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Gender Identity In Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing

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In modern society, humans have come to judge each other off of superficial characteristics. These superficial characteristics are often a result of facticity, or characteristics people are unable to change about themselves, or at least not easily, because these qualities are evident from the time of birth. Opinions are commonly formed about people based off of two specific characteristics-- their gender and their socioeconomic status. These elements also frequently serve as a basis for how to interact with other people. These elements turn into an identity, such as being a middle class male, which shape the status of a person in society. This form of identity is not only prevalent in real life, but also in literature, films, and theatre. Shakespeare, in his play Much Ado About Nothing, highlights the way both gender identity and socioeconomic …show more content…

It was not looked down upon for him to rescind his love so quickly from a woman who he originally believed to be “the sweetest lady that ever [Claudio] looked on” and ultimately decide she is no longer worthy of his love (1:1:183-184). Claudio can easily rid his mind and heart of a woman who is unloyal in order to find himself a new, more worthy companion. This only works, however, because he is a male. If the same had happened to Hero, she would have been expected, as a result of the gender norms created by society, to remain quiet about the affair and continue with the marriage. Not only does gender impact the actions of and reactions to characters in the play, but socioeconomic status does as well. Two of the characters in Much Ado About Nothing that highlight the relationship between socioeconomic identity and the way they are treated are Friar Francis and Dogberry. Both of the men play a major role in the way the events of the play unfold, but neither receives much recognition for their impact, which can be attributed to their lack of

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Hero had chosen to accept Claudio’s proposal and claimed to have fallen in love with

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Meaning she directly tells Benedick to physically prove his love for her. Hero on the other hand, settles for Claudio without as much as a proper conversation. Even after Claudio publically shames her and calls her “... an approved wanton”(Shakespeare 154). Claudio calls her a glorified slut. Even after Claudio ruins her life, and forces her to go into hiding,

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William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing is set in the Elizabethan period. Honor during the period was established by a male’s social status/reputation, a woman’s ability to control their sexuality/purity, and a woman’s association with their father and husband. In the Elizabethan society, a man is honorable when they have shown courage and have a high social status. A woman's chastity is the most vital part of a woman and shows her honor.

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However, the male characters’ want for strength and control influences many of the actions and conversations that are had. The short play exposes how the male characters’ masculinity affects the way the women act, are treated, view situations, and view their worth. Firstly, the actions of the female characters are greatly influence by the male characters’ masculinity. Masculinity is revealed within the first piece of

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When Claudio is, again, tricked by Don John and believes Hero is cheating on him, instead of actually speaking to her, or making sure it was actually her since he did not see her face, he decides to take a more immature and unusually shabby approach. Claudio decides his plan of action, and tells Don Pedro and Don John, “If I see anything tonight why I should not marry her, tomorrow in the congregation, where I should wed, there will I shame her” (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 96-98). In this explanation, Claudio states if he does ‘catch’ her cheating, he will go through with the wedding ceremony the next day, but only to publicly shame her. Instead of just breaking off the engagement or confronting her, he chooses to go through with the incredibly spiteful action. The way Claudio handles situations is undeniably unreasonable; there are possibilities of him acting irrationally in the future when he and Hero are married, which could create a rift in their marriage.

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The play Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare is based in the Elizabethan Era which was a time when women had little input in decisions while men dominated society. The difference in power between the two sexes is shown in this play displaying how little power women had over their own lives. The character Beatrice who is one of the most powerful women in Shakespeare’s plays shows her disdain for this fact throughout the play trying to regain some sense of power over her own life. During the Elizabethan Era the social and educational opportunities for women were quite limited most women during this time could only be a maid or a cook; women could write literature but they were rarely published.

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Don John, the Prince’s brother, creates a plan to show Count Claudio that Hero is impure. Unlike the plan for Beatrice and Benedict, this plan is less complicated because Don John is only trying to help Claudio and not hurt him. Shakespeare uses this concept to show that men trust men but will not trust women. It also shows that men in this time period are willing to not marry someone due to their virginity and shame them. This shaming is shown in the wedding scene when Claudio says no to marrying Hero at the wedding and then goes on a rampage of anger destroying the wedding pews and mocking Hero in front of everyone.

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The characters in the play reveal some of the gender stereotypes through the way they are presented in the beginning of the play, “The sheriff and Hale are men in the middle life… They are followed

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The human psyche seeks to find common ground amongst peers, and, as part of this herd mentality, an early distinction was created to separate men and women. As with any distinct groups, certain traits come to define members, based on their traits and ideals: this reality creates the mental interpretation of gender identity. Although some nowadays would assert that gender identity has never been a bigger issue, Shakespeare uses Hamlet to thoroughly investigate the topic, draw his own conclusions, and share these conclusions with his audience hundreds of years ago. The struggles each character faces paint Shakespeare’s thoughts on the role of gender identity in everyday life. Men in the play, including Hamlet, Claudius, Polonius, Laertes, and

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Hero, nevertheless, falls in love with Claudio the first time she laid eyes on him and was ready to tie the knot, as that was the expected thing to

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In author Jane Austen 's 1813 romance novel Pride and Prejudice, social class stereotypes play a very key part when affecting the rolls of the Bennet sisters. Very clear distinctions between people who are grouped into classes are shown throughout the novel by characters of different classes stereotyping against others. This causes problems for many of the main characters who often fails to meet the social standards of others and stereotypes others themselves When it comes to social stereotypes Elizabeth Bennet, the second oldest Bennet sister, is no stranger. Throughout the novel her mother is often reminding her how to properly dress and correcting her on her manners.

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At that time in history, the status quo and social norm was simple. Patriarchy was the predominant force as men were regarded as superior to women, both in society as well as the relationship scene. Shakespeare attempted to change this perception through his multiple works of literature. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare uses the theme of gender roles to express the idea that the status quo and social norm in the Elizabethan era can be challenged through courtship, father-daughter relationships, and wedlock. The play commences with the courtship of multiple individuals.

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Shakespeare’s play, Much Ado About Nothing, is a play about multiple relationships. Hero and Claudio are the first relationship, and Beatrice and Benedick are the other relationship. The play talks about the ideal traits of a couple in the Shakespearian time period. Times have changed, as couples have evolved and have generally become less “traditional”. Back in the day, the female would submit to the male.

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It may seem like Shakespeare treats his female characters worse than his male characters, but it is his female characters that drive the plot

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In today’s world, gender expectations and roles of men and women are a highly debated topic. However, the reconsidering of these expectations is not a new phenomenon. Set in Verona, Italy, the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare explores the reversal and fluidity of characteristics usually assigned to a specific gender. In this play, two young people fall in love and end up tragically taking their lives as a result of their forbidden love. Shakespeare suggests that men are not necessarily masculine, women are not necessarily feminine, and that when people are forced by society to act the way their gender is “supposed” to, problems will arise.

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