Gender Roles In Much Ado About Nothing

When considering the portrayal of gender roles is worth taking a look at the minor characters in Nothing Much To Do. Although the male characters are of as much interest as female ones, it is the minor roles that leave much room for creativeness in adaptations, but are often overlooked by criticism.
In Much Ado About Nothing, Ursula and Margaret are Hero 's waiting women and make few appearances in the play. They are present in the dance scene (2.1) where they have a more or less comedic function; While Balthazar and Margaret flirt playfully, Ursula dances with Antonio, Leonato 's brother who has been dropped completely in Nothing Much To Do, and addresses the issue of masquerading and pretending, a reoccurring topic in the play; Ursula recognizes Antonio by his mannerisms despite the mask covering his face. This could suggest that some of the intrigues are more transparent than they seem. It contrasts the exchange between Beatrice and Benedick, who are next to come

Finally, there is Cora Anderson who, like Verges, replaces a male character in Much Ado About Nothing. Originally, Conrade is one of Don John 's henchmen, although his exact role in the intrigue remains unclear. Likewise, Cora does not seem to contribute to the plan directly, other than hanging out with Meg because John tells her to („A Scandal in Messina“, 2:09), but is a confidant. She seems to be interested in John on a more personal level, although she herself claims that he is the one running after her („Trouble Is Our Business“, 0;46). They are seen together at several occasions, including Pedro 's party. It is worth noting that one of the two scenes in Much Ado About Nothing which is defining for Conrade 's character does not happen on screen in Much Ado About Nothing; in 1.3 Conrade inquires Don John about the reason for his melancholy and advises him to show more self-control. He seems to be more concerned with Don John 's situation than Borachio, whose motivations are