The goal of this abstract is to analyze the commodification of Hero in Act 4; Scene 1, the wedding scene. Commodification is the action of treating something or someone as a mere commodity. During the Rennesance period, women were pieces of property, owned by their fathers until given to their husbands. This scene starts at the altar with Hero, Leonato’s daughter, with her soon to be husband, Claudio. Claudio then says this, “Stand thee by, friar.--Father, by your leave, Will you with free and unconstrained soul give me this maid, your daughter?”(page 125, lines 23-25). In this quote we can see that Claudio is asking Leonato if he is giving his daughter to him unbeknowst of any wrong doing. Now the key phrase is “give me this maid, your daughter”. …show more content…
Except this is not an exchange it is the return of a rotten orange. “There, Leonato, take her back again. Give not this rotten orange to your friend.” (page 125, lines 31-32). Here Claudio is returning Hero for being unfaithful. Later in his rant on why he returns Hero, Claudio claims this, “ She knows the heat of luxurious bed. Her blush is guiltiness, not modesty.”(page 125, lines 41-42). This quote claims Hero has known the luxury of another man’s bed. In this time period, a women’s virginity is all she had. especially since they were considered property. Since, at the time, virginity was so highly regarded Leonato automatically tries to disown his daughter. For example, “Do not live, Hero, do not open thine eyes, For, did I think thou wouldst not quickly die,”(page 131, lines 131-132). There after, Leonato also speaks this, “Let her die!”(page 133, line 163). Now he does not wish to have a disgraced duaghter in his family. After Leonato disowns Hero, the Friar, or this scenes voice of reason, defends Hero by saying these following words, “There is some strange misprision in the princes.”(page 135, line 195). Later, Leonato becomes protective of Hero and states that if any man wrongly accuses her they will have to settle the score with