In plays and other works of literature, reoccurring ideas or themes become significant to the development of the work as a whole. Shakespeare uses several images and ideas obsessively in his play Much Ado About Nothing to allow the reader to gauge which points and ideas he finds most important. Reoccurring throughout the play is the image of animals, specifically savage animals. The animals are depicted most often in connection to love, the connection signifies the animalistic qualities surrounding love.
When a certain image is used is equally as important as the obsessive repetitiveness of the image, or images. When animals are used within the play it is most often in connection with love. The savage love that surrounds Benedick and Beatrice, who are frequently either the source or the target of the animal images. In the first exchange between Benedick and Beatrice, in Act I several animals are used between the both of them while talking. The use of animal imagery, particularly naturally savage animals is to highlight the underlying tension between Beatrice and Benedick, stemming from their love for each other. During the conversation Benedick says “I would my horse had the speed of your tongue and so good a continuer” (I.i.139). The horse and the horse’s ability to continue being rode can be taken as a sexual innuendo, linking back to the instinctual love that Shakespeare portrays between Beatrice and Benedick throughout the play.
The animals that are most often depicted within the play are bulls and horses, other animals that play a less significant role include dogs, birds, calves and cats. When bulls are mentioned, the word savage frequently accompanies it, there are six references to images of bulls with the word savage preceding four references. Shakespeare specifically mentions the naturally aggressive animal, he is playing on the aggressive animalistic part of love that exists between Benedick and Beatrice throughout most of the play. And with the word savage also used, it promotes the reader even further to connect the animals with the aggressive and lustful parts of love.
The use of horns within the play also pushes the reader to connect the images with love, lust and desire. Horns, being horned or lacking horns is touched upon frequently throughout the course of the play. If one was considered “horned” it meant that they were horny, or lustful. Shakespeare successfully uses the term horny to illustrate the lustful part of love because neither Beatrice or Benedick want to become horned, in fact both are quite fearful that if they were to fall in love and get married they would become horned and be forced to wear a hat.
The visual media project contributed to my understanding of Shakespeare’s use and purpose of different images throughout his play Much Ado About Nothing. By following one thematic strand through the entirety of the play I was able to see the connections that Shakespeare made using various animals, at different points to convey different meanings. When he wanted to convey the animalistic part of love he used terms like “savage bull.” But when he wanted to refer to the more lustful aspect of love he used images of horns or the riding of horses to deliver the message.
Shakespeare’s use of animal images throughout his play efficiently conveys the idea that love is instinctual and animal like. He is able to do this so successfully because of the animals he chooses and the placement of the animals. He uses savage bulls when he wants to depict tension between Beatrice and Benedick and the underlying sexual tension between them as well. Horns, which are part of a bulls physical appearance are used when lust or sexual desire is being referenced. Benedick is the character who most frequently uses the term horns, Shakespeare’s use of Benedick to deliver the lines referring to horns the most further clarifies the sexual desire Benedick has towards Beatrice.
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