Much Ado About Nothing Character Analysis Essay “And when I lived, I was your other wife, And when you loved, you were my other husband(Shakespeare 60).” In the beginning of the play it was overwhelming, steeped in love at first sight between Hero and Claudio, until Don John’s evil-manner took a role in ruining the love between them. And because of this a conflict developed between them, but was resolved when their vigorous love for one another overcame the conflict. In Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, Hero serves as the foil character of Claudio because of Hero’s dignified, well-mannered, eminent reputation is illuminated through Claudio’s insecure, accusing, and doubtful weakness; thereby, interminably influencing the conflict in the plot. …show more content…
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
Furthermore, there is much nicer relationships. The relationship is between Claudio and Hero. Their relationship is nothing close to
Beatrice asks, Does it make any sense to write and tell him I love you when I have always treated him with scorn?” (2.3.31-34). In this quote all Claudio was saying was that Hero had told him that Beatrice had confessed to her that she was in love with Benedick but was not sure how to let him know That all changed when family and friends helped them both realized they have always been in love with one another. As for Claudio and Hero they are a couple who see eye to eye knowing they are perfect for one another. Even though they had an antagonist that did not want to see them happily married such as Don John, they were able to let it pass and end up happily
as they are told, and as Hero, Claudio’s future wife, had not been. faithful and therefore disrespectful, the blame was shifted to her. However, this was embarrassing for Claudio, and his anger was. great, making him seem aggressive. As the play begins to end.
Transformations inherently contain traces of the author’s social and cultural context. Much of the same can be applied to “Much ado about nothing”. It incorporates comical features, yet retains the sense of tragedy which is attached to almost all of Shakespeare’s plays. Brain Percival’s role as a director, was determining, understanding and distinguishing the social norms and the social structure of the society, and how the themes represented in the play can be transformed into a modern text. The Elizabethan society was typically a patriarchal society. Percival has used as well as transformed certain themes and textual features to ensure, that the film is more appealing and assessable to the critical modern audience.
Shakespeare shows how important it is in the relationship between Claudio and Hero. Twice in the play Claudio was tricked into believing that someone he loves has questionable character by a person who he knows is evil. Claudio is gullible enough to be tricked when Don John leads him to believe that his friend is wooing Hero for himself rather than for his sake. Claudio believes that his friend Don Pedro is wooing the girl he loves for himself, he says “Tis certain so; the prince woos for himself.Friendship is a constant in all other things save in the office and affairs of love”(Shakespeare 2.1 52-54). If Claudio would trust his friend he would never be able to be tricked by Don John. Claudio lets himself be fooled by Don John more than
William Shakespeare said: “Women may fall when there's no strength in men” (Romeo and Juliet). Throughout history gender role have been a big, whether someone is a feminist or someone believes there is no equality between males and females; everyone has different opinions when it comes to the matter of gender roles. The same thing can be said about William Shakespeare who was a feminist (Shakespeare of Stratford). This ideology can be seen in his play Much Ado about Nothing. In this comedy Shakespeare focuses on two pairs of lovers named Claudio and Hero who are set to be married in a week but before their marriage day, they plan to conspire with Don Pedro, the prince of Aragon to trick their friends Beatrice and Benedick to admit their love for each other. Don John, the brother of Don Pedro, meanwhile plots to prevent marriage of Claudio and Hero by accusing Hero of being unfaithful. Don John initially succeeds in his plan as Hero is accused and ashamed at the marriage ceremony, but at the end Claudio and Hero are united and marry each other. Also, Beatrice and Benedick finally declare their love for each and dance at the end of the play. Shakespeare uses a lot of sources for this comedy and one of them is “Orlando Furioso” written in 1591, which gave Shakespeare the idea of Hero and Claudio’s marriage and Don John’s plot to prevent it. Another source Shakespeare used to write the play is the courtier written in 1588, which gave him the idea of the romance between Beatrice and Benedick. And also “La Prima de la Novelle” written in 1554 by Matteo Bandello gave Shakespeare the idea of putting the setting in Messina, Italy (Shakespeare in quarto). Because Shakespeare was a feminist, some of the women appear as supporting and central...
Upon returning from war, Claudio saw a young woman named Hero that he had seen before going to fight, and felt a strong attraction to her. Claudio expressed to Bene*censored* his attraction to Hero, Leonato's daughter, and Bene*censored*, with a mouth as loose as oiled hinge immediately told Don Pedro of the attraction. Don Pedro, being much closer to Leonato than any of the other veterans were, told the governor Leonato about Claudio, who in turn informed his daughter Hero of him, all with the lightning speed of gossip. Claudio's attraction to Hero is described by Shakespeare with skill as he puts emphasis on the Claudio-Hero relationship that is forming but at the same time keeps it in the background. Claudio is clearly attracted to Hero's outer beauty and knows nothing of her inner beauty, but after conversing with his friend Bene*censored* and then Don Pedro he decides he will marry Hero.
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.
In answer to the friar's first question, "You come . . . to marry this lady?" Claudio answers "No." Leonato assumes Claudio is joking and explains that the Friar is marrying them, that Claudio is being married to Hero.The friar proceeds and soon comes to the question about knowing any "impediment why you should not be conjoined." Claudio challenges Hero, Leonato nervously tries to move the ceremony along, but Claudio chooses to delay further, finally condemning Hero as a "rotten orange," blushing with guilt, a "wanton," "greedier than Venus". Don Pedro joins the judgement, calling her a "common stale" (a whore). Claudio asks Hero who appeared with her in her window last night, and she denies any such appearance. Don Pedro reports that he, Claudio, and Don John all saw her there. Hero faints, and the three accusers
Even though Antonio is an uncle to Hero, he watches out for her interest in the play. When he heard the Don Pedro offering to assist Claudio to woo Hero. He thinks Don Pedro is interested in marrying Hero and told his brother Leonato about. This gives Leonato heads-up that his daughter might soon be getting married. Therefore, he prepares his daughter on how to behave and what to say if Don Pedro woos her. When Claudio dumps Hero on the Altar, Antonio persuades his brother not to jump to conclusion that Hero is having an affair but should take the advice of the priest to find the truth of the matter. Antonio shows concern as a father to Hero and believes in her as a father should.
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
After hearing from Don John that Hero is cheating on him and seeing the staged affair that Borachio took part in, Claudio is ready to unleash his wrath on Hero during their wedding ceremony. His anger is shown through his insults aimed at Hero as he calls her a “rotten orange” (4.1.27), “approved wanton” (4.1.39), and “common stale” (4.1.59). The use of these insults clearly has a major effect on Claudio and Hero’s relationship and without them, Claudio’s pure rage would not be as evident. Claudio also reveals his feelings of betrayal through sarcasm in this scene by saying “What a hero hadst thou been” (4.1.93). The use of sarcasm in this scene, like the use of anger through insults, reveals Claudio’s true feelings in a much stronger way than if it had not been used at all. When Claudio walks out and Hero “dies” of shock, it is clear that Claudio’s insults and sarcasm drove a knife through the heart of their relationship as husband and wife. Hero’s understanding of Claudio is also changed forever in this scene, as she now sees him as a cruel man who does not trust the word of the woman he loves. Likewise, Claudio confirms to himself through his rant that Hero is promiscuous and does not deserve to be
“Comedy and tragedy are two sides of the same coin. A talent in one area might also lead to a predisposition in the other” (Dee, Jack.) Much Ado About Nothing, by William Shakespeare, is a tragicomic play, that follows the lustful blindness of love. The story follows the experiences of the main character Beatrice, and her relationship with Benedick. Beatrice represents the comedic aspects of a tragedy, as well as the comedic aspects of love. In Act II, Scene I, Shakespeare uses specific language, in his dialogue, to highlight the complex relationship between Benedick and Beatrice, and to display the contrast between Beatrice as a character, and the expectations society has for her as a woman.
It’s quite suspicious how the two plays Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare and The Crucible by Arthur Miller both feature a father-daughter, father-niece, and cousin-niece relationship. In this essay, the relationships between Hero, Beatrice, Leonato and Betty, Abby, and Parris will be thoroughly examined. The differences between Hero, Beatrice, Leonato (from Much Ado About Nothing) and Betty, Abby, and Parris’ (from The Crucible) relationships are striking, and they merit rigorous examination.
Claudio cannot come out and just say that he has feelings for Hero, he has to seek approval from his male counterparts first. While talking to both Benedick and Don Pedro, Claudio describes his feelings as passion first (I.i.219-220), and then he says, “That I love her, I feel” (I.i.228), indicating that he knows he feels something for Hero, but he is unsure of exactly what his feelings mean.... ... middle of paper ... ...