Reading Journal (Much ado about nothing): Act 2

• Starts with Beatrice talking about Don John and how he gives her "heat burn"- effective dramatically since it shows how abrasive Don John is, but is quite a humorous piece of mocking
• Beatrice further her wit b saying that a man halfway between Don John and Benedick would be perfect, and goes on to encourage Hero not to bow down the whim of her father
• The masked party scene is a comedic highlight of the play- being open to much experiment dramatically in terms of staging etc (i.e. the gender reversal in the RSC version)
• foreshadowing of a later dramatic climax is when claudio believes Don Pedro "woos for himself"- thanks to Don John- but this quickly resolved
• After Don John's plan fails, Borachio reveals he has access to Hero chambers and her chamber maid, so they plot to frame Hero with adultery- setting us up for a dramatic climax in the next act

Reading Journal (much ado about nothing): Act one

• Opens with men returning home from war- element of serious drama
• Beatrice's witty mocking of Benedick is the first comedic element of the play
• Swiftly followed by witty banter between the two characters- one of the comedic highlights of the play
• The verse speaking Claudio confesses his love for the the "fair hero", while Benedick claims she is "short" in comparison to her cousin (Beatrice) giving us a not so subtle hint at his true feelings for his combatant in their "merry war"
• Don pedro and Claudio plan to court Hero during the masked ball (foreshadowing act 2)
• Don John gives a speech to his right hand, showing the audience he is the "canker in the rose" of the comedy in the play- through his villiany, which injects a serious dramatic element to the narrative 

Much ado about nothing:

Title: Infers that a large amount of bother ("Much ado") is caused by "nothing"

Nothing in elizabethan english:
- Slang meaning rumour and/or gossip (a tool ustilized in Lenato's plan to trick Beatrice and Benedick)
- Double entendre (O nothing/ n othing/ nothing) meaning Vagina- reflecting the bawdy sexual humour

How does Browning well the story in "the pied piper of Hamlin"

One device utilized in this poem by Browning is that of setting. The location of the poem is very obvious "famous Hanover city". This Germanic setting of the poem is very effective because it the audience is reminded of children stories by the likes of the brother's Grimm- who's cautionary tales were often set in central European settings.

Browning's use of rhyme is is another effective way in which the story is told, in most cases each two lines rhyme or the scheme is a A B A B pattern. This is effective is several ways: one being that it reflects the rhyme scheme of children's cautionary tales such as nursery rhymes; and also makes poem very song like- which reflects the fact that the protagonist (the pied piper) is a musician.

Similarly there is a use of musical imagery throughout the poem- i.e. the noises made by the rats are described as "fifty sharps and flats" meaning the audience is inconstantly reminded of the protagonist's craft as a musician.

Their is a clear juxtaposition between the towns people (specifically the "corporation), and the eponymous piper. While we are very aware of the towns people's origins (Hanover city), the language used to describe the pied piper mark him out as different. His dress is describe as "quaint" and at one point he is referred to as a gypsy having traveled to exotic lands such as "Asian the nizam". He also described as thin, whereas the mayor of the town is described as fat. This juxtaposition is effective because it foreshadows the conflict between the two characters later in the poem.

The linear chronology of the story is used similarly to the other structural devices used in the poem, to mirror the simplicity in which children's stories are told- therefore effectively reflecting the sub title: "a child's story".

There is an effective use of enjambment in stanza two with the word "Rats!", this is particularly effectively because it is separate from the rest of the poem so it jumps off the page, much in the way a rat may jump at a citizen of Hamlin.

How is the story told in Browning's poem "Porphyria's Lover:

One of the main narrative devices used in this poem is perspective. This is reflected in the title, since Porphyia's lover is the speaker. This has a great effect on the story, since the audience only was Porphyria's lover's twisted account of events. One example of the speaker's twisted mind set is when they say: "No pain she felt; i'm quite sure she felt no pain" after having strangled Porphyria. This show us that the speaker is feels that was he has done is completely without fault.

Another major narrative device utilized by Browning to tell the story in this poem is imagery. One major use of this is how Porphyria is described by the speaker as an almost angelic figure. This is made apparent when is she is described as having "glided" in to the room and her hair colour being described as not blonde but "yellow". Porphyia's positive presences is bolstered even more since it is juxtaposed with the first five lines that describe a "sullen wind" which tears down trees "for spite"

Another important image used to convey the narrative is the contrast between when Porhyria rest's her lover's head on her "white shoulder", and when the lover rest the head of Porphyria's corpse on his shoulder.
This image is significant because it shows the shift in power between the two characters: at first it is Porphyria  putting her lover's arm "about her waste" and offering her "white shoulder" (with connotations of wealth and status) to rest their head on, showing clearly that it is Porphyria who is control. But she loses this control after she is killed and now her lover is the one offering his shoulder to her.