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Séquence 9 · « A skirmish of wit »: Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing

How do Shakespeare and Branagh turn conversation into a fight and a game?

Bonjour !

Dans cette séquence de langues, littératures et cultures étrangères (anglais), tu vas chercher à répondre à la grande question écrite en haut de la page. Elle se fait en 2 séances. Pour chaque séance : lis la consigne, étudie les documents, réponds aux questions sur ta feuille ou sur l'ENT, puis recopie l'essentiel dans ton cahier. Tu peux imprimer cette page avec le bouton « Imprimer ».

À la fin, je serai capable de :

Les mots importants

witticism, repartee, punprose dialogue in comedystichomythiafilm adaptation: casting, setting, cameragender and power in speech

Ressources de la séquence

Les notions, les repères et les pistes pour aller plus loin, utiles pour toutes les séances.

Les notions à maîtriser

Witticism
A clever, funny remark; the BO quotes the English word.
Repartee
Quick, witty reply that turns the opponent's words against him.
Stichomythia
Rapid exchange of short lines between two characters.

Repères

DateÉvénement
c. 1598-1599Shakespeare writes Much Ado About Nothing.
1600First printed edition (quarto).
1623The play appears in the First Folio.
1993Kenneth Branagh's film, with Emma Thompson and Denzel Washington.

Pour aller plus loin

Sources et bibliographie

Mon parcours : je choisis mon rythme

Séance 1 · « A kind of merry war »

70 min

Séance approfondie : cours développé, documents sourcés, activités exigeantes avec coups de pouce.

La question du jour

Who wins the first skirmish?

Mon plan de travail

Le cours à lire · Repartee

Leonato warns a messenger: his niece Beatrice and Benedick are always fighting with words, a « merry war ». When they meet, each reply takes the other's word and turns it into an attack: « Lady Disdain » becomes Disdain who « should die »; « courtesy » becomes a « turncoat ». This is repartee, written in quick prose.

Document 1 · William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Act I, scene 1

Play, c. 1599 (public domain).

LEONATO. You must not, sir, mistake my niece. There is a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and her; they never meet but there’s a skirmish of wit between them.

[…]

BENEDICK. What! my dear Lady Disdain, are you yet living?

BEATRICE. Is it possible Disdain should die while she hath such meet food to feed it as Signior Benedick? Courtesy itself must convert to disdain if you come in her presence.

BENEDICK. Then is courtesy a turncoat. But it is certain I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted; and I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart; for, truly, I love none.

BEATRICE. A dear happiness to women: they would else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor. I thank God and my cold blood, I am of your humour for that. I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.

Source : William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Act I, scene 1 (full text on Project Gutenberg).

Pour bien lire ce document :

betwixt: between; skirmish: short fight; meet: suitable; turncoat: traitor; pernicious: harmful; suitor: a man who wants to marry a woman.

Activité 1 · Understand

12 min
Essentiel

Supports : Documents

Consigne :

Read and answer.

  1. How does Leonato describe their relationship?
  2. What name does Benedick give Beatrice?
  3. What do both claim?

Ce qui est attendu (6 pts) : Comprehension

Activité 2 · Analyse

18 min
Essentiel

Supports : Documents and lesson

Consigne :

Analyse.

  1. How does Beatrice answer « Lady Disdain »?
  2. Find a military image.
  3. Why might the audience suspect love?

Ce qui est attendu (7 pts) : Analysis

Activité 3 · Speak

20 min
Travail à rendre

Supports : Documents and lesson

Consigne :

Record the dialogue (both voices) with expressive rhythm, then comment in 1 minute on one witticism. Sentence starters: This witticism… / Beatrice turns… / The effect on the audience….

Ce qui est attendu (7 pts) : Oral production

Trace écrite · document à compléter (papier ou ENT)

Complète la trace écrite avec les mots de la banque, puis recopie-la dans ton cahier.

reparteewar

Beatrice and Benedick wage a « merry ______ »: each ________ turns the opponent's word against him.

Séance 2 · Branagh's sunny Shakespeare

70 min

Séance approfondie : cours développé, documents sourcés, activités exigeantes avec coups de pouce.

La question du jour

What does the camera add to the words?

Mon plan de travail

Le cours à lire · Film adaptation

Kenneth Branagh (1993) sets the play in a Tuscan villa in summer. The film opens on Beatrice (Emma Thompson) reading a song in a garden, then the soldiers arrive on horseback. Branagh plays Benedick; reaction shots and close-ups let us see what words hide. Patrick Doyle's music frames the comedy.

Document 1 · Analysing the film (teacher's guide)

Guide written by the teacher.

Watch the first meeting of Beatrice and Benedick (first quarter of the film). Note: 1. the setting and light; 2. the camera: close-ups, reaction shots, movement of the actors; 3. the delivery: speed, pauses, laughter of the other characters; 4. what is cut or added compared with the text.

Source : teacher's guide.

Activité 1 · Understand

12 min
Essentiel

Supports : Documents

Consigne :

Watch and answer.

  1. Where is the film set?
  2. Who plays Beatrice and Benedick?
  3. How do the other characters react?

Ce qui est attendu (6 pts) : Comprehension

Activité 2 · Analyse

18 min
Essentiel

Supports : Documents and lesson

Consigne :

Analyse.

  1. What do close-ups add?
  2. Why choose a bright setting?
  3. What is the effect of cuts?

Ce qui est attendu (7 pts) : Analysis

Activité 3 · Write

20 min
Travail à rendre

Supports : Documents and lesson

Consigne :

Write a short film review (about 200 words) of the first meeting scene for a school website. Sentence starters: Branagh's version… / The most striking shot… / I would recommend….

Ce qui est attendu (7 pts) : Written production

Trace écrite · document à compléter (papier ou ENT)

Complète la trace écrite avec les mots de la banque, puis recopie-la dans ton cahier.

close-upssetting

Branagh uses _________ and a sunny _______ to make the verbal duel visible.

Fiche à trous · je complète

Complète le texte avec les mots de la banque (sur papier ou dans le document de l'ENT).

crowDisdainTuscanywar

Leonato calls the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick a « merry ______ ».

Benedick calls Beatrice « Lady _______ ».

Beatrice would rather hear her dog bark at a ______ than a man swear he loves her.

Branagh shot his film in _______, in summer light.

Ce que j'ai appris

Les 3 idées que je retiens :
Une phrase en anglais que je veux retenir :
Ce qui reste difficile pour moi / ma question pour le professeur :