Claudio: How would I make him appeal to a modern day audience?
...lore Claudio’s character and understand how I would make him appeal to a modern day audience. I imagine that Claudio looks at women as trophies or possessions. I assume this as he utters such quotes as ‘ Can the world but such a jewel?’ Elaborating on this rather simple sentence I think Claudio believes that Hero is very precious and rare but only good to look upon, resembling a jewel. Unfortunately for Claudio women of this era would call on this as rude and completely unacceptable. As females today hold respectable jobs and regard and with ‘girl power’ at an all time high I know that they will not be treated as possessions. Due to this I would make Claudio more respectful of his opposite sex by not uttering such clichés and valuing content of soul and mind rather than figure and visage. After these changes Claudio should grasp the hearts of the audience, especially the women. Claudio could also be perceived as a coward: ironic as we are told that he was a brave and able solider in battle. But this is a different battle. This battle of love and for Claudio seems the harder one to conquer. On hearing the purposeful rumour from Don John, Claudio is extremely quick to judge Hero and her beloved family. This is an easy solution to a false obstacle and could be perceived by the audience as wrong as he is running way from his problems. The audience may dislike Claudio as in this day and age there can be numerous problems which people must find solutions to. In order to make Claudio appeal to a modern day audience, I would change Claudio’s character to be more forgiving and less judgmental. In doing this I hope to help Claudio popularity with a critical and harsh audience hew is put before. In ‘Much ado about nothing’ Claudio could look to be particularly weak. I can see this when he says ‘your over kindness doth wring tears from me. I do embrace your offer and dispose for hence forth of poor Claudio’. He quotes this after he hears Hero is dead and feels drained with guilt and sorrow. Agreeing with Leonato without any restraint could show that he is weak, young and naive. A modern day audience would prefer a strong and powerful character that is in control of the situation and the stage unlike the weak Claudio they see before them. There fore I would make Claudio braver so that he could stand up for himself and his beliefs. With a confident performance Claudio would be more appealing. However there are many parts of Claudio which would appeal to the audience, such as when he gets so carried away when conning Benedick ‘Then down upon her knees she falls, weeps, sobs, beats her heart, tear her hair, prays, curses oh sweet Benedick, God give me patience’. This illustrates how young and tender he is as his actions resemble a small child getting excite...