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Discovering Ethnography
through Shakespeare

By: Yvette Simpson

English 102

Instructor: Mrs. D. White

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Table of Contents
1. Research Proposal
2. Writing Assignment I
3. Writing Assignment II
4. Final Ethnographic Essay
5. Glossary

Ethnographic Inquiry Proposal

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Introduction:

My proposed research is based on one of William Shakespeare’s many

outstanding plays, “Much Ado About Nothing”. Not only have I seen the

modern version of the movie, but I also have read the old English version of

the play. My research site includes my room, the library, and my English

class, just in case I have a few questions that I need to clarify with my

professor. The background information that I have on my particular selection

is that I have read a few other Shakespeare plays and I understand his

language, writing style, and his unusual sense of humor.

Purpose:

I plan to decode the era through the novel “Much Ado about Nothing”

because I feel it embodies the era in a way not described by textbooks and

other history details.

Methodology:

The questions that I will ask are not questions directed to the deceased

William Shakespeare. My questions are directed to the literary historians,

critics, English professors, students and anyone else who thinks they know a

thing or two about Shakespeare’s writings. My ultimate discovery for this

project is to show you how to convey ethnography through Shakespeare. In

other words, I want to analyze his play (Much Ado About Nothing) and break

it down to show subcultures, language, codes, behaviors, rituals, and so

much more.
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I will conduct my research in the privacy of my room and in the well

known “thinking environment” better known as the library. With my

highlighter in hand, I will go through my book and highlight everything that

stands out to me as an example of ethnography. I will write down questions

or concerns that I might have and get a thorough clarification from my

English professor. Then with my laptop I will organize all of my thoughts and

combine them into my final project.

Conclusion:
Overtime, things change, morals, rituals, words, but even within the
constant change, we as homo-sapiens stay the same. The feeling of
deserved freedom, brotherhood, and brutalistic ways are what make
humans…humans. “Much Ado about Nothing” portrays the characters
throughout the play in relevance to modern people stuck in the past. I want
to expose the bond our generation has with theirs through this project.

Literacy Sponsorship

i
teracy and Sponsorship are two uniquely combined words that were

brought together to make one meaningful impact that is essential to

everyone’s lives and well-being. Literacy is the ability to read and write

and the possession of education. A sponsor is a person who vouches or is

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responsible for a person or thing. Together, the phrase “Literacy Sponsor”

means the person or people who contribute learning skills to influence an

individual’s ability to read and write. Sponsors of literacy, according to the

English professor Deborah Brandt, “are any agents, local or distant, concrete

or abstract, who enable, support, teach, model, as well as regulate,

suppress, or withhold literacy.” So who exactly are literacy sponsors?

When I reflect over my very first literacy experience, around the tender

age of three, I remember my mother reading to me every night before I went

to bed. After a long day of play, a hot bath and a book was all it took to put

me to sleep. My favorite books were “Three Little Pigs”, “Not Yet Yvette”,

and anything written by Dr. Seuss. At that time my brain was like a huge

sponge, eager and willing to soak up everything in sight. To me, the best

part of reading a book was looking at the pictures. I had a very unique

photographic memory which enabled me to recite books to my mother, word

for word, only because I remember what the pictures looked like. I actually

found reading books to be more entertaining than just watching television.

Of course I enjoyed watching Barney and Sesame Street like any normal kid

did, but my all time favorite television show was Reading Rainbow. Reading

Rainbow was almost like my personal tutor that encouraged me to read

every day so that I could grow up and be very well educated. My mother

also stressed to me the importance of reading and getting an education and

still stresses it to me today.

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As I got older and continued to read, I realized that the books began to

get bigger, the words on the pages started to increase, and the pictures

started to decrease. But of course that didn‘t stop me from reading. Instead

of having photographic memory, I developed a creative and imaginative

mindset. With the words from the story, I was able to paint vivid mental

pictures to convey the image that the author wanted me to see. Having a

new outlook on reading, I not only read just for school assignments, but also

in my spare time to keep my mind busy and focused. Other than the last day

of school, my favorite time of year was when we use to have the school wide

annual Book Fair. I would save up all my money just to go on a shopping

spree for books. I would even buy books way beyond my reading level just to

challenge myself even more. I enjoyed all types of genres, from non-fiction to

horrors, but my favorite was poetry. I fell in love with reading poetry because

I could always relate to it and it gave me a different perspective on life. From

the love of reading poetry, this gave me passion to start writing, and that led

from one thing to another.

Around the fourth grade, I developed the passion for writing. After

reading for so many years, it was now time for someone else to read what I

had to say. We were given a broad range of topics, so the essay didn’t

necessarily have to be true. That’s when my imagination took off like a jet. It

the minimum was one page, I would go above and beyond to write two

pages just to make sure that I was able to let out all of my thoughts and

keep my reader interested from beginning to end. My creative writing led to

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numerous rewards throughout my school years. I entered in writing contests,

won recognition as well as awards, and I was placed in advanced English

classes from middle school through high school. The teacher that really

helped to improve my writing skills was my middle school Pre-AP Language

Arts teacher at William Hawley Atwell Fundamental Law Academy, was Ms.

Gwendolyn Graves. I would go to tutoring before and after school, and

sometimes even skip lunch, just to be around her. Her passion for writing

was just a strong as mines. I use to write poetry in my spare time, and I

would always bring it to her for tips on how to improve and perfect it. She

even let me assist in writing an urbanized script for a play about the Harlem

Renaissance which turned out to be absolutely phenomenal. She is my

inspiration and motivation, even to this day, to not only continue writing, but

to write with creativity, passion, and meaning.

In my Advanced Placement English classes at Yvonne A. Ewell

Townview Magnet Center, I was introduced a completely different style of

writing. Instead of writing to show off creativity, we had to do argumentative

and analytical writing. At first it started off being extremely challenging for

me since I was absolutely new to it, but once I understood what was being

asked of me, I was able to display it through my writing. Argumentative

writing is just proposing or opposing a side and thoroughly explain your

reasoning for doing so. Analytical writing is just breaking down and analyzing

the author’s purpose, point of view, and understanding their use of literary

devices. Now that I am college I have a broad horizon on writing. I am now

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able to incorporate creative, argumentative, and analytical writing in

subjects other that just English.

Last semester in English 101, Mrs. D’Andra White, discussed with her

students what literacy really is. It’s not just reading and writing. Literacy is

used every day whether we realize it or not. Texting and emailing also falls

under the literacy umbrella. Text messages are not grammatically correct

sentences, but they do express complete thoughts that can be understood

by only by the people who are sending and interpreting the message. Mrs.

White gave us an opportunity to show how we incorporate literacy in our

everyday lives, but it wasn’t through a written essay format. We were able to

film, record, and act out scenarios as well as do interviews to show the

different uses of literacy in our world today. From reading road signs to

studying in the library, everybody everywhere use literacy on a day to day

basis. The project was humorous and yet very informative. We actually

enjoyed doing the video versus writing a three, four, or five page essay. Just

as a writer is able to connect with his readers through his creative writing

style, we were able to relate and connect with our audience through our

video.

My literacy sponsors are every person who has helped, encouraged,

and motivated me to get to where I am today. Velma Simpson, my mother, is

the person who started me on this journey through life and higher education,

and she is my motivation to continue to give education 100% of my time,

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effort, and energy. From my kindergarten teacher Ms. Leopole to my college

English professor Mrs. White, each day in a classroom I learned something

new and interesting that I can take with me and incorporate it in my

everyday life. I do not only read and write for class, but also in my spare time

to relax and clear my head. My passion for writing is still continuing to grow,

just like my understanding of literacy is blossoming from a tiny seed to big

beautiful tree of knowledge. A person does not have to be a mother, father

or a teacher just to be a literacy sponsor. A literacy sponsor is anyone who is

willing to contribute to the well-being of another person by motivating and

encouraging them read, write, and do the best they can in life.
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Literacy Sponsor Narrative

W
alking down the halls of W. H. Atwell Fundamental Law

Academy, you hear the commotion of lockers slamming shut,

students running, laughing, and playing, and you hear

teachers yelling telling us to go to class. Then the loud, echoing, “burst your

eardrum” bell rings and everyone scatters. Now the hallway is at complete

silence. You could almost hear a pin drop. This only lasts for approximately

45 minutes until the next bell rings and hallways are filled again. When I walk

down this one particular hallway, the commotion is somewhat different than

all the rest. Instead of the students yelling, screaming, and making all the

noise, this one particular teacher stood out from everyone else.

Being a person of my stature, standing only five feet three inches,

this lady looked like a giant compared to me. She was above the average

height of a woman; I would say roughly around six feet two inches tall, even

though she was somewhat tilted over because of old age and a bad back.

She was wide, round, and shaped like a huge life size teddy bear. Her skin

color was as yellow as a banana but was slightly kissed by the sun. Her hair

was short, jet black, and filled with tiny curls. She had full, juicy, bubble gum

pink lips and pearly white teeth. Her eyes were brown, tight, and slightly

slanted as they looked at me through glasses which were sitting on the tip of

her nose. She wore very little to no make up for which make up was not
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needed for her natural beauty. To me, she was one of the most beautiful

and eye catching woman I have ever seen before.

Although she was beautiful to the eye, she still had her flaws. This

woman had the loudest, ear-bleeding, run your finger nails down a chalk

board, annoying, high-pitched voices that I have ever heard in my entire 19

years of life. I can still hear her voice ringing in my ears. In between the

passing periods, she would stand outside her classroom door, like the

teacher were suppose to do, and tell everyone to go to class. Anyone and

everyone knew exactly who she was, regardless of if she was your teacher or

not. Her name was Gwendolyn Graves, also known as Ms. G, but to me she

was GG. I called her GG not because they were her initials, but because she

reminded me so much of my grandmother. As she stood in the hall way, she

had a stern and serious look on her face, but whenever someone would

speak to her, the corners of her mouth would turn up and she would respond

by saying “Good morning sugar. Now hurry up and get to class so you won’t

be tardy.” That gave people a warm feeling to be greeted by such a kind

person.

My 8th grade year, I was ecstatic when I found out she would be my

Language Arts teacher. I could not wait to see what she was like inside the

classroom instead of the loud and noisy person yelling at everyone in the

hallway. When you walk into her egg white room, with yellow, orange, and

red desks, old and wore out ceiling tiles, and a messy and unorganized desk,

it kind of gives you a sense that she is a surprisingly relaxed and laid back
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teacher. She always kept the blinds of the window open to let sunlight into

the room. On the first day of class, she stood in front of the classroom and in

a quiet and calm voice she said “Good morning class”. As she began to talk, I

completely forgot all about the loud, yelling, screaming, crazy old lady that

stood out in the hallway everyday yelling at people. I saw a kind, gentle, and

wise older woman that reminded everyone of their grandmother. She called

everyone “baby”, “sugar” or “sweetie” just like my grandmother would do.

But for the problem students, she called them “knuckleheads”, ignoramus”

or “morons”.

My admiration for GG grew when I realized how educated she was

and how much she enjoyed writing. When she found out how much I enjoyed

writing and discovered how good I was, she began to push me harder than

everyone else. I had to work twice as hard and my papers would have to be

twice as long as the other students. She was not showing favoritism but just

more encouragement than others.

We enjoyed all types of writing styles, but poetry was our favorite.

Whenever I would write poetry, I would always bring it to her for tips on how

to improve of perfect it. We spent time together before, during, and after

class. Some students even said that I was the “teacher’s pet”.

Now that I am a freshman I college, I still strive to do the best in

anything and everything, especially writing. If I had not found the love of

math, I would more than likely be majoring in English or journalism or

anything that could show off my creative writing skills. From time to time I
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still stop by to check on her and make sure that she’s doing ok. She’s getting

close to retirement, but knowing how much she enjoys teaching, she might

hold out a little bit longer. Whenever I think about her, I still get that warm

and heartfelt sensation, I still see her remarkable and ageless beauty, and I

still hear her loud and echoing voice ring in my ear. Ms. Gwendolyn Graves

will always be and will forever hold a very special place in my heart. She will

always be my one and only GG.

Final Ethnographic Project

History: Archives

It is believed that Much Ado About Nothing was written in mid- to late 1598

primarily because of the character Dogberry. This character was written

specifically for an actor named Will Kemp, a leading Elizabethan comedian.

Kempe left Shakespeare’s theatre company, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, in

January or February of 1599. Kempe’s name appears accidentally in the 1600

quarto edition. The play itself was officially registered with the Stationer’s

Company on August 2, 1600. As mentioned above, the play was first

published in the Andrew Wise and William Aspley quarto edition dated 1600.

The next known publication of Much Ado About Nothing was in the First Folio

of 1623. It is not known whether or not the play was performed before May

1613, when it was staged twice for Princess Elizabeth’s engagement and

marriage. At the time of the staging, it was titled Benedicke and Betteris.
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The plot of Much Ado About Nothing is an example of the traditional

European story of a lover who is tricked into believing that his beloved has

been unfaithful. Stories such as these date back to late classical times.

Shakespeare drew inspiration for this play from an epic poem titled Orlando

Furioso written by Ludovico Ariosto. The Italian edition was published in 1532

and the English translation by Sir John Harrington in 1591, and Shakespeare

might have used both versions. It is believed that Shakespeare also used an

adaptation of Ariosto’s poem written by Matteo Bandello and published in

1554. Most of the details of the courtship between Claudio and Hero are

foreshadowed in these two texts; however, Claudio’s rejection of Hero at

their wedding is suggested in an English version of Ariosto’s story by George

Whetstone that appears in his book titled The Rock of Regard, a collection of

stories published in 1576.

Although the Ariosto and Bandello texts contributed to Shakespeare’s

inspiration for the Claudio and Hero characters, the Dogberry character is

strictly his own invention. The confused speech and nonsensical logic of this

character, however, had been a theatrical staple for quite awhile. In fact,

Shakespeare had incorporated a similar character in Love’s Labour’s Lost

with the minor character Constable Dull. The Beatrice and Benedick

characters also come from a well-established tradition of the 16th century.

One of the most widely read books of the time, The Book of the Courtier,

published in 1528 and written by the Italian Baldassare Castiglione, certainly

inspired Shakespeare’s most beloved characters, Beatrice and Benedick.

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Although much of the characters’ verbal sparring is Shakespeare’s own

invention, Castiglione presents the idea that women have much to contribute

to an ideal courtly life, and he illustrates this point with a series of energetic

debates between a man and a woman.

Intro

Going through life as a young woman, it feels like we have it harder than

anyone but then we are presented with works that show us that while life

should be celebrated, that people have it much harder than we do. The

romantic-comedy “Much Ado about Nothing” by William Shakespeare puts

not only life but love in a better perspective and shows us unintentionally of

the hardships of people before our generation. The novel reads like an

autobiography and is very relatable to the reader but it is depicted from a

time where our social rules were not accepted so some things will anger or

confuse the reader. Speaking of confusion, to fully understand what is going

on at all times of this novel, you must understand the era’s language,

mannerisms, etc. I present this ethnography project to give people an insight

view of this subculture.

Observations

At the beginning of the novel, it is basically giving the reader an introduction

to the language of the novel and the language becomes more in-depth as

the story progresses. The old English text really isn’t as confusing as you

would think. Some words that were used then and how they are used today
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are completely different, but when you hear it in context, you can catch on

very easily. They use Lady before a woman’s name which I find interesting

because there is a respect from men to women that I don’t find too much

these days. When a person addresses someone of royalty they start off by

saying “lord” or “grace”, also used as a sign of respect. One of the more

strange terms that is used quite often throughout the play is the word

cousin. Cousin actually means anyone that is related to you such as aunts,

uncles, brothers, or sisters, but in modern terms it is used usually to refer to

one type of family member.

There is a significant viewpoint in the play because you can clearly see how

society has progressed from this era. It has everything we have now only

more basic. Another observation that really stood out to me was the

importance of virginity. A woman who was not pure was looked down upon

but today it is not that common. Women have always had to act a certain

way and dress “appropriately” in order to be socially acceptable. I personally

have a problem with women having to have rules in society while men can

parade around doing anything and everything as they please.

With Shakespeare’s creative plots, he likes to have multiple themes in one

play. The themes in his plays are very similar to the themes in modern day

movies and plays, the basic love, cheating, marriage, friendship, loyalty,

deception and etc. Some can be all comedies and others all tragedy, but

some of the best plays have a mixture of both. The story starts off being
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merry and joyful and then a sudden twist of tragedy comes through and

changes everything. Luckily in Much Ado About Nothing, the twist of tragedy

led up to an even happier ending.

The Break-Down “Insider Perspective”

As Don Pedro and his crew go into Messina, they are immediately greeted by

Leonato and his crew. That’s when the bonding and rekindled friendships

come about. Everyone is pretty much happy to see each other including

Benedick and Beatrice even though they show their unique “friendship” by

bickering and quarreling with each other constantly. Claudio and Hero make

an instant love connection and soon after they meet they fall in love. When

Claudio expresses his feelings for Hero, his very loyal friend Don Pedro

agrees to “woo” Hero for him. Claudio of course believes his loyal friend Don

Pedro and trusts that he will do what he promised.

Then here comes the deception. Later on that night at dinner, everyone wore

masks and socialized with one another. Don Pedro’s half brother Don John,

also known as the “bastard”, plots to confuse poor Claudio into believing that

the Prince is trying to woo Hero for himself. While in disguise, Don John and

his partner in crime Borachio knowingly sets up Claudio by talking to him as

if he were Benedick. They both swear that they are telling the truth and poor

Claudio fell for it. Soon after, the Prince sends for Claudio to tell him the

great news about Hero and he discovers that he is sad. Once the Prince

confirms that Hero agrees to be with him, Claudio is ecstatic and wants to
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wed as soon as possible. Don John and Borachio are not pleased that their

evil plot did not go through. They then decide to do something else that

would deceive the Prince, torment Claudio, ruin Hero’s reputation, and kill

Leonato. Although deception always seems to be bad there is also another

side to it. During a conversation involving Don Pedro, Leonato, and Claudio,

the three of them plotted to lie and scheme to set up Benedick and Beatrice

and make them fall in love with each other. Yes this is dishonest and is still a

sign of deception, but it gives me reason to believe that there is a such thing

as “good deception” and “bad deception”; the same thing as lying and

telling a little “white” lie. Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato talk indirectly to

Benedick and swear that Beatrice is madly in love with him but is too

stubborn to show it. On the other end, Benedick is shocked to hear the news

but in a way it lifts his spirit. Beatrice is sent to go get Benedick and invite

him to dinner and is confused to see that he is happy to see her. After he

leaves, the next set up begins. Hero and Ursula begin to talk indirectly to

Beatrice and swear that Benedick is in love with her. She is appalled of this

news and yet she is somewhat happy. Yes, once again I say that this is a

clear sign of deception but it worked out in the name of love. This dishonest

and fraudulent scheme made true love evolve.

Now it came time for the ultimate climax of the story. The night before the

wedding, Don John interrupts the Prince and Claudio with “bad news”. He

takes them outside the bedroom of Hero and shows someone (Borachio)

having intercourse with someone who favors Hero. Claudio’s emotions were
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so high that instead of finding out what really happened, he just believed the

accusations and decided to disgrace Hero during the wedding.

After the horrific stunt Borachio pulled with the Hero look-alike Margeret,

Borachio confided in Corade and bragged about how much he was paid to do

the deceitful act. They did not know that two watchmen overheard the

conversation. They immediately arrested Borachio and Conrade and put

them in confinement.

The next day at the wedding all hell broke loose. Just before they said their “I

do’s”, Claudio denied Hero and disgraced her name in front of God, her

family, and all of Messina. Everyone was speechless. Leonato and Hero

begged and pleaded with him but the Prince vouched for Claudio and the

wedding ended in disaster. Leonato was ashamed, enraged, and completely

humiliated but he believed that his daughter was innocent. Hero on the other

hand was even more embarrassed because she knew that the accusations

were not true.

Another example of good deception is when the Friar suggests that Hero be

“killed” or put away so that someone will get a heavy heart and confess that

Hero was falsely accused. Leonato goes along with the plan and so does

everyone else. When the news got out about Hero’s death, the whole town

was devastated especially Claudio. Shortly after the conversation with the

Prince, Claudio, Leonato, and Antonio, the head police officer Dogberry and

his assistant Verges came to tell the news of the evil plot that Borachio,
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Conrade, and Don John were involved in. Upon hearing the news that Hero

was innocent, it devastated Claudio and humiliated the Prince to the

extreme. It broke Claudio’s heart into a million pieces knowing that he is the

reason why the love of his life was slandered and killed all because of a lie.

He then made a deal with Leonato to speak at Hero’s burial and to marry his

niece in return.

Here is the twist of the story. Everything started of being joyful and happy

then it led to tragedy. Now at the end the mood changes and everything is

falling into place. Claudio is unknowingly about to marry Leonato’s niece

who is actually the love of his life Hero. Benedick and Beatrice find out that

they were set up to fall in love but they’re actually happy that it happened.

Borachio, Conrade, Don John were arrested and charged for their fraudulent

actions.

Rituals

The idea of a Masked Ball or party goes back to late medieval court

life, originally designed to celebrate a marriage or mark a point in a royal

dynasty. The guests would wear both a costume and their masquerade

mask, and, as you can imagine, the anonymity this provided to a class that

were governed by the strictest etiquette and constricting rules of behavior

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was irresistible. Masquerade balls grew into semi public events by the time

of the Renaissance, enabling (in theory...)The nobleman and the servant to

interact, under the cloak of disguise - their popularity was very much about

the freedom wearing a mask gave you. The intricate and exquisite

masquerade masks were set against the backdrop of the time, with all its

stunning Renaissance architecture and art, just an incredibly creative time

when Beauty was paramount in everything, and creativity and innovation

was everywhere. From the 17th Century they were popular throughout

mainland Europe and reached London by the early 18th century, courtesy of

the Swiss count John Heidegger, who brought the first one to the Haymarket

Opera House. For the rest of the 18th century these remained popular,

spreading from England across to Colonial America, they also became more

lighthearted, as guests tried to guess the identity of the person behind the

masks. And so through to today, where they remain a hugely popular choice

with event organizers of corporate and charity events, and countless private

parties around the world - we’re particularly excited about the burgeoning

trend for Masquerade weddings, and you’d be surprised how many 18th

birthday parties we supply. So no matter how big or small your event is, as

you walk in and see everyone in their masquerade masks, just remember

you’re all keeping alive a tradition that goes back centuries, and long may it

continue.

Moral
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The moral of this story is the importance of honor. To be slandered,

disgraced, and humiliated on the most important day of your life is the worst

thing that could happen to someone, especially if their innocent. For women

in that era, the loss of honor was a form of annihilation although men always

have a chance to defend themselves. Throughout history, women have

always gotten the short end of the stick but today I see a significant change

and things are becoming more unisex.

“Much Ado About Nothing” Glossary

Three leagues off: approximately nine miles away

I pray you: Please tell me

Signior Mountanto: nickname for Benedick

Faith: Honestly

Betwixt: between

Lady Disdain: nickname for Beatrice

Turncoat: traitor

[I am] of your humor: I am like you

‘twere: if it were
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[your] Grace: your Honor

Sport: joking

[I] charge thee: I am asking

Fetch me in: trick me

Embassage: assignment; message

To the tuition…: With the protection….

Nay, mock not, mock not: Quit fooling around

Fair: beautiful

Cousin: nephew

Have stomach: hungry

Claw: flatter

Fashion: fabricate

Betroths: marry

Sad conference: serious conversation

Whipt: hid

Arras: screen

Thither: go over there

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Tartly: irritable

Good leg: athletic

Good foot: handsome

Good will: approval

Shrewd of thy tounge: speaking so harshly

Too curst: too quarrelsome

Just: exactly

Woolen: (scratchy) wool blanket

Waiting gentle-woman: maid

Maids: virgins

Cur’sy: obey

Fitted: married

Valiant dust: heroic piece of dust

Clod of wayward marl: clay

Hot and hasty: passionate and fast

Mannerly-modest: slow, proper, and respectable

[Lady], will you walk about with your friend: [Lady], can I have this dance
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Thatch’d: bearded

Ill qualities: bad traits

At a word: Seriously

Counterfeit: Imitating

Come, come: please

Go to, mum: Keep quiet

Disdainful: contemptuous

Boarded: approach

Know: meet

Dissuade: discourage

Amourous: wooed

A great thaw: mud

Poniards: daggers

Endow’d: possessed

Transgress’d: sinned

Perturbation: trouble

Antipodes: volcanic islands

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Prester John: a Christian patriarch and king

Great Cham: Great Kublai Khan

Pigmies: a race of dwarfs

Cozen’d: claiming

Knavery: trickery

Presented to you by:

Ms. Yvette Simpson