Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" has important minor characters
Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" has important minor characters who have an effect on the plot. The supporting cast members participate in various situations and the course of events. Margaret, the Hero's lady in waiting, is one of the play's minor characters. Another minor figure, Friar Francis, was supposed to marry Claudio and Hero. Instead, Hero was assisted by the priest in repairing her damaged image. The chief of the Messina police force is Dogberry. The play's minor figures convey important concepts like deceit and noting. This essay highlights Dogberry's significance in "Much Ado About Nothing."
Dogberry's role as the chief police constable
In the play "Much Ado About Nothing," William Shakespeare created the character Dogberry. He is satisfied with his job as night constable and is always inflated by feeling of being the leader of a group of police watchmen. The various malapropisms make Dogberry a notable character. In the play, as the chief police constable, Dogberry instructs citizen-police in Messina. According to Dogberry, it was right and just for the police to sleep while on duty. When the police spot thieves, they should let them free and avoid defilement by associating themselves with crime. It was during their watch when they overheard a conversation between Conrad and Borichio. The conversation involved the Don Jon’s plot to paint Hero in a bad way. The police constable arrested the two characters after misunderstanding the conversation. The constable accused Conrad and Borichio of treason as they referred to Prince’s brother Don John a villain. Brought before Leonato, the governor, Dogberry could not articulate the description of the supposedly crime. He has a pseudo-legal rhetoric which was very absurd leading to further confusion. At various point, the character becomes a foil to different characters whose wit is essential to the plot and play development.
Dogberry's comedic qualities
Dogberry has linguistic foibles and incompetent in the legal filed and ultimately seems to lack self-awareness. The constable lines in the Shakespeare's play mutilate and demonstrate excellent language manipulation. Dogberry is hilarious, and the audience takes time to ask if there are tragedy elements in character. Dogberry is an object of ridicule and end the play the same way. The men working under Dogberry discovered Don John’s deception through their noting. However, it is Dogberry’s efforts that brought full exposure of the matter. The beautifully designed comic relief leaves the audience thinking whether Dogberry is simple-minded or just a confused man. By the end of the play, Dogberry remains unchanged by his actions but his pride is severely hurt.
Dogberry's impact on the play's dialectic
The Dogberry character and his careless wielding of words are important in the completion of the other side of dialectic. Compared to Claudio and Don John who could counter argue, Dogberry was not a fully developed foil. The audience experiences incredible blandishment of words throughout the play. Dogberry revealed Don John’s treachery to Leonato driving conflict in the play. Verges, Dogberry’s junior could still not arouse attention from Leonatto. Dogberry brags and use self-important preface in order to impress the governor. He exchanged several quips with Verges culminating into muffed lines such as ‘Comparisons are odorous’ (16). He nearly caused Hero a tragic rebuff. Conrad called Dogberry an ass causing outrage. Dogberry demanded an explanation for the rather conceited speech. Dogberry is an important reference point despite the powerful misuse of words.
Dogberry's role in the play's development
Dogberry plays an essential structural role throughout the scenes he appeared. He was supposed to be there to reveal Borichio and Don Jon’s treachery for everyone to know. Subtly, he helped in picking up the comedic slacks in Act IV of the play (IV.ii. 1). In this act, Hero’s death threatened the comedy autonomy in the play. It was the tragic side of Shakespeare, and nothing looked hilarious. However, Dogberry was able to arouse comic principles which are the basis of the play “Much Ado About Nothing.”
Conclusion
Minor characters are important in a play and stories. The characters in “Much Ado About Nothing” are important in the way events unfold and major ideas communication. They assist in the development of the play and assist major characters in achieving their intensions. The chief policeman in Messina is in charge of the night watch and is not strict with criminals by letting them free. Dogberry is a man of rough habits due to his garbled speech. Some of the actions and expressions are intentionally provocative and sometimes ambiguous. He was unable to articulate him leading to long-standing Don John’s treachery. Despite verbal deficiencies, Dogberry helped in revealing the truth about Hero. Dogberry aided in the restoration of Hero’s honor after telling the truth by noting Borichio’s conversation. “I have wooed Margaret, the Lady Hero’s gentlewomen, by the name of Hero.” (Shakespeare, William, and F H. Mares 1.12) The audience takes note of the truth of the situation but is ironical considering Dogberry’s verbal deficiencies.
Work Cited
Shakespeare, William, and F H. Mares. Much Ado About Nothing. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Print.
