Gender And Socioeconomic Identity In Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing
In modern society, humans have come to judge each other off of superficial characteristics. These superficial characteristics are often a result of facticity, or characteristics people are unable to change about themselves, or at least not easily, these qualities are present at the time of birth. Opinions are commonly formed about people based off of their gender and socioeconomic status. These elements also frequently serve as a basis for how to interact with other people. The idea of identity, such as being a middle class male, shaping the status of a person in society is not only prevalent in reality, but also in literature, films, and theatre. Shakespeare, in his play Much Ado About Nothing, highlights the way both gender identity and socioeconomic identity shape the way people act and the way others interact with them.
As suggested in Joost Daalder’s commentary on the play, “The Pre-History of Beatrice and Benedict”, there are
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As the story progresses, Hero is accused of sleeping with another man. When Claudio learns that his wife-to-be is unloyal, his first instinct is to publicly reject her at their wedding. He continues through with this plan, saying “Not to be married, not to knit my soul to an approved wanton” (125). Given his male identity, he has the power to react in this way. It was not looked down upon for him to rescind his love so quickly from a woman who he originally believed to be “the sweetest lady that ever [Claudio] looked on” (17). Claudio can easily rid his mind and heart of a woman who is unloyal in order to find himself a new, more worthy companion. This only works, however, because he is a male. If the same had happened to Hero, she would have been expected, as a result of the gender norms created by society, to remain quiet and continue with the
Heros Honor In William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing
1151 Words | 5 PagesBased on the aghast reactions after Claudio’s reveal of Hero’s immodesty, it is clear to say that when a woman loses her honor by being accused of adultery or of being unvirtuous, she instantly loses all her social grace and is considered deceased to all the members of her society. In fact, Claudio didn’t only tarnish Hero’s reputation in his act of publicly savaging her, but he also ruined the whole family’s standing in Messina. Given that the loss of a woman’s honor is considered a form of eradication from society during Shakespeare’s time, it is relevant of Friar Francis to suggest Hero’s supposed death which will “change slander to remorse” (4.1.210). In other words, Hero’s fake death doesn’t only serve as a method to induce guilt in Claudio’s heart, because it may also represent how she needs to symbolically die in order to purify her tainted honor in order to start anew and remarry
Much Ado About Nothing Betrayal Analysis
547 Words | 3 PagesHe’s betrayed her because he believed what Don John has said and shown instead of hearing Hero’s side. Through dialogue the reader can see that he automatically believes that she has been out with another man and because he thinks this he no longer wants to marry Hero. Claudio says, “Hero itself can blot out Hero's virtue. What man was he talk'd with you yesternight Out at your window betwixt twelve and one” (4.1.87-89). With the phrase “What man was he talk’d with you” Claudio is asking a rhetorical question because he already believes that she has cheated on him.
Deception Of Beatrice And Benedick In Much Ado About Nothing
878 Words | 4 PagesClaudio, Hero and Don Pedro all realize how perfect Beatrice and Benedick are together and so they set up a plan to deceive the two of them into falling in love. Don Pedro comes up with the plan to be having Benedick eavesdropping on Don Pedro, Leonato and Claudio chatting about how much Beatrice is secretly in love with Benedick. Just as they expected , their plan goes off without a hitch. After the group is done talking and they all leave, Benedick comes out of hiding and start talking about what he just heard and realizes that he is in love with Beatrice. “I will be horribly in love wit her.”
Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice Foil
503 Words | 3 PagesHero had chosen to accept Claudio’s proposal and claimed to have fallen in love with
Who Is Beatrice A Foil In Much Ado About Nothing
603 Words | 3 PagesMeaning she directly tells Benedick to physically prove his love for her. Hero on the other hand, settles for Claudio without as much as a proper conversation. Even after Claudio publically shames her and calls her “... an approved wanton”(Shakespeare 154). Claudio calls her a glorified slut. Even after Claudio ruins her life, and forces her to go into hiding,
Much Ado About Nothing Gender Roles
805 Words | 4 Pages25 years ago Michael Kimmel, a sociologist, says that he asked the women in his classes, “What does it mean to be a woman?” and they replied “‘Well, you have to be nice and pretty and smart and smile a lot’. In Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing, Hero plays the role in what a “woman” suppose to be. She’s always nice, she’s pretty, and she doesn’t talk a lot. She’s shy
The Feminist Lens In Shakespeare's Othello
142 Words | 1 PagesIn the play Othello, there are many perspectives one could choose. But there is only one view that is appropriate for this topic and that is the feminist view. The feminist lens shows us that Desdemona was more an object of play than a person in love. If you don’t know what it was about, The Othello play is about a guy who is Jealous of a moracin war general. Then causes the general to kill his wife.
Much Ado About Nothing Honor Quotes
658 Words | 3 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing is set in the Elizabethan period. Honor during the period was established by a male’s social status/reputation, a woman’s ability to control their sexuality/purity, and a woman’s association with their father and husband. In the Elizabethan society, a man is honorable when they have shown courage and have a high social status. A woman's chastity is the most vital part of a woman and shows her honor.
Comparing Hero And Beatrice In William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing
743 Words | 3 PagesThis is shown with their views on marriage. Hero is willing to marry whoever her father asks her too and when Leonato finds out that Don Pedro seeks marriage with Hero, he encourages Hero to marry and says to Hero, “Daughter, remember what I told you. If the prince does solicit you in the kind, you know your answer” (II.i.57-58). Beatrice, however rebels completely against marriage and says “If he send me no husband; for the which blessing / I am at him upon my knees every morning and evening” (23-25).
Misunderstandings In William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing
744 Words | 3 PagesClaudio asks Don Pedro to win him Hero’s favor, At the Masquerade Ball and convince Leonato to approve a marriage
Feminist Point Of View In Shakespeare's Othello
1031 Words | 5 PagesFeminist point of view means the analysis of any literary works based on the feminist perception. Feminism has gradually become broad and noticeable in its attacks on male-dominated society. The Shakespearian era of the 16th century was a time when women were very inferior in the society. If we compare with other writers, Shakespeare was always careful of women and tried to give them respect in his different writings. If we look at his famous play named Othello we need to judge the equality of women in terms of political, social and economic perspective.
Theme Of Deception In Much Ado About Nothing
709 Words | 3 PagesShakespeare reveals the theme that people deceive others out of love, embarrassment, and hatred. All evidence comes from Much Ado About Nothing. Love makes people act less rationally than they would normally behave. In this case, Claudio has fallen in love with Leonato’s daughter, Hero. In this love-dazed state, Claudio seems thoroughly confused at Don Pedro’s plan to win Hero over on his behalf, due to being lied to about the actual plan by Don John.
Class System In Twelfth Night
857 Words | 4 PagesThe rigid class system in Middle Age Europe was a primary factor that determined the course of events. In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, there are underlying issues throughout the plot involving classes of the characters, and their roles within their class. While for the time period, it was common for those in lower classes to be looked down upon, Shakespeare uses many mediums to slyly challenge this idea. Throughout the play, Shakespeare makes the class differences obvious, yet creates certain character dynamics which challenge preconceptions. Twelfth Night is centered around a distinct and rigid class system, yet Shakespeare comments on its negative impacts, and yearns for a more fluid system, in order to create a more just and fair world.
Masculinity In Othello
1010 Words | 5 PagesFor Shakespeare’s plays to contain enduring ideas, it must illustrate concepts that still remain relevant today, in modern society. Shakespeare utilises his tragic play Othello, to make an important social commentary on the common gender stereotypes. During early modern England, Shakespeare had to comply to the strict social expectations where women were viewed as tools, platonic and mellow, and where men were displayed as masculine, powerful, tempered, violent and manipulative. As distinct as this context is to the 21st century, the play exposes how women were victimised by the men who hold primary power in the community in which they compelled women to conform to the ideal world of a perfect wife or confront an appalling destiny for challenging the system. Moreover, Shakespeare utilises the main antagonist, Iago, to portray how men are desperate to achieve what they want and to indirectly fulfil the stereotype of masculinity and power through manipulation.
Gender Roles In A Midsummer Night's Dream
1898 Words | 8 Pages“And though she be but little, she is fierce” -William Shakespeare. In today’s day and age, one of the greatest topics of debate is gender roles. It is evident everywhere, from cyberspace to the streets of home, from online petitions to marches across the country such as the Women’s March. Shakespeare lived in the Elizabethan Era of England, where Queen Elizabeth I, the virgin queen ruled.
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