Feminism In Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing

“I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet (NIV).” In today’s society this verse would most likely be seen as an oppressive male dominant society that is out to entrap females and take away the rights of women around the globe. In this context it is easy to see why people would be upset over a statement such as this, due to the way that females are engrained to think in a secular environment. However, this is an important passage of scripture that is displaying how a woman was and is expected to act based on Biblical standards. Rather than trying to push against Christian doctrine, it has become increasingly more important that followers look both internally and externally in order to determine the

There has been some speculation on whether or not Shakespeare agrees with the ideas of modern feminism or not, however evidence within his texts appear to follow the theme that being submissive is an attribute that he appreciates in the ideal woman that he envisions through his literature. A prime example of this controversial biblical characteristic being shown through the works of Shakespeare is through the roles of both Beatrice and Hero in Much Ado about Nothing. Beatrice is the epitome of female strength in Shakespeare. Famous for the clever banter that she shares with Benedick, most modern feminists that study Shakespeare turn to her in order to further their argument against the submission of a woman to a male, of which she is equal to in intelligence and rank. Rather than fall head over heels for the first man that glances her way, Beatrice’s strong and sometimes overbearing personality seems to fit the role of modern feminist very well. Sandra Raney describes Beatrice as one who “demonstrates attributes more often stereotypically associated with the male gender: she is active, independent, assertive—in short,