Much Ado About Nothing Dogberry Character Analysis

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Shakespeare redefined the contemporary mould of the ‘fool’ in the 1600s, with a fool as a ubiquitous feature in his plays. The portrayal of the fool has remained a favourite of both Elizabethan and modern day audiences due to both his intriguing character and humorous outlook on life, his underlying depth and purpose continuing to capture the attention of many critics. Primarily, the purpose of the fool is to amuse and entertain the audience, however Shakespeare reshaped his fools with an individuality and purpose, often expressing through them a review of serious social, religious and political views. Most Shakespearean fools can be separated into one of two categories: the clown, a title reserved for 'a rustic or otherwise uneducated individual…show more content…
A dog is eager to please its master, in the same way that Dogberry is eager to please Leonato, an aristocrat. Likewise, a berry is both sweet and sour, Dogberry is easy to sympathise with, as he cannot clearly convey even the simplest of ideas, but may seem rude to other characters, such as when he tells Leonato that he would bestow all of his tediousness upon him, mistaking it to be a good quality. Dogberry is first introduced to the audience as he gallops in to the scene on an invisible horse. This scene shows the naivety and innocence of Dogberry, suggesting that he is childlike. It is an example of slapstick comedy, as upon watching this scene it would be clear to the audience how ridiculous he is. However, the way in which Dogberry is presented throughout the play is perhaps relevant to what Shakespeare wanted the audience to reconsider, as he was instrumental in bringing about a peaceful resolution to the play- he disproved the scandal Hero was accused of and found those to blame. Without Dogberry the denouement would have been very tragic

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