William Shakespeare’s comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, features a wide cast of characters and follows a variety of plotlines that deal with love, loss, deception, and redemption. Within the scenes of the play, the old adage “you don’t know what you have got until you lose it” is clearly applicable, especially in the case of Hero and Claudio’s love story, but this sentiment can surely be changed to “you don’t know who you are until you lose it”. This changed aphorism constitutes as a motto for Benedick, a soldier who fought for Don Pedro and one of the central characters of the play. Using wit as an armor to protect his softer self, Benedick’s views on marriage seem steadfast and evident; he will never, ever marry. Benedick commits himself to
Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing revolves around the manipulation and deceptions. Benedict and Beatrice are deceived for their own good. Claudio is tricked into thinking that Hero isn't as innocent as she claims to be, just for the amusement of a villainous character. Have Hero not deceived Claudio, she wouldn't of never won him back. Thus, comes to show that deception was used to lead to the live and romance of each
In the play, the females are commonly referred to as untrustworthy objects, things that are put on the shelf when men become bored of them. In the beginning of the play, Claudio asks Benedick on his personal opinion of Hero, the conversation very quickly turns to the act of buying her and whether she is worthy of Claudio’s hand in marriage. Benedick valued Hero’s beauty and obedience so highly that she was deemed worthy. The fact that men objectify the women makes it clear that the men believe the women have no real voice in any matter; women’s only purpose in life was the serve the man, they are there for the taking and meant to be submissive. This author believes that men in the Elizabethan era viewed women as untrustworthy and unfaithful by nature due to the frequent joking of cheating and cuckolding. Considering that the men believe Don Johns initial accusations against Hero, before they even ‘see’ her in the window, they vowed to shame her when it was proven. None of the men try to defend Hero before that night, because it would make perfect sense for a woman to be unfaithful in their
Shakespeare has a way of making his plays have a whole array of themes and perspectives to see the story from. One can argue that the main theme can usually be something along the lines of Love or Deception or even Honor. In particular, looking at Much Ado About Nothing, you can apply the same. I would argue that shakespeare chose to develop the theme of deception throughout this play. In particular, the way that Beatrice and Benedick end up falling in love is all thanks to deception.
Most toddlers are given one of two categories of toys: those for boys and then those for girls. When parents see that their kids are born as boys then they will probably start buying them blocks, race cars, balls, and action figures while for their daughters they will lean towards dolls, baby strollers, crowns, and kitchen sets. At sight, these toys seem harmless and innocent; that is to say what is wrong with a little boy and girl playing with their cars and dolls; however, these toys are the just the beginning of their molding. These kids are slowly being molded into their respective gender role: which are behaviors learned by an individual as appropriate to their gender. For example, gender norms or roles for a girl would be that they’re supposed to be thin, passive, and submissive to males. On the contrary, males are supposed to be dominant, stern, and sexually precious. Social media does a phenomenal job in enforcing these gender roles upon society; whether it’s a music video, movie, television show, or
William Shakespeare presents love very differently in his play, Much Ado about Nothing. There is paternal, philia, innocent and romantic relationships; all that are key in the plot of the story. In 1 Corinthians 13:4-5, love is described to be and not to be many things; however, two descriptions really connected to Much Ado about Nothing. Leonato’s paternal love for Hero proves itself to not be lovable because of the biblical definition of the emotion; in fact, one of the only true loves, in my opinion, that Hero experiences is her philia with her cousin Beatrice.
The definition of human nature often serves as a quick and a prominent explanation for how people behave under a variety of circumstances within their cultural boundaries. Similarly, in William Shakespeare’s play “Much Ado About Nothing” the 16th century Sicilian culture in which the characters live in, defines the complex relationships and interactions that shape characters human nature in this dramatic comedy. In comparison, I have often heard people refer to the nature of humans in the 21st century, as a way to distinguish a person’s violent actions under wartime circumstances. In “Much Ado About Nothing” the culture of social and wartime influence is defined through the relationships and interactions between characters with the heart and mind of the characters in constant conflict.
In William Shakespeare’s play, Much Ado About Nothing, he spins a tale of misunderstandings leading to terrible consequences, but truth prevails in the end. He sets the scene in the mansion of the Messinan Governor Leonato. Don Pedro has just won a huge battle and has decided to pass through Messina. As he arrives, accompanied by Claudio and Benedick, Claudio quickly falls in love with Leonato’s daughter Hero, and Beatrice engages Benedick in a battle of wit and insults. As the play unfolds, the audience learns that Don Pedro’s brother, Don John the Bastard, will try to destroy Don Pedro’s plans no matter the cost or consequence. Claudio asks Don Pedro to win him Hero’s favor, At the Masquerade Ball and convince Leonato to approve a marriage
Much Ado About Nothing analyzes how traditional gender roles shape behavior and actions in society. Many of the characters in the play, such as Benedick and Beatrice, actively attempt to defy the expectations placed upon them by virtue of their sex, while others nearly perfectly match the stereotypes- Hero and Claudio being prime examples. Benedick and Beatrice represent defiance of the norm- Beatrice repeatedly claims that she will avoid marriage at all costs, and Benedick doesn’t seem any more likely to place himself in a position to be cuckolded. The two of them engage in several bouts of cleverly written banter, each blow professing the gospel of celibacy. In this, if nothing else, they are in agreement- Benedick
The play “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare is a comedy that tells the tale of two pairs of lovers: Hero and Claudio, and Beatrice and Benedict. Though the main plot of the story revolves around Hero and Claudio, Benedict and Beatrice’s romantic relationship is an important subplot to the story. In “Much Ado About Nothing”, Shakespeare uses irony, hyperbole, and use of language to illustrate Benedict and Beatrice as a nontraditional spin on the ideal couple through the strength and security of their love, as can be shown in dialogue not traditionally associated with love.
For 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. Throughout the play we observe Emilia’s character change, and how she suffered the consequence of challenging the system.
Shakespeare’s play, Much Ado About Nothing, is a play about multiple relationships. Hero and Claudio are the first relationship, and Beatrice and Benedick are the other relationship. The play talks about the ideal traits of a couple in the Shakespearian time period. Times have changed, as couples have evolved and have generally become less “traditional”. Back in the day, the female would submit to the male. It was a set up marriage and she would just try to make the male proud. Relationships, in the modern day, are more egalitarian than they use to be. This allows Benedick and Beatrice to represent more of a modern time ideal couple, than Claudio and Hero.
In the play Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, Don Jon and Don Pedro’s deceit are not only told for positive and negative reasons, but have calamitous outcomes on other characters. In the play, The bitter Don John has learned of the upcoming marriage of Claudio and Hero, and desires a way to prevent it. Don John’s servant Borachio devises a plan for Don John to go to Claudio and Don Pedro and tell them that Hero is not a virgin but a whore, a woman who has willingly corrupted her own innocence a day before her marriage and at the same time chosen to be unfaithful to the man she loves. In order to prove this accusation, Don Jon brings Don Pedro and Claudio below the window of Hero’s room on the night before the wedding, where they
In Much ado About Nothing Don John and Don Pedro are foils to each other .Much Ado About Nothing William Shakespeare. In Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. In the book much ado about nothing soldiers come back from war and go to Massena .and while there Claudio falls in love with Hero and they plan to marry with the help of Don Pedro the prince. But Don John the bastard child and Don Pedro's half brother hates him and plans to ruin this marriage .The conflict with the character is the that Don John is jealous of his brother. And hates him and tries to ruin the wedding and marriage. So he makes a plane to ruin it and it works and Claudio shames hero at the altar and hero assumably died. And when she was proven innocent claudio
This limits women to find the confidence to stand up for their beliefs. As Claudio falsely degrades Hero’s character, Hero accepts these accusations voluntarily and remains silent about the issue. Claudio stands up in public and proceeds to call Hero slanderous names such as, “thou pure impiety and impious purity” (IV.i.109). Hero again does not object, though she falls due to complete shock. Once her father hears these accusations, he commands to “let her die” as a result of the crimes she committed (IV.i.163). These incidents in the play illustrate Hero’s sacrifice of her angelic and pure character. Hero does little to convince others of her innocence. Moreover, clinging to the traditional views of women, men are unlikely to listen to what women have to say. Shakespeare portrays women 's ranking in relation to men by illustrating Hero’s great sacrifice, and how her closest mentors refuse to help support her. Hero has little power to fall back on in this situation, explaining the classic image that Shakespeare created for her to resemble. Through these scenes in Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare effectively conveys the power women had throughout this time period by addressing Hero sacrificing her virtue. He communicates the idea of women standing up for their beliefs, shifting away from the formal rules that society