Whedon executes his justice on Claudio not by rightinghis perspective, but by forcing him to occupy a position akin to Hero’s.The effect of this parallel is to suggest that the film’s ultimate resolution isfound in empathy, rather than critical viewership. That is, Claudio cannothope to discern between the roles of voyeur and audience member but hecan, by being subjected to the same gaze to which he has subjected Hero,recognize the tenuousness of the distinction

Guillet-Chapuis’s prominence here first functions as the signby which the wedding’s performativity can be recognized.

Even when Whedon invitesthe film’s viewers to feel as though they have witnessed a reality apartfrom the camera, they are simultaneously reminded that all they have wit-nessed—all of the actions of this scene, including the still photograph—isitself a product of the camera

The separation of image and action reinforcesthe existence of two separate sets of observers within the world of theplay, aligned with the identities of voyeur and audience member.

Much Ado’s official crew still photographer, Elsa Guillet-Chapuis, performed a second important role in the production as a char-acter listed in the final credits as “The Photographer,”

The action of the screen is simultaneously truth and fiction,crafted and spontaneous

Rather, this moment is shot almost entirely fromwithin the house; unlike the rest of the film, the viewers now find them-selves in the same physical space as the majority of the action, a positionthat creates distance from Benedick and calls into question the reliabilityof his perspective.

constructed by a lens and are therefore obviously andundeniably performative

Whedon and Hunter repeatedly introduce mediating structures like thebars of the railing to create a partially interrupted shot, enmeshing theviewer within the physical world of the house and creating the impres-sion of an embedded experience

Whedon’s shot forces the viewers to occupy the same space as the men,giving the impression that they too are surreptitiously peering throughthe bars to watch the women below

Whedon’s adaptation rejects the notionthat the roles of voyeur and audience member can be so easily separated

Claudio, whosince the window episode has believed himself to be a voyeur, realizeswhen confronted with “[a]nother Hero” at the altar that his perception ofhimself has been mistaken (5.4.62). The undeniable theatricality of thismoment—Hero playing the role of Hero—forces Claudio to resume tocorrect role of audience member.

the decep-tion of Claudio leads to his total renunciation of her, and the temporarysocial devaluing of both herself and Leonato.

Because so many of Messina’s residents are engaged inthis constant practice of peeping through arbors and hiding behind ar-rases, the guests of Leonato’s household inevitably exploit this behavior

In each of Beatrice’s entirely neutral statements to Benedick aboutthe readiness of dinner there now appears “a double meaning” of hiddenaffection

Through thesebrief initial exchanges, Shakespeare emphasizes the potential reliabilityof voyeurism as a mode of discovery

n effective way of uncoveringhidden information.

Even Benedick manages anonymouslyto observe his acquaintances as he moves about the masquerade partyof the second act

In each of these instances, the character who behaves asvoyeur does so intentionally, using this approach as a tactic to gain infor-mation and thus secure a social advantage over their peers

PaulJorgenson’s early article on the role of the word “nothing” in the Shake-spearean canon argues for the importance of “noting” and linguistic playin Much Ado’s title and thematic concerns.

the film layer motifs of voyeurism with scenes of theatrical presentation,forcing the viewers to occupy both identities simultaneously

incorporates the film’s viewers,consumers of the movie

grave social, moral, and personal consequences

The voyeur sees the world as authentic and spontaneous; theaudience member regards it as performative and preordained

This viewingmodality understands spontaneity to be equal to veracity and opposed toperformativity

Shakespeare’s textconstantly questions the trustworthiness of the “spontaneous” image