Women's Roles In Much Ado About Nothing
Women roles in society have changed drastically in the last four centuries. During the renaissance, men believed that women were “formed from a bent rib” and thus imperfect and inferior (Kramer 2). Women were denied all political rights and considered legally subject to their husbands. They couldn’t speak out against their husbands in public and if they ever did they were not believed. Because of this, some women desired to remain single to escape the control of an oppressive husband. However, they were heavily mocked for this and were forced into marriage. Their major role was to be a housewife and spend their day cleaning the house and taking care of the children.
Two hundred years later the role of women was expanded. Women were still controlled and had little freedoms. They were still regarded as the weaker sex and as such always needed …show more content…
someone to look after them. But, during this period many women were highly educated and could work in domestic services as cooks and maids. During the nineteenth century, women began to question the patriarchal society in which they lived. Consequently, they gained the right to vote and increased their chances for a formal education and professions initially considered for men. Beatrice and Hero in Much Ado About Nothing are used by Shakespeare to contrast one another to show how “traditional” women of the time are subject to the views of the patriarchal society while “non-traditional” women desired to be independent but despite their efforts fall subject to societies views. The character Hero is seen as the ideal women, polite, respectful, obedient, and quiet. She is the traditional Elizabethan women as she submits willingly to her father. In act 2, Leonato, Hero’s father, is amazed to find out that Claudio has won his daughter’s love and wants to marry her immediately. Leonato immediately responds that they should wait a week to prepare for the wedding without thinking about Hero’s opinion (II. i. 344-345). Hero sits silently and listens as the men decide her future without interjecting. She understands her place in society and is expected to be “ruled by [her] father” and to “make curtsy and say ‘Father, as it pleases you’ ” (II. i. 51-53). Thus we see that Leonato controls not only Hero’s actions, but even her words as well.
In fact, Hero is thoroughly repressed by the male-dominated society in which she lives that she submits not only to her father’s will, but to that of nearly every other man in the play.
At the party, Hero is easily wooed by Don Pedro posing as Claudio (II. i. 84-93). Don Pedro asks Hero to “[dance] a bout” and she instantly accepts without hesitation (II. i. 84). Hero even falls subject to the antagonist of the play, Don John. Don John concocts a plan to disrupt the marriage of Claudio and Hero: one of his henchman will convince Claudio that Hero is unfaithful by staging a meeting with Margaret, Hero’s maid. Margaret will be dressed in Hero’s clothes, and Claudio will think that Borachio is Hero’s lover (II. ii.). Don John then tells Don Pedro and Claudio that “the lady is unfaithful” (III. ii. 97). At first, Don Pedro and Claudio are hesitant to believe Don John, but are quickly convinced and follow Don John to see for themselves (III. ii. 112-120). Hero tries to defend herself and denies the accusation. But, as such in a patriarchal society, the men are faster to believe the vengeful villain Don John than innocent
Hero.
Above all, Hero submits to the accusing and slandering by her soon-to-be husband. At their wedding, Claudio wrongfully publicly shames Hero (IV. i. 30-42). He questions if Hero is truly a virgin and asks “What man was he talked with you yesternight out at your window betwitx twelve and one” (IV. i. 89-90). He phrases this question in such a way that whichever way Hero responds she is tricked and trapped in her lie. He refers to Hero as a maid and as such expects Hero to answer truthfully. But, Hero fails the test by saying “I talked with no man at that hour” instead of naming the man (IV. i. 91). After he “confirms” that Hero is lying, Claudio once again states that Hero was unfaithful to him and begins to hurl accusations at her. Hero depicts the qualities of a traditional Elizabethan woman by not reciprocating Claudio’s harshness with verbal assaults. Instead, she timidly tries to defend herself and sweetly asks “Is my lord well that he doth speak so wide?” to determine if Claudio has lost his sanity (IV. i. 63). Through all of the shaming, Hero still remains polite and submissive. There reaches a point that Hero has had enough she faints from the shock and horror of the event (IV. i. 115). This was seen as typical of most Elizabethan women in Hero’s situation because they were seen as weak and gentle. Finally, we see Hero submit to a second wedding with Claudio even with everything that he did to her (V. iiii. 1). The things Hero says and does, other characters’ responses toward her, and her responses toward other characters help show that Hero is a traditional Elizabethan women.
Two hundred years later the role of women was expanded. Women were still controlled and had little freedoms. They were still regarded as the weaker sex and as such always needed …show more content…
someone to look after them. But, during this period many women were highly educated and could work in domestic services as cooks and maids. During the nineteenth century, women began to question the patriarchal society in which they lived. Consequently, they gained the right to vote and increased their chances for a formal education and professions initially considered for men. Beatrice and Hero in Much Ado About Nothing are used by Shakespeare to contrast one another to show how “traditional” women of the time are subject to the views of the patriarchal society while “non-traditional” women desired to be independent but despite their efforts fall subject to societies views. The character Hero is seen as the ideal women, polite, respectful, obedient, and quiet. She is the traditional Elizabethan women as she submits willingly to her father. In act 2, Leonato, Hero’s father, is amazed to find out that Claudio has won his daughter’s love and wants to marry her immediately. Leonato immediately responds that they should wait a week to prepare for the wedding without thinking about Hero’s opinion (II. i. 344-345). Hero sits silently and listens as the men decide her future without interjecting. She understands her place in society and is expected to be “ruled by [her] father” and to “make curtsy and say ‘Father, as it pleases you’ ” (II. i. 51-53). Thus we see that Leonato controls not only Hero’s actions, but even her words as well.
In fact, Hero is thoroughly repressed by the male-dominated society in which she lives that she submits not only to her father’s will, but to that of nearly every other man in the play.
At the party, Hero is easily wooed by Don Pedro posing as Claudio (II. i. 84-93). Don Pedro asks Hero to “[dance] a bout” and she instantly accepts without hesitation (II. i. 84). Hero even falls subject to the antagonist of the play, Don John. Don John concocts a plan to disrupt the marriage of Claudio and Hero: one of his henchman will convince Claudio that Hero is unfaithful by staging a meeting with Margaret, Hero’s maid. Margaret will be dressed in Hero’s clothes, and Claudio will think that Borachio is Hero’s lover (II. ii.). Don John then tells Don Pedro and Claudio that “the lady is unfaithful” (III. ii. 97). At first, Don Pedro and Claudio are hesitant to believe Don John, but are quickly convinced and follow Don John to see for themselves (III. ii. 112-120). Hero tries to defend herself and denies the accusation. But, as such in a patriarchal society, the men are faster to believe the vengeful villain Don John than innocent
Hero.
Above all, Hero submits to the accusing and slandering by her soon-to-be husband. At their wedding, Claudio wrongfully publicly shames Hero (IV. i. 30-42). He questions if Hero is truly a virgin and asks “What man was he talked with you yesternight out at your window betwitx twelve and one” (IV. i. 89-90). He phrases this question in such a way that whichever way Hero responds she is tricked and trapped in her lie. He refers to Hero as a maid and as such expects Hero to answer truthfully. But, Hero fails the test by saying “I talked with no man at that hour” instead of naming the man (IV. i. 91). After he “confirms” that Hero is lying, Claudio once again states that Hero was unfaithful to him and begins to hurl accusations at her. Hero depicts the qualities of a traditional Elizabethan woman by not reciprocating Claudio’s harshness with verbal assaults. Instead, she timidly tries to defend herself and sweetly asks “Is my lord well that he doth speak so wide?” to determine if Claudio has lost his sanity (IV. i. 63). Through all of the shaming, Hero still remains polite and submissive. There reaches a point that Hero has had enough she faints from the shock and horror of the event (IV. i. 115). This was seen as typical of most Elizabethan women in Hero’s situation because they were seen as weak and gentle. Finally, we see Hero submit to a second wedding with Claudio even with everything that he did to her (V. iiii. 1). The things Hero says and does, other characters’ responses toward her, and her responses toward other characters help show that Hero is a traditional Elizabethan women.