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Gender Roles In William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing

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William Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing plays with gender roles fluidly through the characters’ behavior. Leonato portrays fluid gender roles, a character rarely paid attention to. Taking on a feminine role by breaking the stereotypical male model of the Elizabethan era by having compassion for his daughter. Hero has matured in a male-dominated world and has a lack of a female role model, Leonato takes on a feminine role. The Elizabethan era has stereotypical gender roles, but as the play moves on we see changes in the characters attitudes by saying O Fate! take not away thy heavy hand. / Death is the fairest cover for her shame / That may be wished for (IV.i. 117-119). At first Leonato immediately fits into the typical male of the era and makes judgments to Hero when Claudio makes his claim that Hero is not pure. Leonato believes Claudio without question and at first wishes that his daughter was dead because of the dishonor she has caused. Still willing at all costs to defend Hero’s honor not thinking of his own honor. Leonato loves his daughter unconditionally, and it shows with him doing actions that the typical male of the Elizabethan Century wouldn’t have thought of. …show more content…

With the absence of the motherly roles, Leonato is forced to fill in for that role. By Shakespeare writing “If they speak but the truth of her, / These hands shall tear her; if they wrong her honor, / The proudest of them shall well hear of it.” (IV.i. 196-198). Leonato is interested in truth rather than listening to the allegations that are pressed against his daughter Hero. Rather than embracing the stereotypical attitude of the Elizabethan era, which would be killing or disowning her because Hero brought shame to the family name. Breaking this stereotype shows that Leonato has a caring aspect of his parenthood because he has to fill in for the absence of a mother

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