Compare Much Ado About Nothing to Pride and Prejudice

What methods does each writer employ to develop this discussion and to present social attitudes.

The two fiction books I have chosen are Jane Austin's 'Pride and Prejudice' and William Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing'. These two texts are different in many ways. However, they convey certain aspects of society. They both show us Society's view on love and marriage. But also it shows us how wealth gives certain people status. The two pieces are set in different areas and eras. 'Much ado about nothing' is set in Italy. The play was written in 1598, 200 years before 'Pride and Prejudice' was written. Pride and Prejudice is set in England. This is important to the play because the play is based upon the attitudes of the English society. The two authors are two of the most famous in English Literature, they have wrote many plays and novels between them. Shakespeare has written tragedies, romantic, comedies and history plays, in total about 38 plays (not including the sonnets). Austin has produced many novels, her most famous being Emma, Sense and sensibility. Shakespeare had mainly the idea the Petrarchen view on love. This is romantic poetry featuring lines like 'my tears will fill oceans'. Whereas the Austin has a feminist view on love, this is mainly because she is a woman. Her feminist view does not compare with modern feminists. Austin puts forward ideas through women, and her female characters featuring in her novels are strong outspoken women.

Both authors produce certain characters for different opinions on love. In Much Ado Claudio and Hero are relayed to Jane and Mr Bingley in that they are the Petrarchen view of love, they fall in love instantly by the look in there eye. This is also an idealistic view. Mr Darcy and Elizabeth, however, are the realistic view on love, they are related to Beatrice and Benedict in Much Ado. Their love increases over the period of the book and by the end they eventually fall in love, and seminally get married.