More handpicked essays just for you.
Characterization of women in Shakespeare
The role of women in Shakespeare's plays
The role of women in Shakespeare's plays
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
The deception is woven when Hero and Ursula pretend that they aren't aware of Beatrice's presence. Likewise, Beatrice believes that Hero and Ursula are clueless about her presence. Beatrice then eavesdrops on their conversation and finds out through their deceit that Benedick is hopelessly in love with her. Beatrice falls into the trap and she acknowledges her true feelings for Benedick; stating: Although Benedick and Beatrice are deceived and lied to, these deceptions are really benign as there is an honourable motive behind it; their friends see through their self-deceptions and want to bring them together as they rightfully should be. When the deceptions are revealed, Benedick and Beatrice's relationship has already blossomed and bloomed; they truly are in love and justice prevails as the lovers are finally united. This deception unquestionably plays a significant role in the positive …show more content…
resolution of Benedick and Beatrice's relationship. They ultimately develop a mature and emotionally stable relationship as a direct result of the deception. On the contrary, the play also presents deception in its ugliest form: malicious, hurtful, and disguised with foul motives that appear fair and just.
As expected, this type of malicious deception finds its roots from Don John, the villain, who plays an essential role for nearly all of the evil trickery and deception in this play. He acts as a catalyst and an instigator for trouble whose sole aim is to ruin the love and happiness between Claudio and Hero to get revenge on his brother and Claudio. Don John, with the help of his henchman Borachio, devise a way to make it seem as if Hero has had an affair with Borachio. They set it up so that it would be discovered by Claudio the night before the wedding is to take place. Don John tricks Don Pedro and Claudio into seeing Borachio and Margaret (unwittingly involved in the deception as Hero) at Hero's window. Don John seems fair; a man who cares about his friends, a dutiful brother who is worried about Don Pedro's honor (as he set up the marriage) and Claudio's as well. He informs Don Pedro and Claudio about Hero's
unfaithfulness: Here, Claudio and Don Pedro have the supposed evidence in front of them and neither of them seems to recognize how deceptive appearances can be. Don John takes advantage of the ill-founded trust that Don Pedro and Claudio have him and how he is back in the grace of the Prince. He acts as a true friend and he takes advantage of the trust people have in him to deceive. However, he is not who he seems to be as he is foul and a villain As the audience knows, he will do anything to cause discord and get back at his brother. For indeed, his deceptions seem fair but are foul and malicious as they end up hurting many people and almost causing this comedy to become a tragedy. In the end, justice prevails when the truth about Don John's plot is revealed. After Borachio unwittingly revealed the plot in the presence of watchmen, Don John gets what he deserved as the villain is caught and captured. Therefore, by revealing the true nature of the situation, the hidden motives are understood and the quote “fair is foul and foul is fair” is highlighted. The audience comes to understand how Shakespeare uses the theme of appearance vs reality to manifest deceptions and to remind them that things are not always what they seem.
Hero is resembled by Claudio as a “well-mannered young lady” who is content with her own unchangeable, elegant personality. This quote shows Hero is matron, and consistent of her elegance throughout the book and it is because of her personality that causes Claudio to be drawn to her. Claudio on the other hand, admits to Don Pedro that he is “hasty in (his) emotions”, which resembles his skeptical and uncertain personality when it comes to actually admitting his love for Hero. This evidence supports how Claudio is unsure of himself, and because of Claudio’s doubtful and unsure qualities he is quick to believe Don John when he says Hero has been unfaithful. Nevertheless, Claudio and Hero’s differences in the play it stirs up the plot and conflict, but it is their similarities and strong willed love that draws them together in the
In was in Act 2 Scene 3, when Don John came up to both Claudio and his brother Don Pedro to discuss what he saw, Hero “supposedly” cheating on Claudio with another man the night before their wedding. Even though Claudio is naturally very gullible and naive, he first trusted Don John, who is known as the “Bastard,” when he was told that Hero was cheating on him and not Hero, herself. Also, in Act 4 Scene 1, the actual wedding day is when Claudio confronted her in front of an entire audience when Hero clearly states that what he speaks is completely false information given by Don John. Hero said, “I talk’d with no man at the hour, my lord.” (85) The non-exist amount of trust and loyalty they have for each other is unimaginable
The difference between Beatrice,Benedick,and the other two Claudio and Hero though is that, these two are very headstrong characters with a different outlook on love, but have very much love for one another. Benedick believes in just being a bachelor and spending the rest of his life messing with as many women as he pleases, well as for Beatrice she believes there is no man good enough and willing to show her the love she wants so she much rather be left alone. But the fact that they honestly want to believe what they say is what makes this get way more interesting. What they don’t know is that they are going to soon become curious trying to figure out what they truly feel for one
Benedick and Beatrice both benefit from the deceit that they encounter. At first, both are enemies in a battle of insults and wit, until they are each fooled into thinking that the other loves them. When Benedick hears that Beatrice is supposedly attracted to him, he thinks that it is “a gull, but that the white-bearded fellow speaks it: knavery cannot, sure, hide itself in such reverence” (111). Little does he know, Leonato, the "white-bearded fellow," is also in on the joke (111). Benedick starts to admire her when he is aware that Beatrice might actually be attracted to himself, as well. She is also astonished when she first hears that he loves her. However, when Beatrice comes to terms with their affection, she hopes "Benedick [will] love on... And [she] Believe it better than reportingly" (134). In other words, she falls in love with Benedick as soon as she believes that he, too, is fond of her. They each start to fall in love with one another under the pretense that other was hiding their affection from them. Now that they are both in love, they start to open up to each other and prove that the deception they endured was worth it in the end.
Meanwhile, Borachio and Don John meet to discuss the plan. Don John says "...be cunning in the working this, and the fee is a thousand ducats." (II. iii. 51-52). Borachio hatches a plan to use Hero's waiting gentlewomen Margaret by sleeping with her and calling her Hero to lead Claudio to believe that Hero is un-chaste. He then uses Don John to find Claudio and Don Pedro. Don John leads them to see Borachio and Marga...
Don John’s follower Borachio reports to Don John, leading to a first attempt of deception to be set up by Don John. The news goes to Don John who says “ Come, come, let us thither. This is food to my displeasure. That young start-up hath all the glory of my overthrow. If I can cross him any way, I bless myself every way…” (Shakespeare 15). Don John immediately sees this plan as an opportunity to do harm both to Claudio- honored for his actions against Don John- and to Don Pedro. Don John is setting the tone of his character as a villain while his brother Don Pedro, is the prince and is very active in the other character’s
When Benedick hears that Claudio has fallen in love for Hero, he is enraged. He thought that Claudio would live a bachelor’s life like him. Benedick tells him that men who are in love are not masculine. Near the end of Act IV, Benedick’s complete change is evident when Benedick chooses love over friendship. Benedick challenges Claudio, previously his closest friend in the world, to duel to the death over Claudio’s accusation as to Hero’s unethical behavior. After Beatrice complains to him about Claudio’s mistake, Benedick gives in, “Enough, I am engaged. I will challenge him.” At this point, there is no doubt that Benedick has switched his allegiances entirely over to Beatrice. But then again, Benedick was relieved that Hero was proved guilty so he would not have to fight his close friend Claudio.
Shakespeare’s introduction of the other couple in question is in stark contrast to the way in which Beatrice and Benedick were introduced. Claudio and Hero are amorously receptive to one and other from the very start. Upon laying eyes on Hero, Claudio remarks of her to Benedict “is she not a modest young lady?” (1.1.125). Clearly, by having Claudio express his fondness of Hero to Benedick, the playwright directly compares the older and more cynical to the more young and naive, allowing the reader to see the contrasting personas of the two men. This is reinforced by Benedick, who after finishing listening to Claudio’s rhetoric on the charms of the young Hero (“in m...
Telling her gentlewomen that Benedick loves Beatrice is her secret and it just so happens that Beatrice overhears, because it was. all planned that she should overhear. In this scene, Hero is dominant. in the conversation and says whole paragraphs instead of a few words that she says sporadically throughout the play, like in Act 1 scene 1. where she only says one line in the whole scene, "My cousin means Signor Benedick of Padua. " Page 5, line 27.This is because she needs.
The beginning of the play shows Claudio, on numerous occasions, as gullible and paranoid that everyone is against him. When Don John tells Claudio that Don Pedro has wooed Hero for himself he responds by saying, ““But hear these ill news with the ears of Claudio. Tis’ certain so. The Prince woos for himself” (Shakespeare 24.) This quote shows that Claudio often puts his trust in the wrong people. He takes the word of an enemy, who he has already defeated in battle, over someone who fought along side him and is supposedly his best friend. It also shows how naïve Claudio can be and how easily he will take what others say as the truth without using his better judgment. In this quote, Claudio proves how fast he can turn against someone, even one of his best friends, when he hears they have wronged him. When Don John accuses Hero of being unfaithful to Claudio he says, “If I see anything tonight w...
Tricking her to believe that Don Pedro himself has feelings for Hero: ‘I will assume thy part in disguise, and tell fair Hero that I am Claudio, and in her bosom I’ll unclasp my heart, and take her hearing prisoner with the force and strong encounter of my amorous tale. Then after, to her father will I break: and the conclusion is, she shall be thine.’ - Don Pedro. o (Act I, Scene I: Lines 276 - 282). It is reported to Don John by Borachio that “…The Prince should woo Hero for himself, and having obtained her, give her to Count Claudio.
Hero and Claudio represent the Elizabethan norm in marriage. Claudio is the shrewd, hardheaded fortune hunter and Hero is the modest maiden of conduct books and marriage manuals, a docile young woman. It is important to note that Claudio is more concerned with advancement in Don Pedro's army than he is with love. Therefore, Shakespeare illustrates to the reader through the near tragedy of mistaken identity that Claudio must learn that marriage is more than a business arrangement and become worthy of Hero's love and affection. Source: Ranald, Margaret Loftus. "As Marriage Binds, and Blood Breaks: English Marriage and Shakespeare". Shakespeare Quarterly. Vol 30, 1979: 68-81.
Both of them despise marriage, are witty, and are each their own people. These, however, are not the reasons why they come together. They are brought together by their respective companions who conspire to tell each of them that the one loves the other as the two misdirected lovers listen in. In his speech directly after this, Benedick is swayed to a life that he previously would have avoided at all costs. In hearing of Beatrice’s supposed affection, he immediately changes his entire outlook on perpetual bachelorhood and pronounces a love that is not real or his own, but comes secondhand from trickery.
Don John uses his ability to convince Claudio, Don Pedro that Hero was disloyal by having Borachio and Conrad help impersonate Hero. When Don John learns about Hero getting married and him and Borachio hatch a plan he tells Borachio, "Grow this to what adverse issue it can, I will put it in practise. Be cunning in the working this, and thy fee is a thousand ducats" (Crowther), telling him to be good and cunning, and he will get 1000 of money. Don John wants to ruin everyones lives because feels that everyone is against him. Also he feels that he needs to be more self-centered. Though he tries to ruin the relationship, he ends up having to run away, but gets caught at the end of the book. Don John starts messing people up, but in the end being deceptive doesn't work out for him. Another Don John trait was him being renounced or him leaving people in the dust. Don John was a person who liked taking advantage of people. For example, Don John leaving Conrad and Borachio to be arrested. Don John also was renounced because he was the illegitimate child. He continued renouncing people after him, Claudio, and Don Pedro returned from the war at the beginning of the
To begin with, Don John from the beginning is the guy who says he is as corrupt as a sinner and he plots to raze Don Pedro's plan to woo Hero. He also uses Borachio to get what he wants. Don John after learning about Don Pedro's plan says, “If I can cross him any way, I bless myself every way. You are both sure, and will