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Physical And Emotional Abuse In Much Ado About Nothing

616 Words3 Pages

Fights and arguments are a common in relationships. However, in the play “Much Ado about Nothing” physical and emotional abuse are key to relationships. Shakespeare uses his dark side to highlight the physical and emotional violence that occurs during this comedy.
From the beginning of the book, there is already a dark tone set to add to the violent scenes. Some of the very first lines include a metting after a war is over where men have died. These men aparently do not matter because they were, “none of name” (1.1.7). While this has nothing to do with relationships, it sets the bar of how this comedy should be interpreted. With such a dark, demeaning tone set so early on in the play, there is no chance that there will not be more negative aspects. Not too long after, Beatrice and Benedick have a conversation. Although, their …show more content…

During the plot of the comedy, there is more physical and emotional abuse. Hero and Claudio are set to get married when there was a rumor going around claiming that Hero is unfaithful to him. Claudio cruelly reduces Hero by claiming, “There, Leonato, take her back again. Give not this rotten orange to your friend. She’s but the sign and semblance of her honor. Behold how like a maid she blushes here!” (4.1.31-34). This ideal of honor that Claudio wants to pocesses robs him of his compassion for Hero along with her humanity. The public shaming poses threats against the characters pure ideals. Hero is known as the purest character in this play so being falsely accused is way off character for her. She drives her lover through her kindness and faith to Claudio. Being falsely accused causes more emotional insults and physical violence. After the accusations Benedick wants to show Beatrice his love for her, so she tells him to kill his best friend Claudio. These actions increase the violent and dark aspects of the comedy even more. This causes there to be no change in the tone despite the comedic

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She knows the heat of a luxurious bed. Her blush is guiltiness, not modesty” (4.1 35-40) This is very significant because it shows that their trust for eachother is already low, due to the fact that outside forces can easily affect their relationship. Claudio didn’t feel any guilt for the way that he shamed her in front of everyone, Also, the way that Claudio had so much to say about her makes it look like he was already building up distrust against her. Lastly, Despite the argument that they just had, Claudio leaves not only without either of the two getting closure on the situation, he also says (4.1 104-109) But fare thee well, most foul, most fair!

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Moreover, Claudio's quickness on believing that Broachio, who claims to be Hero’s supposed lover, comes to show that he is unworthy of her. On their wedding he publicly shamed her by stating, “Give not this rotten orange to your friend…Behold how like a maid she blushes here” (4.1.32-34). This then causes Leonato to fake Hero’s “death” so that Claudio can grieve her memory and admit that he was wrong on publicly bashing her. Shakespeare’s

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This juxtaposes Claudio and Hero’s relationship is based on purely on physical looks, which are not always truthful. In an opposing manner, Benedick and Beatrice’s relationship was not started from a completely dishonest place. Over years they had built a relationship through passive aggressive remarks rather than physicality, thus ensuring that they would know each other at their core. Therefore in order to move the relationship along it only took light coaxing of the small truths to progress their love. For instance, in Act One Beatrice and Benedick’s “merry war” of arguments is viewed as a type of flirting instead of actual anger or annoyance towards each other (1.1.50-54).

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As the characters are fighting for honor, hatred is another theme that is highlighted in these pieces of literature. In Much Ado About Nothing, the characters are getting ready to get married, and hatred overwhelms Claudio into making irrational decisions. Claudio just rejected Hero and he pushes her to the ground. Hero is confused because she thought she would be happily married, but Hero does not know that Claudio thinks she lost her virginity the night before to someone

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The audience may understand the concept of love and romance flowing within the characters because it was to portrayed that way but the critics would argue the fact that some of the characters like Beatrice and Benedick were made to fall in love with each other through deception. As simple as the characters were, the situations arousing in the play became more complexed as scenes passed by. What led to the trouble and chaos in the play also led to the solution in the end, when Claudio and Don Pedro were deceived into thinking by Don John that Hero was unfaithful. That very same idea also solved the problem in the end when Leonato, Hero’s father, deceived Claudio by making him believe that she is dead and that it is his duty to clear Hero’s name by reading out on her tomb and marrying the said niece who looks just like Hero. Again the plotting against own is present where the said niece turns out to be Hero and she comes back to life again.

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