The adaptation of Much Ado about Nothing by Kenneth Branagh was considered a cinematographically success with Branagh’s overall faithfulness to the Shakespeare’s play. The comedy of Shakespeare’s play Much Ado about Nothing relied mostly on the characterization of Dogberry, a simple-minded constable in charge of the Prince’s Watch, from whom the play’s readers received more than just laughs. The character of Dogberry, played by Michael Keaton, was well envisioned by Branagh when transitioned to film, developing the character into an amplification of the original Dogberry from Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing. The film’s Dogberry was complemented by Keaton’s remarkable and charming performance, which we could agree was inspired in some way by his past role in Beettlejuice. It was through the amplification of the vulgar characterization of Dogberry’s physical appearance, with the addition of repeated body movements, and linguistic incompetence of conveying contradictory terms combined with mistreatment towards his partner Verges, to create a construction of how Dogberry wanted to be perceived in society, that Keaton brought to life the character of Dogberry. For that matter, the film’s Dogberry, portrayed by Keaton, can either be a crowd-pleaser or provoke an immediate rejection among spectators.
With anticipation, Michael Keaton and Branagh decided that Dogberry “should be not only a verbal but a physical malaprop,” considering the character’s appearance as important as his lines. From the first appearance of Dogberry in the play (III.3) and his misinterpretation of words, choosing them as he thinks rather than how they should be, the imaginary construction of the character is of a vulgar uneducated appearance. While this was perfectly portrayed in the film by giving the character a dirty look, and details such as having his shirt unbuttoned, giving the audience a glimpse into his mental disorganization, Keaton took advantage of the film screening factor, as opposed to one’s reading the play, to add elements such as simultaneous eyebrow movements when he talked to characterize Dogberry. Keaton also incorporated a repeated body movement of fixing his greasy hair from time to time, by licking his hand and passing it through his hair, that enabled Shakespeare’s character to come to life. In addition, Branagh’s selection of dialogue adds to the development of the character in the film, being hilariously fixed to portray a much funnier version of Dogberry. An example of that comedy arrangement is evident in the scene where Dogberry was instructing the men of the Prince’s Watch and just before he was going to say goodnight, the opening of that sentence in the play was started by a “Ha ha ha!,” but converted into a brief falling asleep action from Dogberry and woken up by a fart, which worked perfectly for the film. Cleverly thought, Branagh resumes his adaptation of Dogberry’s character as simply cutting “the unfunniest lines.”
The ingenious mix of Doberry’s linguistic incompetence and his desire to impress everybody, demanding “suspect” rather than “respect” are the ones who triggered the comedy throughout the play. Dogberry’s verbal malaprops, mistakenly switching words like “intolerable” for “tolerable,” and “more” for “less,” created a serious problem of communication between his receptors because the meaning of the sentence often shifted to another, far from what he meant. Such is the untrusting reputation of the constable, that when he presents the case to Don Pedro (V.1), the prisoners were asked why they had been arrested, because Don Pedro considered Dogberry “too cunning to be understood.”
Michael Keaton also relayed on the synchronized companionship and clumsiness of Ben Elton as Verges to portray and balance his dominant figure of a constable, who took his job way to seriously. The mistreatment of Verges, from Dogberry’s part, whom Keaton implemented by constantly pushing his partner out of his way, added perfectly to the indispensible asset in society way Dogberry wanted to be seen, and to his demand for “suspect.” By mistreating his partner Verges, Keaton’s character would seem as the superior other. To take it a step forward, we can compare this action as the fulfillment of a hero’s image that the character is trying to portray, seeing his partner Verges as the sidekick he needs to have in order to be considered a hero, which is actually what he comes out to be in the resolution of the play. For this reason, it can be considered that the event of a prisoner calling him an “ass” was so denigrating for him. Keaton succeeded on capturing this idea in the scene where the recordings were being written, when he hears the prisoner calling him an “ass” twice. The first time he stops but the second time he hears it, he turns around slowly letting out an devilish smile and pushing, once again, his partner Verges to the side. Even though the character at times can seem loony rather than simply having linguistic incompetence, Keaton incorporated what he thought would be his character’s imagination into his acting, by making Dogberry travel from place to place hoped on an imaginary horse, which adds to the energizing qualities of the character.
There is no question that the character of Dogberry is a well-constructed one by Shakespeare, and in consequence, a well portrayed one by Michael Keaton in the film adaptation of Much Ado about Nothing by Kenneth Branagh. Michael Keaton brought a light to the character, which made him enjoyable without overdoing the comedy factor. It is referred to the character of Dogberry as the comedy of the film and the one who will crack you up but Branagh and Keaton were faithful in portraying Shakespeare’s suggested purpose with Dogberry’s character. The contradictory dominance over words between him and other characters that were more developed, like Don John, who was good with words, but the fact that it comes to the person who has the knowledge but lacks the words to resolve the conflict in the play is where the true importance and charming factor of this character relies.
Melanie Martínez 