Much Ado About Nothing: His May of youth and bloom of lustiness; with gray hairs and bruise of many days

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Much Ado About Nothing

    This was a wild journey through the vicissitudes of love.  I recall, as I’m sure many of you can as well, that girl in our youth who had loud, guttural, caustic language and sarcasm towards any matters romantic.  Yet inside was a gentle heart of gold.  The reality of Beatrice’s vivacity and likability flash out from her being despite the barbs she flings at Benedict.  I have heard critics call this play “Beatrice and Benedict” or “Much Ado About Beatrice and Benedict” and I can see why.   A fitting title.  Of course there is also the romantic subterfuge and the parallel romance of Claudio for Leonato’s daughter, Hero. 

    The iconic phrase catch “my drift” may have an origin here.  Of course, there is the ever present juxtaposition of aging and the irretrievable passing of time with the fire of youth; with the “May of youth and bloom of lustiness” with “my February face,”  “my gray hairs and bruises of many days.”   As usual, William has again charmed my “ache with air and agony with words.” 

 Quotes

(on crying)

“There are no faces truer than those that are so washed”  Leonatus.  1.1.26-27

“I think this is your daughter.”   Don Pedro  1.1.107)

“Her mother hath many times told me so.”   Leonatus.  1.1.108

(marriage)
“I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow that a man swear he loves me.”  Beatrice. 1.1.137-138

(love)
“her cousin…exceeds her as much in beauty as the first of May doth the last of December.”   Benedick.  1.1.100-102

(marriage)

“an thou wilt needs thrust thy neck into a yoke, wear the print of it, and sigh away Sundays.”  Benedict.  1.1.210-212

(love)
“Thou wilt be like a lover presently,

And tire the hearer with a book of words.”  Don Pedro to Claudio.  1.1.316, 317

(on writing)

“thou began’st to twist so fine a story.”  Don Pedro. 1.1.321

(marriage)
“Not till God make men of some other metal than Earth.”  Beatrice in response to whether she will have a husband.  2.1.63-64

“I will tell you my drift.”  Don Pedro. 2.1. 406

(on writing)

“now is he turned orthographer; his words are a very fantastical banquet, just so many strange dishes.”  Benedick. 2.3.21-22

“Note this before my notes;

There’s not a note of mine that worth the noting.”  Balthasar.  2.3.57-58

“it is past the infinite of thought.”  Leonato.  2.3.112-113

(alcohol)
“I will, like a true drunkard, utter all to thee.”  Borachio.  3.3.110-111

 (marriage)

“to knit my soul” (to be married)  Claudio.  4.1.44

Moon reference: Diane in her orb

(love)

“Why ever wast thou lovely in mine eyes?

…But mine, and mine I lov’d, and mine I prais’d,

And mine that I was proud on, mine so much

That I myself was to myself not mine.”  Claudio about Hero.  4.1.133, 137-140

(i.e.to paraphrase Joni Mitchell's song: "we don't know what we've got till its gone, you pave paradise and put up a parking lot")

“That what we have we prize not to the worth

Whiles we enjoy it, but being lack’d and lost,

Why, then we rack the value, then we find

The virtue that possession would not show us.”  Friar.  4.1. 220-224

 

“Fetter strong madness in a silken thread,

Charm ache with air and agony with words.”  Leonato. 5.1.25,26

(aging)
“with gray hairs and bruise of many days.”  Leonato.  5.1. 65

(youth)
“His May of youth and bloom of lustiness.”  Leonato. 5.1.76

(aging)
“you have such a February face,

So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness.”  Don Pedro. 5.4.41-42

Vocabulary:

my drift

fear and trembling

rabato

moon references

dapple

Troilus