This assignment gives you some options. Choose the best one for your schedule and complete the assignment accordingly. 

Option 1: Read Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, found here (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.). 

• This is the No Fear Shakespeare version, which includes the original Shakespearean language on the left and a modern English translation on the right. It is a free, relatively straightforward read. If you choose this option, be sure to read the entire play, Acts 1-5. 

Option 2: Watch Much Ado About Nothing (1993). Because drama is meant to be watched rather than read, you are welcome to watch a version of the play instead of reading. This particular option is the Kenneth Branagh/Emma Thompson version and is likely the most famous [and best done] of the movie options available. You can access this in several ways: 

• If you are signed up for Amazon Prime or Hulu, you should have free access to the movie. Much like what we did for the Twilight Zone episodes at the beginning of the semester, you are welcome to sign up for the free trial period, watch the movie, and unsubscribe. 
  • Don’t forget to unsubscribe if you take this option!
• You can also rent a copy of the movie from a variety of streaming services [search “Much Ado About Nothing” Branagh” in Google and it should pop right up]
• Rent a copy from your local library

Once you have read or watched the play, please write a 2 page journal that responds to one [1] of the following prompts: 

• Compare the novella “Fantomina” to the play Much Ado About Nothing. How are virtue and reputation used in each of these narratives to highlight women’s desires and women’s oppression?
  • Make sure you include ideas from both stories and consider how the different nature/stylistic focus in terms of romance influences each plot’s outcome. 
  • Be sure to consider the very different conclusions to each story — in Much Ado About Nothing a mere accusation against Hero’s reputation leads to her “suicide.” In “Fantomina,” our heroine manages to conceal her reputation for the majority of the story, and enjoys a very different set of events. How might this inform your answer to this question?
  • Fantomina. (upenn.edu)
• Consider the two very different relationships we encounter in each story: Beatrice and Benedick vs. “Fantomina” and Beauplaisir. Which of the two relationships did you connect with most strongly? Why do you think we see each of these relationships repeated so many times within the romance genre? What does the reader learn or delight in based on each of these romantic pairings?
  • Remember that we are focusing on the female character as a central idea within the romance genre. Consider the perspective of women as you discuss the benefits [or potentially pitfalls] of each of these relationships.

Please write 1-2 paragraphs responding to the following:Consider the various masks/disguises the heroine adopts in this story. The use of disguise in romance as a way to hide or highlight one’s true nature is a common trope. What do you think these disguises represent for the heroine, for the audience, and for Beauplaisir in “Fantomina”?

Please write 1-2 paragraphs responding to the following:

One convention of amatory fiction [an early form of erotica, in this case, “Fantomina”] is a heroine who is seduced (or raped) by a male villain, but that’s not the case here. Why does the heroine of this story play such an active role in her seduction? What does she gain from these experiences?

Please write 1-2 paragraphs responding to the following:

What do you think is the “moral” of this story? What commentary on the roles, desires, and rights of women does this story intend to provide?