Much Ado About Nothing 'And' A Midsummer Night's Dream

Roles in Society Gender roles may differ within the different societies in this world, but in one way or another they began in one way. Back in the times of Shakespeare, women roles were of house maids and men roles were acted upon as the strong, in charge, and house hold carrier. Women weren’t supposed to oppose what their father or husband would say. Since Shakespearean comedies such as Much Ado about Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, he began to show the different gender roles and how they would be changing. He brought up questions within his comedies, questions that people might have been asking themselves but might have been too afraid to ask. In Much Ado about Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s dream, Shakespeare opened a different view and perspective on people in their societal roles, such as their gender roles. To begin with, in Much Ado About Nothing, “Beatrice
reflects this blend of feminine and masculine attitudes and behaviors. As a “strong female” she demonstrates more self-awareness than men; she uses her reason, she talks, she is mobile, is often found out-of-doors rather than inside her father’s or husband’s house” (Gerlach, Jeanne, Rudolph Almasy, and Rebecca Daniel). Beatrice is really outspoken and says whatever she pleases. She doesn’t believe that she must marry to be happy. “Beatrice speaks and behaves with more than usual freedom, and her witty
Cervantes 2 intelligence presents a challenge to all the male characters. Her name, like Benedick, means ‘the blessed one’, and she too has sworn never to marry” (Shakespeare vii).” For Shakespeare, as well as for most of Renaissance society, women as the feminine represented obedience, silence, sexual chastity, piety, humility, constancy, and patience in their relationships to male”( Gerlach, Jeanne, Rudolph Almasy, and Rebecca Daniel, “Revisiting Shakespeare and Gender” volume #5, page1).
Hermia as opposed to Beatrice was the ideal woman in Shakespearean time. When Hermia is talking with Theseus, she seems polite and although she doesn’t want to marry Demetrius she knows nothing else than to listen to her father’s request. “I do entreat your Grace to pardon me./ I know not by what power I am made bold,/ Nor how it may concern my modesty/ In such a presence here to plead my thoughts;/ But I beseech your Grace that I many know/ The worst that may befall me in this case/ If I refuse to wed Demetrius” (I,i, 58-64). This quote shows how Hermia had that respect for the men that surrounded her, and that he usually always follows her father’s or Theseus’ orders. This is a major difference of the roles of Beatrice and Hermia, both showing how different the times were becoming.
Back in the Renaissance, “The husband of the family was always designated the ownership of the land and property that the family lived on” (Leann Pettit, “A look at male gener roles in Shakespeare’s Renaissance”, page 1). “Men were expected to engage in public affairs in the way of soldiers, politicians, and other leaders: to be talkers, decision makers, and move events forward.” (Leann Pettit). In Much Ado About Nothing, Claudio shows a weaker personality. He’s focused more on his love for Hero. “Claudio is a young nobleman who has been honoured for his conduct in the recent fighting, but is still very immature and naïve in his judgments”(vii). With his immaturity he shows how young he is, and
Cervantes 3 also shows how men are not supposed to be in the time of the Renaissance.
Claudio as opposed to Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream is very gullible; he believes anything and everything that is said to him, unlike Demetrius who continues to fight for Hermia’s love until he falls in love with Helena. In act two scene 1 Demetrius is followed my Helena into the woods and notes, “I love thee not; therefore pursue me not./ Where is Lysander and fair Hermia? / The one I’ll stay; the other stayeth me. / Though told’st me they were stol’n unto this wood, / because I cannot meet my Hermia. / Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more” ( II,i, 188-194). “The role of men in the Renaissance culture was under some revision and challenged by the masculine woman that were being brought up in new culture. The make roles outside of the home and in the public sector changed the roles of men in the culture of Shakespeare’s time which allowed audiences to help understand and accept the changing gender roles of the time (Leann Pettit, “A look at male gender roles in Shakespeare’s Renaissance” page
1). The change in gender roles from A Midsummer Night’s Dream to Much Ado about Nothing, demonstrates how women’s view and place in society was changing. In Queen Elizabeth’s famous speech she states, “‘I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and a king of England too… I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the fields’” (Gerlach, Jeanne, Rudolph Almasy, and Rebecca Daniel, “Revisiting Shakespeare and Gender” Volume #5, Fall 1996: Page 2).