Much Ado About Nothing Alcestis Hercules Comparison
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Seeing Alcestis within Much Ado About Nothing Earl Showerman’s piece “Shakespere’s Many Much Ado’s: Alcestis, Hercules, and Love’s Labour’s Wonne” draws numerous comparisons between Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and Euripides’ Alcestis. Though Showerman acknowledges the fact that “most of the Greek canon had not been translated or printed in England in Shakespeare’s time” is it difficult to ignore the similarities between the two plays (Showerman 109). He unveils these similarities to the reader by focusing, not only on the similar plot points, but also on the drastically similar character comparisons. In the end, we could not ignore the evidence and found ourselves believing like Showerman, that “Shakespeare was well versed in the…show more content… Just as Apollo predicted that someone was going to save Alcestis from death, the Friar does some prophesying of his own. The Friar concocts a plan to keep Hero hidden until the opportune time and make the other characters believe she is dead. In terms of the plan, he then predicts its outcome, “Marry, this, well carried, shall on her behalf / Change slander to remorse” (Shakespeare 4.1.209-210). While the Friar does something Apollo does not, actively participate in Hero’s “resurrection”, he does still share his place as a sort of overseer. While the god Apollo sits back and lets the events unfold as he predicts the outcome the Friar works behind the scenes, metaphorically pulling the other character’s strings; his influence can then be seen as a form of god-like intervention. The Friar being a religious character seems to underline this assumption. Their roles in their respective plays are also integral to their very story, as Apollo’s absence would mean Admetus has to die and could not be saved and the Friar’s absence would drastically change the ending of Much Ado About Nothing, as the whole idea of the deception on Hero’s part was his