Gender Sterotypes defined by Benedick and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare’s writing reflected and at times emphasized the gender oriented stereotypical roles and responsibilities of the English Renaissance. However, many Shakespearean characters including Benedick and Beatrice of Much Ado About Nothing challenged the standard image and characteristics of men and women.

During the Renaissance period, males were seen as the leaders of society who were supposed to be the decision makers and breadwinners for their families. Men were regarded as the biologically, physically, mentally, economically, and politically superior gender compared to women. Because he abandoned his male friends and more importantly challenges the traditional gender roles, Benedick would be considered a womanish man in his time. Shakespearean society was clearly a patriarchal one in which women were expected to be subordinate to men not the reverse. However, Benedick goes against the ideologies of his own era when he repeatedly believed the women over the men in the play and obeyed the orders of women. For example, he stayed at Hero’s wedding and believed her protes...