Reading journal act 3

Scene 1

1. In this scene Hero and Ursula plant the bait that Benedick loves Beatrice.
2. Beatrice believes them

• Again the same question Did Beatrice have feelings before she overheard Hero and Ursula talking?
• Because the scene is between women does this make it more romantic?

This scene also has the comic and serious elements of act 2 scene 3.

Scene 2

1. Don Pedro and Claudio are taking the mick out of Benedick saying that he is in love and Benedick is not denying it nor making any comment against their banter like he normally does.
2. Don John then enters and convinces Don Pedro and Claudio that Hero is unfaithful.
3. They agree to go with Don John to Hero's window later that evening.
4. Te two men agree that if she had been unfaithful then they shall disgrace her at the alter tomorrow.

• Is their significance in the rapid change between comedy and seriousness in this play?
• Why does Claudio so readily believe Don John after he has already deceived him in act 2 scene 1?
• Why does Claudio not believe Hero - surely if he loved her he would?
• Why do the two men decide what fate, and such an extreme one at that, before finding out what is actually happening?

Claudio's flippant nature resurfaces in this scene.
I think that Claudio's belief of what Don John says is from the fact that Claudio and Hero had only just meet and do not really know each other.

Scene 3

1. In this scene we are introduced to Dogberry, Verges and the Watchmen.
2. The scene begins with a somewhat dumb Dogberry giving his instructions to the Watchmen which basically goes along the lines of if you meet trouble then just ignore it.
3. Borachio enters drunk and tells Conrade all about the plan and how he wooed Margret outside Hero's window.
4. The watchmen hearing this but not quite understanding the significance of the information arrests the two men and take them away.

• Is their dramatic significance in the fact that we do not see this scene between Margret and Borachio take place? Is it more significant coming from the 'horses mouth'?
• What would be the effect if Dogberry was not a stupid character but was in fact a serious character?
• How would the story plot be changed if Borahio and Conrade never showed up? Or if the men did not arrest them?

Their is great significance in this scene in the fact that we now know the deed has taken place and that Don John and Claudio believed it.
Dogberry is seen as a dumb and stupid character which is comedic.

Scene 4

1. In this scene Hero is getting ready for her wedding choosing the gown to wear,
2. When Beatrice arrives she is ill, Margret makes some crude jokes and about Benedick and Beatrice becomes quite curious and defencive.

• Could the fact that Beatrice is sick be a pun for being love struck?

Scene 5

1. In this scene Leonato is preparing for the wedding
2. Dogberry and Verges try to tell him about Borachio and Conrade but babble and ramble on that they never get to the point sending them away.
3. He tells them they should judge them for him.

• If Dogberry and Verges had got to the point would the story of stopped their?

This scene is very quick, I think the length of Dogberry's and Verges's speeches and the short reply of Leonato's shows the busyness of the scene.