Introduction

Directors face an enormous challenge when bringing any work of literature to the screen. Directors must make decisions regarding the physical aspects of the film, such as setting and costumes, and they also decide what cinematic techniques to use. No two directors will make the same choices, but all directors who film Shakespeare recognize the unique responsibility of bringing the playwright’s words to life. 

The actor and director Kenneth Branagh transformed Much Ado About Nothing into a film in 1993 to great acclaim. Then, in 2012, Joss Whedon shot a new version of the play. How did each filmmaker bring his own vision to Shakespeare’s creation? 

In this lesson, students will explore the ways in which each director presents the same scene and how closely it hews to Shakespeare’s own words. Students will also determine which film they believe most brings the scene to life. 

For this assignment, students will reread Beatrice and Benedick’s meeting in Act 1, Scene 1, lines 93–114 (No Fear edition). Then, they will watch the same scene in the two directors’ versions of Much Ado About Nothing several times to compare them. Finally, they will decide which version they think most accurately represents Shakespeare’s intent and which version they prefer.

Materials

  • Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
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  • Much Ado About Nothing directed by Kenneth Branagh, BBC Films, 1993
  • Much Ado About Nothing directed by Joss Whedon, Bellwether Pictures, 2012

Lesson Objectives

1. Students will reread the scene presenting Beatrice and Benedick’s first encounter in Much Ado About Nothing. 

2. Students will compare the treatment of this scene in two film versions of Much Ado About Nothing.  

3. Students will evaluate how well each film version of the scene represents the play, both in terms of faithfulness to the original text and in spirit.

Instructional Sequence

While this activity is designed to be completed after students have completed reading Act 1 of Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, it can be completed at any point after that.  

1. Pass out the worksheet Through the Directors’ Eyes.  

2. As a class, read aloud the scene from Much Ado About Nothing in which Beatrice and Benedick meet in Messina (Act 1, Scene 1, lines 93–114 in the No Fear edition). 

3. Show the sequence from Branagh’s film to the class (00:10:00–00:11:19), immediately followed by the same sequence from Whedon’s film (00:06:36–00:07:55). Instruct students to only pay attention to the scene and not take any notes. 

4. Ask students to take a moment to think about what aspects were different in the two films’ versions of the scene. Elicit a few ideas and write them on the board. Tell students they will now rewatch each version specifically to contrast the films. Remind them to pay attention to both literary elements (such as characters and setting) as well as film techniques (such as camera work and framing). Show each scene again, and have students fill in the chart on their worksheets.  

5. As a class, have students volunteer their chart answers. For each answer, ask students to explain the impact of the director’s choice. For example, ask: What is the effect of placing Beatrice and Benedick’s conversation in public instead of in private? 

6. Have students answer the questions on the worksheet, and then have them share their responses in small groups. 

7. As a class, discuss which film version students think is most faithful to Shakespeare, and also ask which they prefer.

Differentiated Instruction

This activity can be modified to help all students access learning.
Decrease difficulty

Provide students with the following aspects to compare in each film scene: coloration, setting, costumes, characters, framing, camera work, and mood.

Increase difficulty

Have students view and compare other scenes from the movies. The scene in which Margaret, disguised as Hero, stands in the window is particularly compelling since both film versions show the action instead of simply relating what happened, as Shakespeare does in the play.

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