Much Ado About Nothing – Intertextualities

THE SICILIAN VESPERS
THE SETTING
THE KING
TIME
STATUS
INTERMEDIARIES
THE HEROINE’S FAMILY
DON JOHN
THE EPITAPH
THE FATHER’S FORGIVENESS
METANARRATIVITY/METATHEATRICALITY
MALE FRIENDSHIP

THE SICILIAN VESPERS

Bandello’s novella opens with an account of the Sicilian Vespers: “i Siciliani, non parendo loro di voler più sofferire il dominio dei Francesi, con inaudita crudeltà quanti nell’isola erano, un giorno nell’ora del vespro ammazzarono; che così per tutta l’isola era il tradimento ordinato. Né solamente uomini e donne della nazion francese uccisero, ma tutte le donne siciliane, che si puotero immaginare esser di Francese nessuno gravide, il dì medesimo svenarono, e successivamente se donna alcuna era provata che fosse da Francese ingravidata, senza compassione era morta”. Belleforest greatly exaggerates the cruelty of the Vespers and portrays the Sicilians extremely negatively: “Les chroniques tant de France et d’Espagne, que de Naples et Sicile sont assez pleines de celle mémorable et cruelle boucherie de Français qui fut faite en Sicile en l’an de notre Seigneur, 1283 ; auteur d’une telle conjuration, un nommé Jean Prochite, qui était instigué à ce faire par le roi Pierre d’Aragon,[1] qui ne tendait qu’à la jouissance de cette île, duquel massacre prirent nom les Vêpres siciliennes tant chantées, à cause que le soir de Pâques les Français étant à vêpres, fut exécutée cette abominable trahison, et bestiale cruauté.[2]

D’autant que non seulement furent occis les hommes, et femmes qui étaient Français de nation, ains les femmes mêmes natives de Sicile, qu’on pouvait penser, ou soupçonner être enceintes du fait de quelque Français, furent autant brutalement massacrées, comme infidèlement ses insulaires s’attaquèrent à ceux auxquels ils étaient les plus redevables et obligés: qui me fait ébahir comme il est possible que le Français puisse aimer ce barbare ni laisser vivre en son pays cette vermine si détestable et inhumaine, et laquelle ne fut jamais amie de notre nation, ni ne révéra onc ami que pour le profit ou étant contrainte à coups de baston, ainsi qu’à présent elle obéit au roi d’Espagne.”
In Shakespeare, there is no direct reference to the Sicilian Vespers. We only know that the king and his followers have returned victorious from “the wars” (1.1.29). Notice that also in the 1560 Milanese edition of Bandello and its 1566 Venetian reprinting there is no mention of the war.

[1] Pierre roi d’Aragon cause des Vêpres Siciliennes.

[2] Cruauté du Sicilien.

THE SETTING

No mention of Messinese landmarks either in the sources or in Shakespeare. In Bandello, Messina is merely described geographically: “in quella città, che è per iscontro all’Italia, e dalla quale con breve tragitto si passa in Calavria”. Belleforest describes its location and history more in detail: “il se retira à Messine,[3] et y mit le siège de son royaume: depuis lequel temps en çà cette cité a été rendue fréquentée, et plus peuplée qu’autre de toute l’île à cause que les rois s’y tenaient, et qu’à présent c’est la demeure de celui qui au nom du roi d’Espagne est Vice-roi de Sicile. Or fut Messine jadis nommée Zanclé,[4] à cause qu’elle est bâtie sur une courbure et réfléchissement de terre qui tourne vers l’orient faite tout ainsi qu’une faux, et est assise[5] sur le bord du canal de mer de ce détroit épouvantable qui sépare la Sicile d’avec la terre ferme d’Italie, jadis nommé Charybde à cause de la périlleuse navigation du dit lieu, où les flots semblent s’entr’engloutir, puis se vomir l’un l’autre, voisine du cap de Pelore, et non trop loin de la cité de Rezze, et Calinuelle qui sont vis-à-vis d’elle en Italie.

The features of Shakespeare’s Messina are much vaguer; there is (perhaps surprisingly) no mention of the Mediterranean, of the Etna, or of the strait. Shakespeare relied on the spectators’ familiarity with the stereotype of Italian men as jealous and hot-tempered – not just Sicilians, though: notice that, unlike in his sources, Shakespeare’s Claudio is from Florence and Benedick from Padua. Belleforest, on his part, is explicit about Italian customs concerning unmarried women: “Or ne faut s’ébahir si Timbrée, quoique grand seigneur, étant comte de Colisan, et autres plusieurs terres, et favori du roi, comme dit est, se contentait d’amouracher sa maitresse des yeux seulement, vu qu’en ce pays-là les femmes ne sont si à découvert, et familièrement visitées je ne dirai pas qu’en France, mais encore qu’en plusieurs endroits d’Italie : d’autant que personne ne parle à elles que par procureur, si ce n’est ceux qui sont fort proches de sang”.

[3] Messine, siège des rois de Sicile.

[4] Herodote 7.

[5] Diodore 11.

THE KING

Re Piero in Bandello is always seen positively: “Re Piero tenne […] la corte molto reale e magnifica”; “Quivi tenendo egli una corte molto reale”; “Ora; per ciò che a quei tempi nel Re Piero, più che in tutti gli altri prencipi, regnava liberal cortesia”. The king in Belleforest is an inhuman enemy of the French and his only positive trait is his acknowledgment of the great love between Timbrée and Fénicie: “Pierre roi d’Aragon cause des Vêpres Siciliennes”; “aussitôt que ce roi inhumain Pierre d’Aragon eut ouï le succès du conseil qu’il avait donné”; “s’opposa Charles Second, fils du frère du roi saint Louis, et ayant dressé une grand armée de mer vint contre l’Aragonais, mais s’étant rencontrées, et venus qu’ils sont au combat Charles eut du pire, et fut pris en la bataille: ce qui fortifia de tant plus le parti du roi Pierre, lequel s’était auparavant arrêté à Panorme ville où fut fait le premier complot contre les Français”; “Je ne veux m’amuser à discourir sur la fête, et magnificence des noces, ni à déduire, et montrer les beautés de ces miroirs d’honnêteté de leur temps, et moins me soucie d’écrire avec quelle pompe le roi d’Aragon fit honneur à ces seigneurs à leurs noces y assistant”. Shakespeare’s king is benign, but, at the same time, ambiguous due to his willingness to meddle with his followers’ sexual relationships and regulate their marriages.

TIME

In Bandello and Belleforest, one year passes between Fenicia’s apparent death and the conclusion of the story. In Shakespeare, the action occupies roughly six days.

STATUS

In Bandello and Belleforest, Timbreo is a count (the count of Collisano), Girondo is a “cavaliere giovine e di nobil famiglia”(“un gentilhomme fort riche”), Lionato is a gentleman from a noble Messinese family, of ancient Roman heritage (“essendo noi discesi da nobilissima famiglia romana, prima che il Signor nostro Cesù Cristo incarnasse, come per antichissime scritture si fa fede”), but which has suffered from the civil wars and is no longer affluent (“per le varie mutazioni dell’isola, e per le guerre civili erano delle lor signorie decaduti ”). The difference in status between Timbreo and Fenicia is one of the main features of the novella. In Shakespeare, Claudio and Benedick are two lords, the former from Florence, the latter from Padua, whereas Lionato is the governor of Messina – he is thus of a much higher status than in the sources.

INTERMEDIARIES

In Bandello, there are no intermediaries between Timbreo and Fenicia: “Il perché il povero amante si ritrovava molto di mala voglia, e tanto più, quanto che mai non aveva potuto farle ritenere né lettere né doni. Tuttavia, deliberatosi d’averla, e veggendo la costanza di lei esser tale, che se voleva di quella divenir possessore, bisognava che per moglie la prendesse, poi che molti discorsi sovra di questo ebbe fatto, conchiuse tra sé di farla al padre richieder per moglie.” In Belleforest, an old servant tries to help Timbrée: “une vieille du logis de Lionato”. In Shakespeare, the relationship between Claudio and Hero is at the centre of both comedy and intrigue.

THE HEROINE’S FAMILY

In Bandello, Fenicia has at least two younger sisters (“ove medesimamente era l’innocente Fenicia, che in compagnia di due sue sorelle di lei minori”), one of whom is Belfiore, and one brother (which is surprising, as he is mentioned only at the end – perhaps a little brother?) – “Fu anco dato dal re a Messer Lionato, un ufficio in Messina molto onorevole, del quale egli traeva non picciolo profitto. E veggendosi egli già attempato, fece di modo, che il re lo confermò ad un suo figliuolo.”. In Belleforest, Fénicie has only one sister, Bellefleur (who is first mentioned later on, since the corresponding passage reads: “le père de Fénicie, qui était en salle avec sa femme et sa fille [i.e. Fénicie]”), with no mention of a brother. In Shakespeare, Hero has no sibling (while Beatrice is her orphan cousin). Fenicia’s mother has a prominent role in Bandello and Belleforest, but she appears only as a ghost character, Innogen, in Shakespeare (S.D. 1.1 and 2.1). Shakespeare deletes also the character of the aunt, but preserves the character of the uncle (naming him Antonio).

DON JOHN

The nucleus of Don John may lie in Bandello’s Don Giacomo Dongiavo (the King’s “primogenito”) and Belleforest’s Don Jacques Infant d’Aragon (“son fils aîné”). He is portrayed as impeccably courteous. Giacomo/Jacques would correspond to James, but Shakespeare might have interpreted the odd name “Dongiavo” (Dongiauo in the diplomatic transcription) as a typo for “Don Giano”. However, in Belleforest, there are references to two bastards: “[l’]auteur d’une telle conjuration, un nommé Jean Prochite, qui était instigué à ce faire par le roi Pierre d’Aragon” and to “celui[6] qui étant bâtard de Fédéric 2° empereur d’Allemagne avait fait mourir par venin Conrad son frère légitime, et vrai roi ordonné par l’empereur son père. Aussi fut ce contre ce tyran bâtard”? On the other hand, Shakespeare could have used the sterotype of bastards as wicked malcontents.

[6] Fédéric Mainfroy bâtard usurpe Sicile.

THE EPITAPH

The epitaph is rhymed in all versions, but there is an interesting change in the use of the voice(s).
Bandello:

Fenicia fu’l mio nome, e’ndegnamente

      A crudo cavalier fui maritata,

      Che poi pentito, ch’io gli fossi data,

      Femmi di grave error parer nocente.

Io ch’era verginella e innocente,

      Come mi vidi a torto si macchiata,

      Prima volli morir, ch’esser mostrata,

      A dito (oimè) per putta dalla gente.

Né fu bisogno ferro al mio morire,

      Ché ’l dolor fiero più che ’l ferro valse,

      Quando contra ragion m’udii schernire.

Morendo, Iddio pregai, che l’opre falsCheck-out:

      Al fin facesse al mondo discoprire,

      Poi ch’al mio sposo di mia fe’ non calse.

 

Belleforest:

 

Ci gît ce vrai Phénix des filles de Messine.

Outrée indignement par un désastre fier,

Et par l’effet cruel d’un félon chevalier,

L’accusant à grand tort d’un fait trop d’elle indigne.

Vierge et sans nul forfait, de douleur elle fine

Et a choisi la mort avant que se fier

A poursuivre l’amour d’un cruel étranger,

Car vers l’amour du ciel cette mort l’achemine.

Ne pleure point passant, car puisque sans erreur

J’ai le monde laissé, j’ai assez de bonheur,

Jouissant du profit de ma grande innocence,

Je laisse le désir de moi à ce cruel

Qui sans faire l’essai, si mon cœur était tel

Que sa langue disait, vivra en déplaisance.

 

Shakespeare (5.3.3-10):

 

Done to death by slanderous tongues,

                  Was the Hero that here lies:

                  Death in guerdon of her wrongs,

                  Gives her fame which never dies:

                  So the life that died with shame,

                  Lives in death with glorious fame.

Hang thou there upon the tomb,

Praising her when I am dumb.

THE FATHER’S FORGIVENESS

Belleforest criticises Gironde’s behaviour more than Bandello, by making Lionato less willing to understand his actions: “Le seigneur Géronde s’offrit aussi au bon homme lequel le mercia, mais non de telle affection qu’il avait le comte, à cause qu’il savait que cestui-ci était cause de tout le malheur, que s’en était ensuivi en cette separation”. In Bandello, Lionato’s forgiveness is much more generous: “Messer Lionato di tenerezza e di gioia piangendo, ambidui amorevolmente abbracciando, perdonò loro ogni ingiuria”. In comparison with the father figure in Bandello and Belleforest, who immediately sides with his slandered daughter, Shakespeare’s Lionato is incredibly more offensive towards her (4.1.120-43):

Wherefore! Why, doth not every earthly thing
Cry shame upon her? Could she here deny
The story that is printed in her blood?
Do not live, Hero; do not ope thine eyes:
For, did I think thou wouldst not quickly die,
Thought I thy spirits were stronger than thy shames,
Myself would, on the rearward of reproaches
Strike at thy life. Grieved I, I had but one?
Chid I for that at frugal Nature’s frame?
O, one too much by thee! Why had I one?
Why ever wast thou lovely in my eyes?
Why had I not with charitable hand
Took up a beggar’s issue at my gates,
Who smirched thus and mired with infamy,
I might have said: “No part of it is mine;
This shame derives itself from unknown loins”.
But mine and mine I loved and mine I praised
And mine that I was proud on, mine so much
That I myself was to myself not mine,
Valuing of her,  why, she, O, she is fallen
Into a pit of ink, that the wide sea
Hath drops too few to wash her clean again
And salt too little which may season give
To her foul-tainted flesh!

To appease him, Shakespeare had to basically create the character of Friar Francis (modelling him on the Friar Lawrence of Romeo and Juliet).

 

METANARRATIVITY/METATHEATRICALITY

Metanarrative dimension in Bandello : “il Signore Timbreo alla presenza di quanti quivi erano, narrò la dolorosa istoria”; “con grandissima pietà e meraviglia degli ascoltanti, tutta la miserabil istoria narrò”; “volle che colui intieramente un’altra volta alla presenza di lei tutta l’istoria narrasse”; “ditemi come avvenne questa novella, della quale voi e quest’altro gentiluomo sì teneramente ancora lagrimate”; “Meravigliosa e crudel novella mi narrate, signor cavaliero; a cui simile forse, mai più al mondo non avvenne”; “il Signor Timbreo narrò tutta l’istoria del suo amore”. In Belleforest : “je vous prie de grâce me dire l’histoire de votre infortune”; “le comte de Colisan récita devant tous la douloureuse histoire”. There is a corresponding metatheatricality in Much Ado About Nothing; consider, besides all the scenes of eavesdropping and spying, e.g. “Troth, my lord, I have played the part of Lady Fame” (2.1.195-6); “’Tis even so. Hero and Margaret have by this played their parts with Beatrice” (3.2.69-70).

 

MALE FRIENDSHIP

The actual most important relationship portrayed in Bandello and in Belleforest is male friendship (an element that was not explored in Ariosto) – see also the title page of Starter’s 1618 dramatisation of the story. In Bandello, Timbreo is angry at Girondo for having failed their friendship: “D’una cosa ti voglio ben riprendere, a ciò che mai più in simil errore non caschi. E questo è, che tu devevi scoprirmi il tuo amore, sapendo che io ne era innamorato, e nulla di te sapeva, per ciò che io innanzi che al padre l’avessi fatta richiedere, in questa amorosa impresa ti averei ceduto, e (come sogliono fare i magnanimi e generosi spiriti) me stesso vincendo, averei anteposto la nostra amicizia all’appetito mio, e forse che tu udite le mie ragioni, ti saresti da questa impresa ritratto, e non sarebbe seguito lo scandalo che è successo”. Or see Belleforest: “c’est à vous à qui honneur est dû pour votre courtoisie, et à moi vitupère, à cause de ma perversité, qui ayant eu la faveur que de vous être conjoint par amitié néanmoins parjure et déloyal que je suis, j’ai faussé la foi et lien d’amitié, et ai trahi le meilleur chevalier qui vive”. Shakespeare had already tackled the ideal of male friendship in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and in Much Ado About Nothing steered in a different direction, by a) creating Don John as the villain, b) making the king’s role more active, c) introducing the Benedick and Beatrice couple.