Acknowledging Female Stereotypes in Much Ado About Nothing Essay

Wo workforce in the Elizabethan advance were passing repressed and discriminated over against. Most would not have gone to school or received any type of realized education. They were not allowed to vote, induce berth, or freely voice their opinions.They were seen as the home of a man, subject to his wants, needs, and not allowed to have their avouch men held extremely stereotypical computes of their effeminate counterparts that helped them justify the way they treated them. Shakespeare exposes legion(predicate) of these injustices and biases in his stage adds, which are unbosom comm completely read and performed today. In much stir close to Nothing, Claudio moves from beholding women (specifically wedge shape) as goddesses and wives to adulterers, and then back again to his pilot program views.Claudio initially views ace according to the established stereotypes, in Act 1, prognosis 1 as property. When first speaking of scrapper, he refers to her as the daugh ter of Signor Leonato dapple this appears to be s express for identification purposes, he chipually relinquishes the power of her name to her defender (1. 1. 119).Instead of calling her by her tending(p) name, attack diffusecraft, Claudio names her in relation to her to a greater extent(prenominal) powerful male owner. He goes on to ask benedict if she is a underage young lady, not wondering only if she is sweet, but if she is literally a vestal (1. 1. 121). A womans virginity was extremely valuable in Elizabethan England, and goaded her worth as a latent wife.This outright inquiry into her purity foreshadows the ulterior s laughingstockdal surrounding it. benedict asks Claudio if he would buy her, and Claudio responds with a seemingly courtly hypothetical question Can the population buy such a precious stone? (1 1 134). While his question seems to imply that she is so valuable that the entire cosmoss money could not acquire her, it s work perpetuates the stereotype that women are pieces of property, albeit in truth beautiful and expensive ones.Later in the same scene, Claudio demonstrates Elizabethan mens views of women through Shakespeares thematic messages. He remarks that in mine eye, wedge is the sweetest lady that of all time I looked on (1 1 139).This introduces a reoccurring theme of oft Ado About Nothing of seeing and perception. Here, and later on in the play, Claudio bases his opinions of Hero on her outward-bound beauty and port of piety. In addition, the manner of speaking mine and I stress the grandeur of Claudio himself, the important, powerful male in the point. mavin notes Shakespeares ledgerplay in the joke implied when eye and I sound reciprocal when spoken aloud.Another theme surfaces in the use of the word sworn in line 144 of Act 1, barb 1, w presentby Claudio makes evident that his honor depends on great deals perception of him and, by proxy, his coming(prenominal) wife, Hero. Also notable is the hope he exp resses that Hero would be his wife, in that he uses language again pertaining to himself w present he could have wished that Hero would marry him or something similar, he instead wishes her to become his property.Claudio reveals that he has had an interest in Hero for a while in the first place their present confabulation about her. He admired her before he went out-of-door to war, but more pressing, important, masculine unloosens took his mind off her. This implies that matters of the touchwood were little valued by men than duty and honor, and that his current infatuation with Hero is sort of an afterthought, something to pursue as he is now bored.This distant, material admiration for Hero quickly turns to contempt when he thinks that have on Pedro has taken her for himself in Act 2, Scene 1. When wear out tail end and Borachio tell him about his friends betrayal, Claudio seems to be angrier with Hero than with the man who stole his prospective bride. He claims beauty is a witch, against whose charms faith meltheth into rootage (2 1 135-6). This demonstrates the stereotype that Elizabethan men held of women being easily turned to adulterers it seems to be her evil beauty that lured turn in Pedro into supposedly winning her over for his own.This is again an irritate to Claudios pride Don John and Borachio use forms of the word swear when sexual congress Don Pedros supposed supremacy of Hero, calling to mind how Claudio swore to marry her in the first act. Claudio denounces Hero, and wishes Don Pedro joy of her, at one time again suggesting women to be objects of personal property, only if existing to fulfill the desires of man.When it is confirmed that Don Pedro was indeed just performing his accessible duties, Claudio instantly reverts to his view of Hero as a perfect, virginal, al closely goddess- same potential wife. He says to Hero Lady, as you are mine, I am yours I give away myself for you, and dote upon the ex shift (2 1 233-4).Claudi o acknowledges that Hero is now his property, and as that is an accepted habit in Elizabethan England, it is therefore deemed adventurous that he gives himself to her, as well. Using the word exchange suggests a formal operation of property, which is what is really transpiring between Claudio and Leonato. Claudio expresses his foretaste for the get married, as time moves slowly till kip down have all his rites (2 1 269-70) the two meanings of rites as the actual Lords Supper and rights as a husband extend keenness into this.He feels a unavoidableness for their union to be official, as legitimately marrying Hero will give him statutory ownership of her, and her property. Though he claims to wonder her, his affection could ultimately be seen as a want of her dowry.Claudio shows his opinions of women in his derisory exposition of Beatrices love for Benedick in Act 2, Scene 3. He recognises her grief over her unrequited love in a ridiculous way, look that she threw a sa vage fit. This implies Beatrice, and by appurtenance all women, to be controlled and weakened by their emotions.Claudio says that Hero had told him that Beatrice would surely die if her situation with Benedick progresses in any direction, again poking fun at womens irrationality. He suggests she wear herself out by talking to someone about her love, as though she were a small nestling throwing a temper tantrum. Like about men of his time, Claudio appears to opine that womens sensed lack of control of their emotions made them less worthy of esteem.His view of women again turns cynical again when he receives news in Act 3, Scene 2 that leads him to believe that Hero has had an affair with another man. Don John uses the word disloyal to describe her actions, and Claudio repeats that word in outrage and mix-up about this blow to his honor (3 2 76).Being disloyal seems worse than most other things, in that it has wounded Claudios pride and reputation. The prefix dis is extremely n egative and poignant. He emphasizes that if he sees anything with his own eyes, he will believe these accusations. He describes the issue as mischief strangely thwarting, and extends that description to all women in general here he shows that he has moved from seeing women as wives and goddesses to adulterers and shrews.At their wedding eucharist in Act 4, Scene 1, Claudio despitefully and ironically addresses Hero with all sorts of virginal, innocent, processed language like maid (4 1 19).He again describes her as property in calling her a luxuriant and precious gift, yet this time it is with an air of contempt and scorn (4 1 23). move the theme of perception and sight, he calls Hero but the sign and semblance of her honor, implying that she however put on a frontlet of virginity and purity (4 1 28). He asks the attendees of the wedding and, by extension, the audience, to acknowledge that her innocence is entirely a show.Claudio accuses her girlish blush to be truly that of guilt and shame. Where previously he has referred to Hero as a maid, here he calls her only like a maid this literal comparison emphasizes his change of feeling toward her and her sex. He facetiously describes her as the goddess of chastity and the moon, Diana, and of an unopened flower develop virgin in appearance only. thus he compares her to Venus, goddess of sexuality, and even to mindless beasts that act only on impulse and instinct. In the line Marry that Hero, Hero itself give the sack blot out Heros virtue, he proclaims that women are the source of their own downfall (4 1 75). Where her outward appearance was that of a virtuous young lady, her comprehend actions lead Claudio to believe her to be a whore.Although one could argue that Claudios view of women was that of all Elizabethan men, including Shakespeare himself, the development of Benedicks opinions show that this is not true.He begins the play disliking the idea of marriage and specially marriage to Beatrice, ye t, through the dramatic action, he learns to love and appreciate her for her previously dislike intelligence and wit. Benedick learns to value women for the human being they are, and yet Claudio still sees them as property at the end of the play.This suggests that Shakespeare realizes that, although he tin can bring attention to the issue of sex equality in his works, he cannot turn out the audience to fully accept his ideas.Claudio evermore moves between stereotypes in his views of women in this play he alternatively sees Hero as wife, goddess, adulterer, and everything in between.Shakespeares specific word choice and themes revealed in Much Ado About Nothing provide insight into how women were actually thought of and treated in Elizabethan England, and how the author himself believed they should be. Today, the centuries-old fight for gender equality is far from over. But, like Shakespeare, we can hope that all women will at long last be respected as equals, like Beatrice. Works CitedMcDonald, Russ. The Bedford Companion to Shakespeare. Boston Bedford, 2010. Shakespeare, William. Much Ado about Nothing. Ed. Mary pluck and Michael Clamp. Cambridge Cambridge University Press, 2011.