Problematic Marriage in Much Ado About Nothing

926 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Representation of women in Shakespeare

Questioning Marriage in Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing raises many important issues concerning the institution of marriage. Perhaps Shakespeare's purpose in writing this play was to question the existing approach to relationships and marriage. Shakespeare reveals the faults of the process through the characters of Hero and Claudio and also Hero's father, Leonato. Shakespeare also may be suggesting an alternative approach to marriage and relationships through the characters of Beatrice and Benedick.

Shakespeare does this through the characters of Hero and Claudio. Claudio suddenly becomes very enamored with Hero when returning from the war. Rather we should say that he has become quite enamored with her money. And hints it very obviously to other characters in the book by saying things like, "Hath Leonato any son, my lord?"(1.1.262). Who, although these characters know he wants her for her money, which is seen by Benedick saying, "would you buy her that you enquire after/her?"(1.1.159-60) and Pedro saying, "That she is worthy, I know"(1.1.204) do nothing to stop the upcoming union. In fact, they encourage it because at this time, it is not at all unusual for a man to marry a woman for her money. In fact, it was quite commonly practiced. Shakespeare uses lines such as these to bring attention to the requirements a gentleman has when looking for a wife. He throws these kind of lines in to make the audience aware either subconsciously or consciously so that maybe they will question whether or not two people should be married on the basis of how much the bride is worth.

Pedro woos Hero for Claudio and it would seem that she would have one as just as well as the...

... middle of paper ...

...marvelous job of trying to open the audience's eyes to the faults in the institution of marriage. He has done it a way that the audience cannot leave the play with consciously or subconsciously questioning the things with which they were just presented. Perhaps Shakespeare hoped these questions would lead to further contemplation on the issues of marriage and it's current conventions.

Works Cited and Consulted:

Lewalski, B. K. "Love, Appearance and Reality: Much Ado About Something" Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 8 (1968): 235-251.

Rossiter, A.P. "Much Ado About Nothing." William Shakespeare Comedies & Romances. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986.

Shakespeare, William; Much Ado About Nothing; Washington Square Press; New York, NY; New Folger Edition May 1995

Show More
Related

  • The U.S. Involvement in the Vietnam War Was Justified

    1749 Words  | 4 Pages

    Vietnam has a very rich and cultural diverse background dating all the way back to 1066 when William the Conqueror invaded and paved the way for English colonization. The French had been colonizing since the 19th century. The French role in Vietnams history is critical; they started out by bringing these simple peasants to the latest technology of farming and hunting (Yancey 37). The French helped these people out greatly in the beginning, but like all stories of occupation go they just got worse. They started forcing rules and laws on the people of Vietnam. Thus started the First Vietnam War, also known as the Indochina War between France and Vietnam. "The French possessed military superiority, but the Vietnamese had already the hearts and minds of the country. (38). Even from the beginning the Vietnamese had the odds to there favor. The French looked at the wars in numbers and how many lost on each side. They gathered from all the battles that they were winning because the Vietnamese casualties far outweighed the French; nonetheless they were wrong. To a certain point the French were fighting a game that they could not win at any cost. The French had the military superiority but the Vietnamese had the manpower and the Guerilla tactics. The Indochina War ended with French loosing terrible at Dienbienphu, where a whole French garrison was wiped out.

    Read More

  • Vietnam War Research Paper

    740 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Vietnam War was the longest war in America's history of involvement. Twenty years of hell, land mines, cross-fire, and death. Vietnam was divided by the Geneva Accord. The north being communist run by Ho Chi Minh. The south being anti-Communist run by Ngo Dinh Diem. Before Vietnam was separated, it was run by France. France had ruled most of Indochina since the late 1800s. The Vietnamese were unhappy with the way the French were controlling, therefore, many of them took refuge in China. When in China, they began to follow the lead of Ho Chi Minh, who wanted to model the Vietnamese Declaration of Independence as that of the U.S. version. In the 1940s, Japan had taken over Vietnam which upset Ho Chi Minh and his revolutionaries when they had returned a year later.

    Read More

  • The Vietnam War and The Tonkin Gulf Resolution

    931 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Vietnam War lasted from the winter of 1956 to the spring of 1975. The Vietnam War was a domesticated civil war between the communist, North Vietnam, and the democratic, South Vietnam. The North was supported by the Chinese communist, and the leader Ho Chi Minh. The Vietnam War introduced the United States to the Vietcong and Guerrilla warfare. During this time, the United States faced our own battles at home between two social groups called the Doves and the Hawks. This war was very divisive. The Doves protested and Hawks shunned them. Young men without money were being drafted while others went to college, got a medical note, or fled the country. Tensions were already high in the United States when Congress passed Public Law 88- 408, also known as the Tonkin Gulf Resolution.

    Read More

  • Trickery and Deception in Much Ado about Nothing

    1678 Words  | 4 Pages

    In William Shakespeare’s play ‘Much Ado about Nothing’, there are many instances of trickery and deception, which seem to surround the whole of the play.

    Read More

  • Honor in Much Ado About Nothing

    672 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the history of the world, honor has been an important part of life. In literature, as well, honor plays an important role in many plots and the development of almost any character. Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing is no exception. In this comedy about love and marriage, honor is revealed as the primary reason for many of the actions taken by several different characters. When Claudio breaks off his wedding with Hero, he does it because he believes she is not chastised as she claims to be and in being such, she would dishonor him as well as her father if the marriage were to proceed as planned. The play is an accurate depiction of the honor code and the different standards for men and women of the time in regards to honor and chastity.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Margaret In Much Ado About Nothing

    826 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing is, on the surface, a typical romantic comedy with a love-plot that ends in reconciliation and marriage. This surface level conformity to the conventions of the genre, however, conceals a deeper difference that sets Much Ado apart. Unlike Shakespeare’s other romantic comedies, Much Ado about Nothing does not mask class divisions by incorporating them into an idealized community. Instead of concealing or obscuring the problem of social status, the play brings it up explicitly through a minor but important character, Margaret, Hero’s “waiting gentlewoman.” Shakespeare suggests that Margaret is an embodiment of the realistic nature of social class. Despite her ambition, she is unable to move up in hierarchy due to her identity as a maid. Her status, foiling Hero’s rich, protected upbringing, reveals that characters in the play, as well as global citizens, are ultimately oppressed by social relations and social norms despite any ambition to get out.

    Read More

  • Gender Roles in Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing"

    1497 Words  | 3 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • A Midsummer Night's Dream - Battle of the Sexes

    576 Words  | 2 Pages

    Imagine being a woman in sixteenth century Europe. Females were raised to believe that they were subservient and that men knew better on any subject. Basically, women had no rights. They were considered property, first “owned” by their fathers and then control was “transferred” to the husband chosen for them. Marriage was not about love, but in most cases, it was a business deal that was mutually beneficial to both families – an interesting fact is that like young women, most young men had no choice in the selection of their future betrothed. These traditions and the gender roles assumed by men and women at that time had an impact on Shakespeare’s writing and performances and a great example of this is evident in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

    Read More

  • The War that Changed America Forever

    931 Words  | 2 Pages

    The reasons for the Vietnam War took place long before the war even began. For years, the Vietnamese had been under French colonial rule. But, when Communist revolutionary Ho Chi Minh came back to Vietnam, he established a group called the Viet Minh, the goal of which was to remove all French occupation from Vietnam. So, the fighting started, and Ho Chi Minh tried to get the US to support them. But, being true to their policies of containment, the US started supporting France. The United States' thoughts about Communism's potential growth can be summed up in one basic idea: the Domino Theory. This theory stated that if one country in a region fell to Communism, the surrounding countries would soon follow. Because of this, the US committed to keeping the North Vietnamese contained once the French withdrew from Vietnam. But, the thing that really pushed the US into sending troops into Vietnam was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. On August 2nd and 4th, 1964, the North Vietnamese fired upon two US ships in the Gulf of Tonkin. Following this, Congress approved the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution on August 7, 1964, which gave the president authority to send military troops into Vietnam without declaring war. So, President Johnson sent troops into Vietnam, which had already erupted into civil war, to aid the South Vietnamese.

    Read More

  • The Vietnam War: The Causes Of The Vietnam War

    1048 Words  | 3 Pages

    There were many causes for the Vietnam War. It all started with a dispute between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. Their dispute was over the

    Read More

  • The Vietnam War

    592 Words  | 2 Pages

    A variety of very important events that have happened in the past 100 years, many of which are wars. They have change many things from big necessities like medicine and medical practices to little ones like bandages. No matter the winner every war has good and bad consequences. Some wars have ended in triumph for the U.S.A. and its allies, however some didn’t end well at all. A very important war with many consequences, and an example of a loss for the U.S.A., is the Vietnam war. This paper will cover the Vietnam war from both the perspectives of the Americans at home as well as what's going on in Vietnam between the years of 1955 and 1975.

    Read More

  • The Feminist Perspective of Taming of the Shrew

    1018 Words  | 3 Pages

    yet never means to wed where he hath wooed" (act 3 Scene 2 Lines 15-17).... ... middle of paper ... ... In this play, as any other, Shakespeare proves to be a visionary.

    Read More

  • Much Ado About Nothing - A Feminist Perspective of Hero

    915 Words  | 2 Pages

    Much Ado About Nothing.  The Riverside Shakespeare, 2nd ed.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1997.  366-398.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Being Earnest Marriage Theme Analysis

    1070 Words  | 3 Pages

    To give a little background on the play, the pursuit of marriage is the driving force behind the play. “I now pronounce you, man and wife.” This traditional saying, commonly used to announce a newlywed couple during a wedding ceremony, marks the happily ever after that many dream of today. In today’s society, marriage is an expression of love between two individuals. Marriage has not, however, always been an act of love.

    Read More

  • The Vietnam War

    1241 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1930-31, the Vietnamese National party was totally wiped out, so the lead in the resistance was taken over by Ho Chi-Minh and his founded Communist party. In 1950 Ho Chi-Minh declared, that only his Government was legal. It came to many violent battles and In Geneva, July 1954, it was decided to part Vietnam in to regions, the South and North-Vietnam, there was never a election for it, because the president, Ngo Diem, rejected it.

    Read More

More about Problematic Marriage in Much Ado About Nothing

Open Document