Carol Neeely Misogyny

In her book Broken Nuptials: Wooing and Wedding in Shakespeare's Comedies, Carol Neely argues that "in Shakespearean comedy, if wooing is to lead to a wedding ceremony and consummation of the marriage...misogyny must be exorcised, romantic idealizing affection must be experienced and qualified," however, that is not true; The male characters project their misogynistic tendencies—such as idealizing women who are chaste, loyal, and modest, and holding all other women to those standards, on female characters—before, and after marriage. Most women, such as Hero, are forced to yield to the men but, Beatrice avoids the expected fate of a wife by retaining her wit and constantly asserting herself.

In the case of Benedick, he is not married yet,

Initially, it seems that Claudio triumphs over Hero in the first wedding scene because he shames her based on false information and gets away with it at the time. Talking to Benedick and Don Pedro about his affection for Hero, Claudio says, "Is she not a modest young lady" (1.1 128) and "In mine eye she is the sweetest lady that/ ever I looked on (1.1 148-149). Claudio holds Hero to a standard despite knowing nothing about her. In 'The Sign and Semblance of Her Honor': Reading Gender Difference in Much Ado about Nothing, Carol Cook says that, "The masculine, in the world of the play, is the place of speaking and reading subjects, of manipulators and interpreters of signs" (Cook 190). Hero is interpreted by Claudio before and during her marriage, as well as, manipulated by Don Jon and Borachio when they scheme against her to make her seem like she cheated on Claudio. Before Don Jon even presents "evidence" to Claudio that Hero cheated, Claudio says, "Tomorrow in the congregation, where I should wed, there will I shame her" (3.3 117-118). Despite lack of a defense from Hero, Claudio plans to immediately shame her at the wedding if Don John confirms what he says before him. Claudio's hast to humiliate Hero is indicative of the distrust of women inherent in the men in Messina. Don Pedro adds fuel to the fire by telling Claudio, "I will

Claudio calls Hero out on her alleged transgressions by attacking his image of her. He says, "All you that see her, that she were a maid, By these exterior shows? But she is none. She knows the heat of a luxurious bed. Her blush is guiltiness, not modesty" (4.1 39-42). He takes her blushing to mean that she is guilty and tries to convince the bystanders of that. Claudio goes as far as to convince Hero's father, Leonato that she is guilty as well. Leonato, instead of keeping in mind what he knows about his daughter, doubts her, and says "Myself would, on the rearward of reproaches, strike at thy life" (4.1 134-135) if she did what she's being accused of. Hero's innocence is placed in the hands of a male, the friar, and she is interpreted by him as well. He deems her innocent because he looks at her and says he knows the difference between an innocent and a guilty