Gender In Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing

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This study explores the theme of gender in William Shakespeare’s play Much Ado about Nothing both in the traditional and the contemporary society. Gender as a loaded theme is evident in the play, which is shown when different characters are exposed to certain limitations as a result of their gender. However, it is important to point out in this study that gender is different with sexuality, something that many people confuse. Sexuality is concerned with biology, whereas gender is more of the responsibilities and roles that are assigned to people due to their sex. In this regards, there are many expectations laid upon people due to their gender, which is also central in Shakespeare’s play. He uses different stylistic devices to express this as indeed yet to be explored in this study. The target audiences in this study include students of literature who would benefit from the way ideas are explored and communicated, more so in regards to identifying the hidden intended message by the author to his …show more content…

In the play Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare explores the theme of gender and expose the readers to different characters who are facing limitations of different kinds, not because of their personal incapacities, but because of their gender (Shakespeare 3). As has been shown in this study, gender differs from sexuality, since biology has constant characteristics while gender is more leaned to the roles and expectations, and it is important to point out that these expectations and roles change from one generation to another. The gender roles would also differ from one culture to another, but one important thing is that negative gender has been used to discriminate, limit, delineate or lower the strengths of some individuals. The same effect is evident in this play as different characters are denied the independence to do things like other

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