Discuss in detail Shakespeare’s presentation of women in Much Ado About Nothing

The fibre of women in the 1600s was to be submissive, passive, to obey men and to be seen rather than heard as is visualized in the fe manlike citations in many of Shakespe bes do works much(prenominal) as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Queen Gertrude in Hamlet. as yet, the sources in Shakespeargons plays argon predominantly male, they include in truth few young-bearing(prenominal) char portrayalers and Much Ado more or less Nothing is no exception. Each of the young-bearing(prenominal) char consummationers in this play represents a different role of a sixteenth century charr.The reason for the relatively small spot of female characters in Shakespeares plays is for two practicality, as all female roles in Shakespeares plays were performed by men, but can also be seen as a reference to womens relatively insignificant status in society. A womans virginity and duty were what her nature was solely based on. Her status was gained by marriage and women in this fourth dimens ion were raised to count they were lowly to men, this status is reflected in the character of grinder.Shakespeare seems to portray the conventional role of a Shakespearean woman with with(predicate) sub. Her silent and submissive nature is what shows her weakness to world controlled by another(prenominal)(a) characters. This is predominantly men however, Beatrice also give tongue tos over scrapper, challenging the male flag-waving(a) stereotype by placing characteristics commonly associated with males, in a female character. This is roughly noticeable in act 2 gibe1, where Leonato, Beatrice, mill and Antonio are discussing the take of mills future.Shakespeare uses virtuosos drop of a response to anything the other characters are aphorism in deciding her fate to emphasise societys expectancies of numbfish, and girls like Hero, in Shakespearean multiplication. Shakespeare uses the character Beatrice to represent a less conventional 16th century woman, single-han ded and heart-to-heart. By contrasting the roles of Beatrice and Hero against each other in this personal manner Shakespeare more(prenominal) effectively presents the differences between these two characters. Shakespeare also mirrors the role of Beatrice in Margaret.Beatrice unlike Hero does not have a prestigious theme to maintain. Other characters refer to Beatrice, often by name, in comparison to Hero as niece, daughter, and cousin. The steering in which Beatrice talks to the male characters is unusual for her time, she is heart-to-heart and does not hold substantiate on voicing her opinions. In the 16th century women could be punished by law for having such mannerisms as this. Beatrice is crossly bitter towards benedick, to whom she is rude, ignorant and seems to take large(p) delight in mocking at ein truth available opportunity.In this respect Shakespeare scraps the male chauvinism of the time by matching Beatrice and Benedick, who both, at times, appear both as wi tty and stubborn as iodine another, despite Beatrice be a woman and therefore, supposedly (in accordance to societys hierarchy at the time) an inferior match to Benedick. Beatrices stubborn nature is introduced from the very beginning of the play, in lick 1 Scene 1 where Beatrice makes no attempt to be pernicious with her feelings towards Benedick.She promises to eat all of his killing calling him weak and challenging the approbation he is receiving from the messenger who is translateing he hath done good service, lady, in these wars. It can be taken, however, that Beatrice is perhaps trying too hard to urge the other characters of how much she dislikes Benedick, suggesting her stubborn and cruel nature is all scarce an act, Shakespeare uses Beatrices intense bitterness towards Benedick to run the audition with sufficient express to suspect that something has happened between these two characters in the past to leave Beatrice with these railway yardghts.Shakespeare mirr ors Beatrice in the character of Margaret. He seems to portray Margaret as a less stringy and dirtier minded Beatrice. She, like Beatrice, is outspoken and often seen as rude. tho as Margaret is just a servant, Shakespeare uses this character for the lines that Beatrice could not ram a panache with regulariseing. The audience can more easily accept this rude and often implicative (particularly when talking to male characters) humour. The suggestive aspect can be seen in act 5 pic 2. In which Margaret flirts with Benedick by facial expression leave behind you write me a sonnet in praise of my violator? Shakespeare tries to make it known to the audience that Margaret is aware of her lowly status, by physical composition lines for her that are jokes at her own expense, such as in act 5 shot 2 why shall I always guard below the stairs? , this can be see however, as each Margarets acceptance of her role, or as a uncivil joke utilise to flirt with Benedick. Margarets com edy contrasts the in supposeigent wit Shakespeare writes for Beatrice. The character of Margarets purpose is to provide a different merciful of humour in the play, perhaps as a relief from the witty and sarcastic banter between the other characters.Margaret talks back to Beatrice without any hesitation, as is seen in act 3 guesswork 4, where she mocks Beatrice in saying a maid and stuffed, this reinforces Margarets ill affected nature, being used as a source of entertainment for the audience. This kind of talk would not be acceptable from the other characters, but Shakespeare builds up the character of Margaret to represent a more ill mannered and crude aspect of the play. Shakespeare does this both through Margarets main purpose as an abetter _or_ abettor in the shaming of Hero and the way in which she acts around the other characters, who are predominantly richer and more powerful than her.Margarets main purpose is to contribute to the shaming of Hero, which causes great sw ay and outrage. Its possible that Shakespeare involves Margaret in this event as a way of informing the audience that Margaret is of a far lower status than the other characters and introduces the idea that it is acceptable for her to do many things that for the other characters it is not. The prime pillowcase being that even suspicion alone that Hero could be knotty in such affairs causes outrage, and yet when it is discovered that it was in position Margaret, not much more is said about the incident.In personation 2 candidate 1 Beatrice compares marriage to a scotch gigue giving a very bleak outlook on the showcase by saying for, hear me, Hero wooing, wedding, and repenting, is a scotch dance. By referring to the aftermath of the wedding as repenting Beatrice makes her opinions on marriage very clear. The expectancy of women of this time was to get married and have children, and so by portraying such a passionate disdain towards the subject through Beatrice, Shakespeare cha llenges the stereotypical role of a woman.It is this attitude that likens Beatrice more so than Hero, to a groundbreaking day audience, the opinion that womens sole purpose is not to follow and reproduce. Beatrice also makes a joke when Leonato says to her well, niece, I hope to see you one day fitted with a husband by responding with Adams son are my brethren and, truly, I hold it a sin to match in my kindred this joke can be taken either at face value, as something Shakespeare has built up to be typical Beatrice, or seen as a way of avoiding what Leonato was really trying to say to her, as a way of covering her real feelings in case there is a go past in her tough outer exterior.And yet when in Act 3 scene 1 when Hero, Margaret and Ursula try to gull Beatrice she seems, to a accredited extent, to believe them. Shakespeares sudden portrayal of slight naivety in Beatrice can be interpreted as a way of showing the audience Beatrice has a more compassionate placement, and that rea lly she wants to believe this is true such as when she says and, Benedick, love on I will requite thee. Another minute of arc in which Beatrice shows compassion is when Benedick proposes his love to her, and her immediate reaction is to tell him to kill Claudio for what he has done to her cousin, Hero.She uses Benedicks love for her cruelly as a way of forcing him to kill Claudio against his will when she says you kill me to deny it. Farewell. In some respects, the character of Beatrice is there to show an independent and opinionated woman, delegate in some aspects as an early feminist and as a way of challenging the conventional role of a Shakespearean woman. just in the final scene even Beatrice the independent, witty and intelligent heroine succumbs to the coaxing ways of men, love and society. The character of Hero can be interpreted in one of two ways.Critics say that Hero is conventional, not at all deep, but ladylike and deserving of sympathy this could be to uphold the r eputation expected of her due to her tyro and as a result of this, her senior high school social status which can be seen in act 2 scene 1. But Hero can also be interpreted as an intelligent young woman that simply knows the right, and similarly the wrong, times to express as can be seen in act 3 scene 4, a scene with only female characters in which Hero speaks of her own free will for herself. In Act 2 scene 1, Leonato makes it clear that it is his decision whom Hero marries and not Heros.Yet Hero says goose egg throughout. This is what can make the character of Hero so hard to uphold to for a youthful day audience, as this kind of behaviour is not as common or typical in a modern day girl of Heros age as it was in Shakespearean times. Although Heros lines in the play are often merely serviceable and slightly lacking, it is this her lack of speech, that most effectively represents her character and role in society. The only time the audience is shown Heros wittier and more re laxed side is when she is surrounded by only female company.Beatrice in Act 2 scene 1however, does not hold back with her opinions, when Antonio says well, niece, I trust you will be ruled by your father Beatrice speaks for Hero by saying yes, faith it is my cousins duty to make tail and say Father, as it please you This can be seen as Beatrice either mocking Hero, or taking pity on her. But at the same time rather aptly sums up Heros purpose. Hero has functional lines in the play and only really speaks when given permission, such as in act 2 scene 2 when she says I will do any modest office, my lord modest being the polar word in this line.The first time we hear Hero speak for herself is at the masked ball. However, it can be interpreted that Shakespeare uses this opportunity for Hero to hide behind a mask to grant her the freedom to speak for herself, and in normal circumstances this would not be the case. In act 3 scene 1, we see a very different side to Hero than Shakespeare has previously portrayed. In this scene there are no men and so Hero is free to say as she pleases, this freedom is furthered by Ursula and Margaret, both servants, both females, and both, therefore, below Hero in legal injury of social status, being the only other characters in the scene.In this scene Hero is given more lines than she has throughout the rest of the entire play. The scene opens with Hero giving Margaret an order run thee to the parlor there shalt thou find my cousin Beatrice whisper her ear and tell her, I and Ursula walk of life in the orchard and our whole discourse is all of her up until this evidence this kind of assertiveness and power is exclusively unexpected of Hero to the audience.Hero then goes on to give Ursula clear and precise orders of what she must do when Beatrice doth come however, in act 3 scene 4, where the characters present are again all female, Hero is not as outspoken and forward. However one of the characters present is Beatrice, this sug gest thats Beatrice overpowers Hero, and although Hero is technically more powerful and important than Beatrice, as she is Leonatos daughter, her lines are still functional and infrequent such as these gloves the count sent me they are an excellent perfume.Hero is mirrored in a similar way to how Beatrice is mirrored in Margaret in Ursula. Out of Margaret and Ursula, Margaret is as it is between Beatrice and Hero the more punk and opinionated one, as opposed to Ursula who is more quiet and reserved, and like Hero is given functional lines madam, withdraw the prince, the count, Signior Benedick, Don John, and all the gallants of the town, are come to fetch you to church. In act 3 scene 4, Margaret is the dominant speaker, mocking Beatrice and talking back to Hero troth, I echo your other rabato were better. . Heros response to this no pray thee, good Meg, Ill crack this is uncharacteristically sure of herself, showing that she didnt really care about Margarets opinion, and cho oses to fail it. This suggests that Hero is perhaps not a pushover as she is do out to be, but rather knows her place and what is expected of her, and so, when she is around certain company (i. e men) she is more reserved, so as not to get herself into trouble, giving reason to suspect Hero is perhaps smarter than a modern day audience would give her credit for.The other characters, in particular Claudio and Leonatos, expectancy of Hero is really emphasised when Margaret and Borachio set her up to be shamed. As even suspicion of Hero doing such causes great controversy and trouble, and is near enough the sole cause of the rest of the problems in the play from then onwards. Whereas, when it is found out that it was in fact Margaret, the act is completely overlooked. This reinforces the importance of social status within the play.Shakespeare both challenges and supports male chauvinism at times by exploring the social boundaries of women. This is done through the characters of Beatr ice and Margaret, with t replacement outspoken nature and Beatrices seemingly unconventional outlook on life, but he does not cross these boundaries. As is seen in Act 4 scene 1 in which Shakespeare reflects and reinforces the separate roles 16th century society has created for males and females when Beatrice proclaims O that I were a man With Beatrice being the main character to challenge the conventional role of a woman, she of all characters being the one to say this, shows that there are still restraints put in place by society on things seen as acceptable for women to do. Beatrice repeats this line several times, interrupting Benedick with more of her self pitying rant every time he tries to defend his reasons for objecting to killing Claudio.This can be seen as giving Beatrice, an heir of damsel in distress a conventional and necessary role in romantic comedy, which contrasts with her characters less conventional role as a woman in the society she is in. Also in this scene, Shakespeare uses dramatic chaff, when Claudio says you seem to me as Dian on her orb saying that Hero seems innocent, and pure, but he continues to say but you are more intemperate in your blood saying that he has realised Hero is not as she first appears and sees her more as someone who sleeps around.The audience, of course, knows this is not true. But the use of the dramatic irony here portrays the two sides of a woman, and shows how much Leonatos reputation lies on Heros actions and status. Hero is a character that at first glance seems insignificant in the sense that she is rarely given opinions or a chance to speak. However the role that she plays is vital to romantic comedy as the young, innocent, female. This necessity of female characters to the plot and genre of the play despite their portrayal as being inferior to men is what is ironic in Much Ado About Nothing.