Masculinity In William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing
Today’s ever-progressive society is constantly updating the standards of all sorts of intangible, subjective ideals like love and what makes a man “masculine.” Although Shakespeare lived in the times where those ideas seemed to be pretty concrete and easily judged, his romantic comedies like Much Ado About Nothing challenged the standards of his time and paved the way for a more open-minded attitude towards these ideals. In this play full of trickery, farces and plenty of malapropisms, Shakespeare sends the character Benedick through a whirlwind of comedic situations that are finally resolved when he sacrifices his argumentative, “masculine” behavior and critical view of the world in favor of becoming whole through love because he, deep down, just wants to love and be loved in return- regardless of how “manly” he appears to be. Benedick values and cherishes those close to him, which allows him to renounce his bachelor ways and become a better man and lover because of it.
At the beginning of the play, Benedick blindly acts in accordance to the “masculinity” he was raised to have without a second thought. His idea of what makes up a man does not exist independently from what makes up “masculinity.” Benedick believes that in order to be a real man, he has to be in control of himself and others- both physically and emotionally. He participated from the war, having been a soldier, which relied on his physical dominance to survive. As the dangers to his physical well being
Comparing Masculinity In Pain By Geoffrey Canada And Macbeth By William Shakespeare
750 Words | 3 PagesSusan Griffin once said, “Masculinity is a terrible problem, as we construct and shape it.” Men in today’s society cannot show emotion and cannot act the way they want for society has built up an expectation for men to follow. Society makes men its puppets and plays them the way it wants. Men often feel pressured because of highly set expectation of society and this is expressed in the article “Pain,” by Geoffrey Canada and the play Macbeth, written by Shakespeare. “Pain” is about a young football player who had injured himself while playing football, while Macbeth is about a man who lusts for power.
Examples Of Masculinity In Romeo And Juliet
790 Words | 4 PagesWhat is masculinity? Masculinity is a set of attributes, behaviors and roles generally associated with boys and men. In today's society, the perception of masculinity has been reinvented much like many other social issues. Studies show older generations still believe in the idea of masculinity whilst newer generations are breaking away from this very restrictive mold. William Shakespeare's work, Romeo and Juliet, presents readers with the huge part masculinity plays within society due to the characters constant need to prove themselves, Romeo’s struggle to balance his sensitive and tough side, and the role of women.
Examples Of Masculinity In The Elizabethan Era
783 Words | 4 PagesMasculinity is the clay atop a pottery wheel: malleable and pliant, yet unable to morph alone because it perpetually spins at the whim of another man. Although humankind has strode towards gender equality, toxic patriarchal traits from the past linger within the male psyche and sustain a set of acts passed down hereditarily, rather than manufactured internally. This influences what men anticipate of themselves, forcing them to fulfil obsolete performative criteria that create a hallucinatory vision of masculinity. Seemingly, Butler’s trope holds a mirror against the male identity, reflecting the hands which mould gender narratives across contextual and generational boundaries. During the Elizabethan era, gender expectations formed the backbone
Examples Of Masculinity In Romeo And Juliet
806 Words | 4 PagesBoth in Macbeth and in Romeo and Juliet we can find clear examples of toxic masculinity and patriarchy. Unfortunately, we still have not got rid of some of those problems yet. So, what has changed from Shakespeare’s time to today? In Macbeth we can find a lot of examples of toxic masculinity which, sadly, is still very present today.
Much Ado About Nothing Cupid Quotes
1319 Words | 6 PagesIn William Shakespeare’s renowned comedy Much Ado About Nothing, a lot happens when nothing needed to happen. What could have been a simple course of events turned into a plot of schemes, mayhem, passion and deception because a few characters decided to play god. Specifically, the love god: Cupid. This Roman child of the Goddess of Love, Venus, is known for his mischievous meddling in making people fall in love with each other. It seems he has a few comrades to his cause in this play, for the characters of Don Pedro, Claudio, Leonato, and Hero take it upon themselves to bring fire and ice together in holy matrimony, only fire and ice take the form of the quick witted, proud pairing of Benedick and the Lady Beatrice.
Examples Of Masculinity In Titus Andronicus
1435 Words | 6 PagesPatriarchal roles given to men in the most important positions of Shakespeare’s time, the government and army, form masculine stereotypes which perpetuate accepted standards of masculine violence. In Titus Andronicus and Henry IV Part 1, Shakespeare elicits the expectation of men to establish masculine dominance by perform violent acts, whether achieved in savage or cunning ways, if driven by an accepted motive such as war, revenge, or the defense of one’s honor; in turn, this accepted violence constructs masculinity and patriarchy. The respect and reverence of war heroes in Titus Andronicus form standards of masculinity through violence. Shakespeare begins Titus Andronicus with Saturninus addressing crowd on how he deserves to be emperor
Shakespeare Gender Roles In The Elizabethan Era
700 Words | 3 PagesIt is time to discuss the meaning of gender, its significance, its importance, and how this could play a major part in one’s life. What is gender you might ask? Could it determine the role you play if you may play a role at all? Gender is socially learned and reinforced characteristics that include one’s biological sex and psychological characteristics. It is said that gender has nothing to do with male or female.
Honesty In Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing
691 Words | 3 PagesWithin the play, Much Ado About Nothing, there is a central theme of deceitfulness, as a way to solve a problem or an issue amongst the characters. Though this deception may be evil, it can often lead to positive endings after several conflicts. In the creation of this theme, Shakespeare uses both negative and positive examples to contribute to his lesson on ruses. Within this particular scene, all of the cons the various characters have put on are officially revealed to each other. This scene highlights that deception is not always evil, nor is it always moral, but is always solved.
Examples Of Masculinity In Romeo And Juliet
1097 Words | 5 PagesEmily Fernandez Dr. Rachel Prusko English 387 Lecture B1: Youth Cultures February 4th, 2023 Romeo’s Rebellion: Creation and Refusal of the Masculine Identity in Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet shows how the young men of Verona are obligated to perform a certain type of masculinity associated with violence and sexuality. Romeo, however, provides a counter to this as he displays both feminine and masculine behaviours throughout the play. Ultimately, Romeo’s refusal to adhere to the standards of masculinity and his inclination to create an identity of his own are an enduring example of the young male experience.
Much Ado About Nothing Pride Analysis
412 Words | 2 PagesJohn Ruskin once said, “It is better to lose your pride with someone you love than to lose that someone you love with your useless pride.” Similarly, in Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare also suggests that the biggest barrier between romantic love is pride. He asserts, this by telling the readers that love is a far more authentic feeling than pride, and that love can only grow if an individual is able to set aside their pride and allow themselves to be both vulnerable and receptive to authentic feelings. The first thing that is emphasized in the play, Much Ado About Nothing is the vulnerability and dangers of love. It’s shown that falling in love is a constant danger, and that no one gets out of the ordeal unharmed.
Hamlet And Masculinity In Hamlet, By William Shakespeare
956 Words | 4 PagesHamlet and Masculinity What defines society’s portrait of a man? Perhaps it is his fighting skill, his ability to lead, or his valiency. Within the play by William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Hamlet is a prince who struggles with his father’s death and lacks any sense of responsibility. He spends the whole play making excuses and never facing his problems head on.
Misunderstandings In William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing
744 Words | 3 PagesIn 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.
Relationships In Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing
922 Words | 4 PagesShakespeare’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.
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.
Relationships In Twelfth Night
1209 Words | 5 PagesShakespeare’s renowned play Twelfth Night centers around love, both in platonic and romantic instances. Characters display elements of self, brotherly, amorous, and friendly love towards one another; however, of the relationships portrayed, the strongest ones are those between men. In contrast, relationships between men and women lack depth and sincerity due to the lapse of communication between the opposing genders. Men are able to express their feelings to one another more freely, which gives their bonds strength that heterosexual relationships fail to display.
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