me: I 
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  was born to speak all mirth and no matter.

• Don Pedro. Your silence most offends me, and to be merry best
  becomes you; for, out of question, you were born in
  a merry hour.

• Beatrice. No, sure, my lord, my mother cried; but then there 
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  was a star danced, and under that was I born.
  Cousins, God give you joy!

In the book there was no room for me to love Beatrice, but in the movie she was for almost the main player. She grabbed my eye and wouldn't let it go! I too found myself sworn to never love, to never marry a fictional character, but Beatrice stole my heart and soul right along with Benedick. I love this rendition of Beatrice in Kenneth's Much Ado about Nothing. The way that her character is portrayed bring a great admiration and respect for her. She is given life, a happy and noble one , not the sower puss that i imagined her to be. This brought whole new life to the entire play. There was a lot more ado about her! Over all i was bum founded, i loved this play, i must admit when done right Shakespeare's clowns almost always still the show!

Another of the scenes that the movie add power to for me was the one of Hero's accusation.  It was extremely powerful and socking to see the reactions of all the those present to the REPORT of Claudio.  It was interesting(Interests and Questions) to see how I viewed the report versus when i read it.

Another reason this play was so moving to me was because of the music. The actual songs in the play were sung and the ambient music was altogether powerful! It brought powerful meaning and depth to the words of the play.

O the die has been cast!

Much Ado About Nothing

One of the major themes of Much Ado is the power of a report. 

I have recently went to a basketball game to visit some family.  I had just returned from my mission and was anxious to see them again, as i contemplated the past, the time before my mission, i wondered why my sister and my nieces and nephews had drifted apart.  We used to spend time together and enjoy family, but the time right before my mission life had gotten crazy and we hadn't taken time waste together.  

Now back from my mission however i was determined to remedy the situation, my attitude was one of assurance resolve and power, we were going to be close and i was going to sacrifice time to see them.  I immediately shared my goals with parents and began to walk through the commitment pattern locking them on board as well.  But it was then that a ill thought was proposed a view was given of my sisters family that brought my dream, aspiration, and goals crashing to the ground.  Some demigod had just smashed my dreams with a hammer! I had seen the the scene and could not un-see. The scene my sister was hostile--family feud!

My sister was recording the game but all i say was neglect and failure to yield to a brother come two hours to see her.  I wasn't important!  My niece refused to give me a huge throwing up her hand saying "i'v a bubble", i saw a brutal attack on my soul, i was unclean. My brother in law wouldn't even acknowledge my person, i saw out right war! The scene was painted red and black! The wool had been died and no other color would stain.

It wasn't that my niece was shy or my sister busy, nor my brother occupied! 

For I had received the report, seen the scene, I could not un-seen the scene.

Similarly Much Ado has a major theme--reporting.  The whole play is driven by reporting!

Here are some of the reports:

Messanger reports to Leonato -> Prince and Company back from war. A1.S1 Line 1.

Brother of Leonato reports to Leonato -> Prince loves Hero. A1.S2 Line 5.

Borachio reports to Don John -> Prince and Claudio's plan. A1.S3 Line 40.

Don John reports to Claudio -> Prince has stolen Hero. A2. S1 Line 140.

Claudio, Leonato, and Prince report to Benidict -> Beatrice loves Benidict. A2. S3 Line 100.

Hero and Ursula report to Beatrice-> Benidict Loves Beatrice. A3. S1. Line30.

Don John reports to Claudio and Prince -> Hero's unfaithful. A3. S2. Line 80.

Claudio reports to the Court -> Hero's is a wench. A4. S1. Line 30.

First Watchman reports to Sexton & Court -> Don John a villain. A4. S2. Line 55.

Leonato reports to Prince & Claudio -> Hero's dead. A5. S1. Line 70.

Dogverry reports to Prince and Claudio -> the evil plot. A5. S1. Line 260.

It is from these encounters, these reports that the plot is driven, that characters act.  I'm much like these characters in that i too when told a person's mote or a suspected hostile, I see the mote and they are hostile!! It is for this reason i strive to tolerate no ill word of another and have told my family such!  Let me paint my own scene and make of it what i will, that the truth may be in my eye, that i might make it something someone else could not.