Manipulation in a relationship almost always ends badly. People lie, cheat and someone always ends up getting hurt. But what if it didn’t end that way? What if it actually helped a relationship? In William Shakespeare’s play, Much Ado About Nothing, this is exactly what happens between the two characters, Beatrice and Benedick. Their relationship starts off with insults and banter, warding each other off like the plague. Though their friends and family see this and other subtle hints, and believe that the two are meant to be together. So, they devise a plan to bring them together. The first part was to trick Benedick into thinking that Beatrice loves him, but would die before she would ever say anything. This was to be done by Claudio, a fellow soldier, Leonato, Beatrice’s uncle, and Don Pedro, his superior in the war. Benedick would over here them talking about her, how she loves him, and all her good qualities, and they were sure he would fall for her; which he did. The second part was to do the same thing, only in reverse, to Beatrice. This part of the plan was to be performed by Hero, her cousin, and Hero’s waiting lady, Ursula. And Beatrice, too, fell for Benedick. At the end of the play the two marry. But was it right for Claudio, Leonato, Don Pedro, Hero, and Ursula to manipulate Beatrice and Benedick’s relationship? Many would say that manipulation, no matter the outcome, should not be used in any way in a relationship. But, being the friends and family of the
Hero, the unfortunate damsel in distress, sacrificing her own marriage and pretending to perish in order to ameliorate the reputation of her family, compelled to work upon the words of other’, Hero is actually a hero according to the denotation of the word “hero” in “Much Ado About Nothing.” Born into royalty, Hero endures a traumatic incident, but eventually achieves her destiny. One of Shakespeare’s major themes is deception regarding gender roles. With his use of characteristic archetypes, he evokes that deception is what lies between perception and reality, which in this case drives Claudio to misconstrue the reality. A man’s superiority towards a woman is prominent throughout the play and Shakespeare recognizes that a woman’s place in society is much more than standing inferior to men. By portraying Hero’s death, he shows the immense guilt Claudio suffers form and merely suggests that Hero is more than just an object. She is a hero, who, with her sacrificial death, cleanses her family’s reputation and marries the man of her drema. Overcoming the abominable deception imprinted upon Hero, she proclaims herself a hero by fulfilling her goals and through her role, Shakespeare portrays the role of women via society’s views on gender roles.
Claudio and Hero are the idealised Elizabethan couple in the book because of the patriarchal society that the story is based on. This is because Hero is shown as a weak and powerless young woman while Claudio is described as a powerful and honourable man. In the wedding Claudio decides to shame her and says ‘There, Leonato, take her back again Give not this rotten orange to your friend’. Even when Hero is being insulted and accused of being a prostitute she does not defend herself and says ‘Is my lord well, that he doth speak so wide?’ Instead of defending herself she asks if Claudio is alright which displays a sign of weakness in her.
“my cousin is a fool, and so are you”. Indeed, both men and women have
In “Much Ado About Nothing” Shakespeare wants the reader to think that for there to be love, there also has to be loyalty. Also, he wants the reader to think that characters are usually better off with loyalty, and if loyalty is broken, then that can completely change a person. Shakespeare uses the relationship between Claudio and Hero to show how there has to be loyalty for there to be love, and he also shows how breaking loyalty with someone can change someone. When Claudio first falls in love with Hero, he thinks of her “as Dian in her orb…” (IV,i,57). This means that he thought of her as innocent and pure because Dian is a goddess who swore never to marry.
Through rich imagery and a comic context Shakespeare uses characters to explore his ideas about love and marriage, using relationships to show the trials of love. In his play Shakespeare makes Beatrice and Benedick the critics of love and through them the modern audience is shown how Elizabethan society maltreats the female role and how the male code of honour and pride can lead to devastation.
There are many perspectives on how Much Ado About Nothing can be read. The uncertainty is common in all of Shakespeare’s plays, however, it is different compared to ‘Much Ado About Nothing’. It is fair to say that Much Ado About Nothing is a sexist play. The mistreatment of women seems to be a common problem and is present in the arranged marriage between Hero and Claudio, Margaret not knowing what Borachio intended, and the idea becoming unsexed by Beatrice. The misinterpretation of Shakespeare’s liking to focus mostly on male characters must be thought carefully.
Italy, a lot of the plays written were set in Italy. This play has a
William Shakespeare’s play Much Ado about Nothing traverses the complex social, and emotional trials and triumphs of romantic relationships; Shakespeare’s perspective on the subject is both very similar to ours today, and different. Although filled with sexual innuendos, and humorous trickery and shenanigans, Much Ado about Nothing also dives into the complexities of social anxieties, defense mechanisms to cope with the social pressures, and the emotions involved.
Human nature is often considered in isolation from the rest of the world as if it would be an exception or a special case. In Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing, the complexities of human nature are explored in depth. This essay will explore in particular how Shakespeare dramatises the concepts of human misunderstandings, deception and dichotomy through effective dramatic techniques.
During the two gulling scenes, namely Act 2 Scene 3 and Act 3 Scene 1,
The Shakespearean play, Much Ado About Nothing, has a unique and an interesting way of presenting the idea of gender, especially for female characters. The play demonstrates two contradictory characters, Hero and Beatrice; one being the “ideal” women during this era and the other being the complete opposite from the “ideal” women. The play challenges as well as reinforces the gender roles during this era with the comparison between the two female characters as well as the attitude of men towards women.
would be my wife". He is unsure of himself and his love for Hero, He
True love is a bond shared by few and dreamed of by everyone. The appearance of a relationship may not accurately depict the true reality of the situation. The bond between Claudio and Hero appears far stronger than that of Beatrice and Benedict, yet events of the play provide evidence for the converse. In Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing, the masked emotions of two couples are evoked through subterfuge.
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare "Much Ado About Nothing" in fact has a great deal to say about love and marriage. What is Shakespeare trying to tell us about relationships between men and women? Compare the play's treatment of love with that in "Silas Marner" In "Much Ado About Nothing" there are many different forms of love and relationships that range from youthful infatuation to parental love. Shakespeare makes many comments about men and women and shows the audience a variety of both romantic and platonic relationships.
wit in a manner that is all too cosy. The irony is that, were it not