Shakespeare's Depiction Of Gender Roles In Much Ado About Nothing

This essay is an exploration of the play Much Ado About Nothing, and the gender roles involved in the deceit and trickery that transpire and develop throughout the story. As gender is one of the main themes in the plot, identifying the expected gender roles of the characters, and how the contrast between characters highlights these expected roles. In Shakespeare 's time, known as the Elizabethan Era, men and women’s roles and expectations were starkly different. Elizabethan women, no matter what social class, were inferior to men. A female’s role in the family was to get married so they could increase their family 's wealth and power and to produce heirs. Men, on the other hand, had all of the power within a household. Males were expected

Throughout Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, there is an overlaying presence of the typical roles that men and women were supposed to play. During Elizabethan times there was a major difference between the way men and women were supposed to act. Men typically were supposed to be masculine and powerful, and defend the honor. Women, on the other hand, were supposed to be subservient to their men in their lives and do as ever they wished. In Romeo and Juliet the typical gender roles that men and women were supposed to play had an influence on the fate of their lives.

Comparing it to Hero, he means that she might be beautiful and innocent on the outside, and trick you with that, but is actually not pure and corruptive. Claudio also says that Hero blushes “like a maid”, suggesting that she blushes with guiltiness and not modesty. He thinks to know what is really going on and this is an example where he tries to find anything that might go against her. He then accuses her of having “cunning sin”, referring to the fact that her cuteness will believably cover all her wickedness.

            This banter between the men is consistent with the notion that all Shakespeare men want to marry a pure, socially benefiting woman and avoid cuckoldry.  Claudio also does not seem to know much about Hero, thus explaining why he is asking Benedick and Don Pedro about her.  He not only wants to know that his budding feelings are justified, but he wants to make sure that his choice of lady is indeed worthy of his honor.  Even if Hero is fair, if she will not compliment Claudio’s social status, he will not marry her (Ranald 74).

The most pivotal scene in the play (act 4 scene 1) is between the marriage of Leonato's daughter Hero to Claudio. In this scene the blush of Hero after being said to have slept with another man is set too signify “guiltiness not of modesty” to Claudio. However the Friar of the town believes that Hero's blush is that of her “innocence and virtue.”

By this hand I love thee.” They continues to love each other by having the desire to get married and following through with this desire. Also, in matters not concerning directly to them they also demonstrate self-knowledge. When Hero is shammed at her own wedding, Beatrice and Benedict are the only two who seem to believe that she has been wronged. Benedict even verbalizes this when he states while talking with Beatrice, “Surely I do believe your fair cousin is wronged.” In continuation, both characters are allowed to be made aware of Hero’s false death along with knowing that Claudio’s second bride is Hero herself for they were a part of the conspiracy. These are examples of self-knowledge because they are able to perceive reality for what it truly is rather than at face value.

Claudio slanders and publicly shames his soon-to-be wife, while Benedick believes that wasn’t the right decision. When Claudio hears news that Hero is cheating on him, he says, “If I see anything tonight why I should not marry her… I will shame her.” (Shakespeare, Page 50) He would rather openly shame his love than to talk through the problem. After the public humiliation, Benedick goes to talk to Beatrice saying, “Surely I do believe your fair cousin is wronged.”

“Well, you are a rare parrot teacher.” (Benedick Act I, Scene I) Benedick is insulting Beatrice because she

In the Elizabethan era, there was a standard women and men had to follow. The Elizabethan society was patriarchal, meaning men were considered leaders, and the women were inferior to men. The men in Elizabethan life was to be of power, authority, and head of the their families, and above all to be obeyed. In this time wealthy men were to become courtiers, diplomen, clergymen, and lawyers. The men made the decisions and whatever decision they make women have to obey them. They were also responsible for taking care of the family while working different jobs..And they were expected to improve the positions of all members of the family through influence and patronage from wealthier people and families than their own. As for the women in this time frame they were raised to believe that they were inferior to men. Their roles in Elizabethan society was very limited, and their job was to be housewives and mothers. Women at the time were to be watched for and if she was married it would be her husband but if she was single then her father or brother. Gender conventions in Elizabethan Era is key to understand my argument about how women in Shakespeare’s plays break their gender conventions. I will be using parts from Romeo and Juliet, Othello, King Lear, and Twelfth Night, to show how women in this time period broke gender conventions.

by using it as a comic device, but also to sort out situations so that

Female gender roles have greatly changed from now and the sixteen hundreds when Shakespeare wrote the popular play Much Ado About Nothing. Women were raised to believe they were inferior to men. Women were taught that men should be the one who brings in money and women should stay home to clean and bare children. Also women were given no choice in who they were to marry or when. Over hundreds of years women realized that they were just as good as men and that they should be treated equally. This essay will cover the analysis of the women’s gender roles in the play Much Ado About Nothing, showing the analysis of Beatrice not following any stereotypes, Hero following all of the stereotypes, and Margaret not getting the same stereotypes as other women because she is a servant.

After taking a closer look at the two female main characters as well as a few of the minor characters, their respective development and personal relationships, it should be possible to draw some general conclusions concerning Nothing Much To Do as an adaptation and interpretation of William Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing, even though a detailed analysis of the male characters in the series was not possible within the scope of this paper.

During the Elizabethan Era, gender role was a big thing. Every man knew his role and his class and every woman knew her role. When Shakespeare was writing, the gender expectation was that a woman should serve and obey to her husband. If a man told a woman to do something, then it was her job to fully submit to him. When women do not obey their husband, they get punished.

Finally, as Don Pedro and Claudio meet up again he tells him that he has successfully wined over Hero’s heart and that Leonato agrees for their marriage. In the meantime, Don Pedro also wants Beatrice and Benedick to fall in love with each other and asks Claudio and Hero to fulfill his plan. In scene 2, Don John has found out that Claudio and Hero have a marriage arranged. He does not want the two to get married so he along with his worker Borachio design a plan to cease the marriage. Their plan is quite sophisticated because it requires Don John to bring Claudio and Don Pedro, and he will lure them to see that Hero is making love with Borachio. Finally, scene 3 is the last scene in this act and the events that happen are very intriguing. Firstly, it begins with Benedick who is alone outside and he says that he will never be in love with anyone. But, as Leonato, Claudio, and Don Pedro enter they begin to talk about how Beatrice has a profound love towards Benedick. As Benedick is hiding, the 3 of them all know that he is there and they try to him in believing by talking about how Beatrice loves Benedick and she would never be able to tell him

Claudio only saw Hero for a brief moment upon returning from the war, and immediately desires her. Don Pedro agrees to woo the beautiful woman in Claudio's name at the upcoming celebration. He succeeds and summons Claudio who proposes to Hero immediately. As soon as Don John hears of the engagement between Hero and Claudio the audience learns of his desire for Hero. In deep resent of his brother and Claudio, Don John accepts Borrachio's plan of deceiving Claudio into thinking that Hero is promiscuous for the dual purpose of shaming one of his prestigious brother's followers and preventing Claudio and Hero's marriage. Borrachio's plan included having an amorous encounter with