This line establishes the main conflict between Claudio and Leonato, after Leonato learns of Hero’s innocence. One of the comedic qualities of this line is the image of Leonato, old and gray haired, fighting against a young strong challenger like Claudio. The comical mismatch of Leonato and Claudio in a duel is a classic Shakespearean device used to elicit laughs from the audience. However, the line also contains satirical humor used in most Shakespearean writing; the sudden shift is utilized for two reasons; one, to move the plot along more expediently, and two, it serves as satire for the over-passionate, melodramatic characters often employed in romantic stories.

Anxious Dream: Gregor was hopelessly lost, surrounded by a swirling gray mist. Through the mist he sees a gloomy gray city. Gregor picked up his suitcase and began to walk through the city, when suddenly his boss appeared, reprimanding him for laziness and lateness. Gregor backed away from the menacing boss figure into the thick fog, and ran through the fog down a side alley, where another, even more menacing boss figure appeared. The figures seemed to swarm out of the buildings, windows, and from the fog itself, until Gregor was backed into the corner, huddled into a mass of nerves and fear on the pavement. The fog grew thicker and swirled around him, surrounding him. He shut his eyes. When he opened the again, he saw that he was under a gigantic glass dome, with grooves and curves leading up to an unnaturally flat top. He tried to move, but he couldn't. He looked down at his body and was shocked to discover six little legs, pitifully thin, flailing in the air, and a hulking brown shell on his torso. Gregor looked out through the distorted glass, tapping his legs on it, looking for breaks or an escape route. All of a sudden, Gregor's briefcase, just outside the glass, hinged open and swarms of millions of little creatures poured out, no more than the size of an ant. As Gregor examined them more closely, he discovered that they were, in fact, his mother, sister, and father. The little family-ants climbed the glass dome, and soon reached the top. They covered every inch of the glass dome, which Gregor now understood to be an empty water glass, and blocked out all the light. Gregor was alone in the darkness, and once again backed into a corner, this time within the glass. (Oron Tal)