Key Lines
English Lit: AQA GCSE Much Ado About Nothing, topic 3.3.2
Don John
DON JOHN: it must not be denied that I am a plain dealing villain.
Key line
- DON JOHN: it must not be denied that I am a plain dealing villain.
Villainous character
- Don John willingly embraces his villainous character, fulfilling the role that would be expected of him due to his illegitimate nature.
Othello
- Don John's duplicitous character is similar although nowhere near as subtle as Shakespeare’s later villain Iago from Othello (1603) who reveals to the audience in Act 1 “I am not what I am.”
Don John
DON JOHN: I had rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in his grace.
Key line
- DON JOHN: I had rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in his grace.
“canker”
- The use of the noun “canker” illustrates Don John’s villainy.
- He would rather be a fungus, spreading disease and disharmony rather than love his brother, Don Pedro.
Names
- Interestingly, Don John does not refer to Don Pedro by his name.
- This perhaps reflects the bitterness he feels towards him.
The two characters
- Additionally, the two nouns “canker” and “rose” represent the two characters of the half-brothers and their deceptions.
Don John
- Don John’s trick is poisonous and destructive, intending to ruin and corrupt the relationship between Claudio and Hero.
Don Pedro
- Don Pedro's deceptions are performed to bring about love.
- First between Claudio and Hero and later between Benedick and Beatrice.
Test yourself on Key Lines
Don John's duplicitous character is similar to which of Shakespeare’s later villains?
Why might Don John's character be the expected villain?
Which character says "it must not be denied that I am a plain dealing villain" in Act 1, Scene 3?
What is a “canker”?