When watching the Branagh version of Much Ado About Nothing, I tended to realize lines had been omitted from the movie. I then got further into the movie and some of the lines that were ones that foreshadow what had happened in the text. The purpose of this paper will show that lines left out of the movie were in some way essential to character development and aided in the movie's plot confusion. The analysis took several watchings to create a vivid view of what lines were missing and why. So, as I was watching the movie I marked which lines were not spoken. This approximated to 1329. Wow! 1329 out of 2712 (give or take a few lines) were missing. Now I asked myself how is anyone going to get the full feel for this play, if there is 49% missing. Half an answer would be that the choices to leave out certain parts were to down play a character's attitude or behavior. Or I could be way off base, and producers could have wanted to just save time and money in producing, editing, etc. It is the first choice I would like to consider.
             When reviewing the lines left out, the first big chunk is in act 1 scene 1. Beatrice is describing Bene*censored*, "In our last con-/ flict four of his five wits went halting off, and now/ is the whole man governed with one;" (1.1,62). Which creates a dynamic that gives you a precursor to the rest of the play. This precursor being that Beatrice and Bene*censored* fight constantly, not like old friends, but old foes. The word choice that Beatrice gives in the opening of this play gives us that overall feeling that the two just do not see eye to eye. Hence, when they spar for the first time, 60 lines later, Beatrice seems a little more outspoken than is perceived, due to the omission of the lines. Bene*censored* comes off like a prince trying to defend himself. The lines make the sense of two friends giving each other a hard time, but the text gives them a sting. The omitted lines that help characterize the ...