Gender and Honor in the Elizabethan Era

During the 17th century or better known as the Elizabethan era, honor was imperative in order to keep ones status in society powerful. Honor was what let them hold their titles to their names. However, gender differences also played a role when differentiating honor between men and women. It is illustrated throughout the play that, “Shakespeare portrays the difference as due to gender, not character” (Daalder 1). For men, going to war and fighting in battles was what held their nobility. As for women, it was their pureness, loyalty, and virginity that. “Unmarried women were supposed to be obedient to their masters and remain virginal until marriage” (Yerebakan 8), if their honor were put at risk in any way then their honor would be lost. In

Shakespeare's, Much Ado About Nothing, Claudio shames Hero's honor in front of everyone during their wedding ceremony. The reason for this was because Claudio was told a lie that Hero was disloyal that he believed. The truth behind this was that Claudio was tricked into believing Hero was disloyal. The significance of honor in Much Ado About Nothing is a vital aspect in differentiating males and females. Through, male and female honor, public shaming, and the symbol of Hero’s death, Shakespeare demonstrates that honor does more harm than good.
To begin with, male honor was what gave a man pride and integrity during the Elizabethan era. Without this virtue, a man had no recognition and without recognition it meant he was characterless. Male honor was established by mainly two conditions; the first being that he was a soldier and fought in battles and wars. The second condition to establish honor was by the associations he had with acquaintances. The more a man would associate himself with noblemen, the greater honor he would compass. If a male had these two conditions achieved then he was set and no one would be able to demolish that reputation. It would be challenging for one to degrade a man’s reputation because a man had the option to protect and defend his or his family’s honor. A man had the option of saving his nobility by either fighting in a duel or battle as is illustrated in Much Ado About Nothing.
Additionally, Claudio’s character is seen as a young soldier in the play that falls in love with a girl named Hero after returning from war.

Claudio is recognized for the battles he has fought under a vital acquaintance Don Pedro, who is a powerful nobleman. Claudio obtains the two conditions of achieving honor. He has fought in a battle and he has a powerful nobleman as an acquaintance. Being an honorable man, it will be difficult to shame him in any way. Nevertheless, when Don John tells a lie that Hero is disloyal he quickly assumes the worst. Claudio is advised to protect his honor, "Wonder not till further: go but with me to-night, you shall see her chamber-window entered, even the night before her wedding-day: if you love her then, to-morrow wed her; but it would better fit your honour to change your mind" (III.ii). If Claudio marries a woman that is disloyal before her wedding day, that would bring shame to him and his family. The nobility he had attained would then be destroyed if people would discover that he had married a woman who was not pure. Daalder claims that for these actions Claudio is in fact immature and when the events in the play test him out, he fails to prove the characterization of being immature inaccurate (2). Claudio finds him self to be an honorable man, but then is so quick to believe rumors, proving he is essentially the opposite of being

honorable.
On the other hand, female honor unlike male honor is distinctive in the sense that her loyalty and virginity is what gives her innocence and recognition. Yerebakan stated, “The view of women as an object or property with very little individual rights of their own was deeply rooted in the Elizabethan society” (7). This demonstrates that women during the Elizabethan era had little to no rights and they were “inferior to men” (Yerebakan 7). Besides, if women were inferior to men, it would be almost impossible to defend their honor. Since men were superior it would be meaningless for a woman to even try to defend her pride to them. Yet, in some circumstances, as seen in Much Ado About Nothing, it could mean that an innocent reputation was destroyed and for that the truth needs prevail in order to gain back that honor that was once there and so easily destroyed by lies and deceit. Moreover, there was one method of a woman gaining back her pride if she had lost it through lie or deceit. If a woman was innocent, but is shamed for being not, she can have a man fight for her innocence if it is believed that she is truly honest.
Hero is a portrayed as kind, elegant, and pure in the play. She is the daughter of Leonato, who is a noble man and governor of the city of Messina, in which the play takes place. She quickly falls in love with Claudio and plans to be married to him. However, when she is shamed in front of everyone by Claudio, her graciousness of being pure is quickly demolished. Yerebakan explains, “It is well understood that in Shakespeare’s time, chastity and virginity of an upper class woman like Hero at the time of her marriage carried a great significance for her social standing as well as for the reputation of her entire family” (6). If they did not remain virginal until they were married both their honor and their family’s honor would be destroyed. Hero was accused of infidelity and to everyone that meant that she did not remain a virgin before marriage. This not only brought shame upon her, but her family as well. Though, this was not the case and Hero became a victim of an unseemly lie.
During the Shakespearean era, “Public humiliation and defamation is deliberately used as a form of social punishment, closely connected to loss of honour and loss of reputation” (Yerebakan 7). Claudio publicly shames Hero in front of a crowd of people and the humiliation she went through should not be taken lightly, “Claudio’s outburst against Hero has exposed the potential for cruelty and violence in Messina’s masculine order so unequivocally that resolution would seem to depend on some kind of confrontation with the fears and assumptions of which Hero has been a victim” (Cook 14). Even if Hero’s innocence is proved, the public shame will torment her and her family, “Even in death, Hero’s mother’s reputation, every woman’s reputation, remains insecure, no less in early modern England than in the Middle Ages” (Kehler 4). Despite the death of Hero or any woman whose honor was sabotaged, their reputation of having perished their honor would follow them and their families. Once Hero’s father Leonato, hears of the indictments of his daughter, he immediately believes that it is true. With that, he believes that death is the only way to get rid of the perished honor his daughter has brought upon his family, “Death is the fairest cover for her shame” (V.i). Even her own father would choose death of his daughter in order to protect his own honor. Cook claims, “Shakespeare unequivocally touches on honor crime where father Leonato desperately wishes his daughter Hero dead on the erroneous suspicion that she talked with a vile man at her window and therefore she has brought shame and dishonor on the family name" (197). Hero’s dishonor even if she was innocent is what leads to her death.
The symbol of the death of Hero is a significant aspect throughout the play. Claudio’s accusations against Hero’s loyalty and graciousness are very powerful. His allegations caused Hero’s honor to be demolished despite her innocence. Since men were superior, Claudio’s word was believed and Hero does not have the chance to defend herself or her pride. However, once it is believed that Hero is honest and she was not disloyal it was too late. The only way for Hero to reclaim her honor is to die in a figurative approach and for Benedick, Claudio’s friend to fight in a duel for her honor. “Similarly, from an antiquarian perspective, Beatrice's cry, "Kill Claudio," is a demand for a champion to challenge Claudio and fight for Hero's honor” (Kehler 2). Everyone had to believe that Hero actually died and that her chastity has died with her, “The former Hero! Hero that is dead (V.iv), in order for her to live on. Claudio, including the rest had to mourn her death as if it were a true death. Furthermore, the duel signifies that Hero is in fact loyal and still holds her chastity. Even though Hero cannot overtake her own honor, it can be done by Benedick fighting for it, “Benedick’s safety is assured by Hero’s honesty” (Kehler 3). In this case, Hero will then be reborn and would be able to claim her pureness once again.
To conclude, distinction of male and female honor is preeminent during the Elizabethan era and as illustrated in Much Ado About Nothing, gender differences and honor do more harm than good. Innocence of a young, pure girl’s name was tarnished due to a young man’s false indictments. Her honor of being disloyal and impure was demolished in which she could never acquire in the same manner once more. Even though honor was an imperative attribute of a person, it only brought upon shame, humiliation, and false accusations without confirmation of what the actuality is.