MovieChat Forums > Much Ado About Nothing (2013) Discussion > Plot differences from play

Plot differences from play

posted 11 years ago by lrobinson7
3 replies | jump to latest

What differences did you notice in the film from the play?

I thought it was interesting that Weadon completely got rid of the character of Antonio. I know Leonato had an "aid" that combined a few roles (not sure what other ones besides Antonio) but that seemed a little strange to me.

Also, didn't the graveyard scene happen after Benedict and Beatrice have their talk? It's been a while since I read the play, but I think that was the order of it. In the film the funeral ceremony was first, then B&B had their talk on the patio.

Anyone notice anything else?

18 holes not enough for you Tiger?

[–] PillowRock 11 years ago

The obvious one is the gender swap of a couple characters. The most notable was one of Don John's henchmen, and then giving John and her a physical / romantic side to their relationship. A less important gender swap was in the very small role of the magistrate, or whatever her title was, before whom Dogberry took his prisoners.

[–] trinitymplayers 11 years ago

You mean the Sexton, which was offically a church custodian, and in Shakespeare's time, would have been a male, since he often doubled as the local gravedigger. Also he kept the records of what went on in the parish (or local church district) which was why the Sexton in this play was brought in to record the constable's interrogation of the two henchmen Conrade and Boracchio. In Whedon's version, the Sexton was apparently rewritten as a kind of police stenographer.

[–] trinitymplayers 11 years ago

Leonato's Aide was a combination of several minor characters in the original play. Besides Antonio, and Don Pedro's aide Balthasar (whose song "Sigh no more" was instead given to an anonymous singer and at the party instead of the gulling of Benedick scene), he also combined several unnamed messengers for Don Pedro, who may possibly have been meant to be the same person.