Much Ado About Nothing Language Analysis

We can also deal with language in Much Ado About Nothing by looking at the techniques Shakespeare used. Some of these techniques (and names) might seem difficult at first. If that is the case, just think about what the play would sound like if the technique was not used. For instance, when Claudio is rejecting Hero at the church, imagine he says to Leonato:
"Take this woman back"
Well, yes, it is easy to understand, but it is not unusual or interesting. And it does not show how bitter Claudio is. So instead, he says:
"Give not this rotten orange to your friend"
The "rotten orange" is Hero. Claudio is talking about her as if she is beautiful on the outside but decayed inside - she has turned bad but no-one has seen this yet. Claudio's words
Imagery is when we might talk about one thing in terms of another. So Benedick is described as if he were a "disease" which Claudio has caught - he will "hang upon him", make Claudio "mad" and cost a huge amount of money to "be cured". Imagery substitutes one thing for another in three main ways:
Similes - when a direct comparison is made (with 'as', 'than' or 'like'). Benedick says he "was duller than a great thaw", while Borachio compares fashion-conscious men to soldiers and priests. These ideas allow us our own interpretations. Is fashion like being in the army and being told what to wear - or everyone looking the same?
Metaphors - when one thing is called something else, such as Claudio calling Hero a "jewel". If he had said she is "like a jewel" it would be a simile. But he says she actually is "a jewel", so it is a metaphor. Think about the qualities of a jewel: it is valuable, beautiful and rare. Then think about how Claudio views Hero - is she something to admire and possess, rather than someone to love?
Personification - where something is described as if it is human. Beatrice talks about how a "star danced", and Leonato says "happiness takes his