‘Some critics may argue that in dramatic comedy gender conventions must be challenged.’

‘Some critics may argue that in dramatic comedy gender conventions must be challenged.’
To what extent does the relationship between Benedick and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing challenge expected gender conventions?
Mona Sharma
Shakespeare includes two diverse couples in Much Ado About Nothing. He plays with expected gender conventions through these two couples. On one hand you have Beatrice and Benedick whose relationship does not conform to the expected gender conventions. Additionally, Shakespeare has created the contrasting characters of Hero and Claudio to amplify how unconventional Beatrice and Benedick are. Hero and Claudio uphold the gender conventions: they fall in love at first sight and they want to get married. In fact, comedy can be drawn from how the dramatic scene where Claudio accuses Hero of being unfaithful becomes the heart of Beatrice and Benedick’s happily ever after. The characters, Beatrice and Benedick, both individually and through their relationship, challenge expected gender conventions of the Elizabethan era.
Shakespeare has portrayed Beatrice and Benedick to be arrogant and strong-minded. Beatrice is portrayed as an outspoken Elizabethan woman who is independent, as she is able to support herself and function in society without the aid of a man. The typical Elizabethan woman was expected to listen to her father, marry between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, changing hands between father and husband as a type of property that could be owned, controlled and managed. Women were not to speak out of turn, or about sophisticated or educated topics. Shakespeare has given Beatrice intelligence and the willingness to speak her mind, expressing her opinions for the social restrictions. When Leonato remarks “I hope to see you one day fitted with a husband” to Beatrice, she responds, “Not til God make men of some other metal than earth.” Through a conversation held between Leonato and Beatrice, the Elizabethan expectation of how a woman ought to act and how Beatrice defies this social convention is clearly seen. Beatrice’s quick and sharp response gives an air of confidence to her character. The hope that Leonato holds for his niece is an example of the expectation that she will be fitted with a husband. Implying a sort of matching up or arranging of marriage. His “hope” suggests that his concern is not only for Beatrice’s sake but also for the sake of the family as not adhering to the social requirements will leave its own stain on the family’s reputation.
Beatrice is aware of the Elizabethan behaviours that are expected of females, but refuses to conform to them. Beatrice is not able to deny or mask her natural born intellect in order to fit the shape that Elizabethan society has created for her. Her reply of “no” to her uncle is very blunt and to the point. It is a flat of refusal to change herself for society. Due to the absence of a father figure in her life Beatrice has had to adapt herself to make up for this absence. The attitudes that she exhibits, that continually challenge gender stereotypes of the Elizabethan time, were born out of necessity to fill a missing social role. It is in this manner then, that her actions and outspoken comments can be viewed as courageous acts. Beatrice is a woman who stands up and breathes rebelliousness to a whole social hierarchy that is dominated by men; thereby challenging the expected gender conventions of an Elizabethan woman.
Throughout the play, the male characters try to use threats similar to what the Elizabethan audiences would expect to hear from strong, authoritative men. “Niece, thou wilt never get thee a husband, if thou be so shrewd of thy tongue.” Leonato tells Beatrice that if she does not change the way she acts and does not start to control her discourteous tongue, she will never get a husband. Beatrice responds to Leonato claiming that she does not think she will find a perfect man. “I could not endure a husband with a beard on his face: I had rather lie in the woollen.” Beatrice’s response illustrates the oppression that she feels marriage represents; she would have to subject herself to a bearded man, conjuring up an image of a rough or crude man. She states she will not “endure” a man, this tells the audience that she is not willing to change who she is in order to conform; if she must change in order to “get a husband” as Leonato suggests, then he is not a man worth her “getting.” Once again her unwillingness to change in order to fit the expected mould defies the gender conventions of the period.
It is interesting to see that even though Beatrice has ruled out marriage she describes her perfect man. This insinuates that in some ways she does conform to the expected gender conventions. She states that Benedick is. “evermore tattling,” and describes Don John as someone who gives her heartburn. Shakespeare plays on the possible double meanings of the word “heartburn.” It can be used to describe a warm sensation inside ones heart; whilst, at the same time, describing an aching pain in their chest, or possibly even the nauseous sensation of acid reflux. Beatrice’s warming towards men is describes in such a comedic way in order to make a statement about the ridiculousness of social expectations, which allows her to remain such an abrasive and abrupt character, while also commenting on the absurdity and unpredictable feelings of human emotions. Despite not wanting to conform to social expectations, and despite being a strong and independent woman, Beatrice discovers the gravity of attraction to a male character throughout the duration of the play. Beatrice’s description of her perfect man suggest that she does want to be loved, which challenges what she said in her “merry war” with Benedick in the opening act. “I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.” Where she once compared a man’s declaration of love to the barking of a dog or the off tuned cry of a crow, she begins to warm to the idea of being loved and cared for and we begin to see her sharp tongue cool ever so slightly. The absence of a dominant male role model in her life makes her behaviours emphasis the degree to which the gender conventions are being bent.
Beatrice is presented as a woman who goes against the norms of an Elizabethan woman: unlike her cousin Hero, she does not conform to the expectation of silence expect when spoken to. When Benedick describes her to speak in “poniards and every word stabs.” “Stabs” implies that she is outspoken and confident in speaking her mind. Suggesting to some audience members that Shakespeare wishes to draw attention to the power of speech particularly for women who could not demonstrate strength in the same way as men. In the time that the play was written, women were not expected to speak out of place. They were expected to respect men and only speak when spoken to. For Beatrice’s character to then speak rudely to Benedick, it countermands how women should have spoken to males.
In the opening act, the messenger defines Benedick as “Lord to a lord, a man to a man, stuffed will all honourable virtues.” He conforms to every expected gender convention. He has fought in the wars and because of this he is seen to be manly and confident. The one convention he does not conform to is the one relating to marriage. Shakespeare presents Benedick’s character as a misogynist. Benedick reuses to fall in love or get married. “I will live a bachelor,” the word “will” shows how determined Benedick is to not get married. It seems apparent to the audience that he has convinced himself that his mind will not change about marriage. Similarly to Beatrice, Benedick is refusing to conform to societal expectations. His absolute conviction to remaining a bachelor and the way he choose to interact with the various women in the play will add comedy to the play, whilst at the same time providing the audience with the room and perspective to question his actions.
When these two characters are placed together in a relationship, they continue to defy and challenge the expected gender conventions. In the relationship, Beatrice’s character almost controls Benedick’s character. Both character’s arrogance is reflected in the way they speak. The audience would assume that because there is an obvious connection between Beatrice and Benedick that they would speak in verse; yet the two characters seem to speak in prose for most of the play. Their language alone goes against the typical convention, as couples were expected to speak in verse- lending an air of romanticism to their speech. However once again, Beatrice and Benedick’s relationship refuses to conform to his convention. In comparison to Hero and Claudio’s relationship, Hero listens to and obeys anything Claudio asks of her. Hero and Claudio speak in verse whenever they do speak.
Beatrice and Benedick reach their conclusion with – a merry dance –which reinforces that ultimately in dramatic comedy after challenging some gender conventions, the characters do conform to the expected gender convention of Elizabethan marriage.
Word Count: 1,500