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The Friar Acts As A Foil To Leonato's Character In This Monologue

674 Words3 Pages

William Shakespeare, Much Ado about Nothing (1600)

1. Describe how Leonato reacts to Beatrice’s assumption that Hero is dead (ll. 115-143). What do we learn about his character in this monologue? Would you rather say this is an instance of figural or authorial characterization, according to Pfister? [6]

Leonato is, at least in this scene, convinced of his daughter’s guilt. Leonato wishes his daughter Hero was dead because he is so upset that his unmarried daughter has lost her virginity that he would rather wish for her death and see her living in that shame. This is shown in line 116. In his opinion, death is the best thing that could have happened to Hero. This scene also shows that Leonato is a character, who is full of values and easily …show more content…

In order to stress his emotional turmoil, Leonato uses a hyperbole (= exaggeration) in lines 139-143. Analyse the image in detail and state what it implies about the consequences of such an accusation for a woman in Shakespeare’s time. …show more content…

Explain in how far the Friar acts as a foil to Leonato in this scene. In his reaction to the accusations in lines 155-169 he describes her as a “lady” (ll. 158) and uses the image of fire (ll. 162-3); in how far does this point to his view of women? What is Leonato’s view of women? Which characteristics and behaviour of women does he consider appropriate? [6]

When Hero is slandered, the Friar is the first to proclaim her innocence. He gives a long speech describing her physical appearance, e.g. the fire in her eyes, her blushes, and her white skin, and admits that these signs may seem incriminating, but he still believes she is innocent and interprets her physical appearance as innocence. He takes the role of a protector, and he sees Hero as a lady in need of protection. The fire in her eyes (ll.162-3) are for him a sign of devastation and shock. Therefore, Friar Francis acts as a foil to Leonato and Hero. He is a foil to Hero because his actions serve to emphasise her good qualities and her innocence. But he is also a foil to Leonato, as his actions contrast those of Leonato. While Leonato is quick to believe the false accusations, Friar Francis does the opposite - he defends Hero and wants to help her regain her

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