In the time of William Shakespeare where courtship and romance were often overshadowed by the need to marry for social betterment and to ensure inheritance, emerges a couple from Much Ado About Nothing, Hero and Claudio, who must not only grow as a couple, who faces deception and slander, but as individuals. Out of the couple, Claudio, a brave soldier respected by some of the highest ranked men during his time, Prince Don Pedro and the Governor of Messina, Leonato, has the most growing to do. Throughout the play, Claudio’s transformation from an immature, love-struck boy who believes gossip and allows himself to easily be manipulated is seen when he blossoms into a mature young man who admits to his mistakes and actually has the capacity to love the girl he has longed for.
The first sign of Claudio’s immaturity is how easily he falls in and out of love. In Act 1, Scene 1, Claudio says to Benedict, “I would scarce trust myself, though I had sworn the contrary, if Hero would be my wife” after merely taking in the beauty of Hero (Shakespeare 1.1.9). There is no real substance yet to his love for Hero other than outward appearance, much like any person young and naïve with love. When Claudio asks Don Pedro, “Hath Leonato any sons, my lord?” helps the reader develop a further understanding of Claudio and what could be his true motive for wanting to marry Hero, the only heir to her Leonato (1.1.13). Another sign of the fickleness of Claudio is when told by Don Jon, the bastard, that Hero has affections toward Don Pedro his best friend, he swears off his love for Hero by saying, “This is an accident of hourly proof. Which I mistrusted not. Farewell therefore Hero” (2.1.24). After having Don Pedro ask Leonato for his permissions to marry...
... middle of paper ...
... is insensitive, but he says, “For this I owe you…which is the lady I must seize upon” (5.4.98). It can be seen here that he is not excited, but must do it for his life. The true excitement of this arrangement is when he finally has the opportunity to see the face of the girl he must wed and exclaims, “Another Hero!” (5.4.98). It can be said that it took the death of Hero to awaken inside Claudio the man he was meant to be.
By the end of the play, we see Claudio’s transformation from being an immature, love-struck boy who believes gossip and allows himself to easily be manipulated grow into a mature young man who admits to his mistakes and actually has the capacity to love the girl he has longed for. The wedding dance of Claudio and Hero along with Beatrice and Benedict shows how order is now restored in the city of Messina, and order given to the life of Claudio.
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
“Love goes by haps; Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps” (Shakespeare pg. 45). One of Shakespeare’s most famous plays is Much Ado About Nothing and it specifically shows the tragic flaws of each and every character throughout the story. One character that will be mainly focused on that’s the most tragically flawed, is Claudio because he’s passionate about his love for Hero and how he’s easily manipulated.
The sincerity of Claudio's love is thrown into question by the fact that his 'soft and delicate desires,/ All prompting him how fair young Hero is, are not confessed until he has ascertained that she will bring her husband a fortune.
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
Leonato plays an important role in Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing. Leonato is at the center of events from beginning to end, being as he is one of the main characters Hero’s father, and Beatrice’s uncle. A great majority of the action in the play takes place at Leonato’s home. Leonato is a friendly but stern man. His daughter Hero is to soon be married, so as a father, he is helping set up the wedding. Leonato is a respected man by all in the story. Leonato has no problem getting along with his daughter’s future husband, Claudio, until the wedding. When Leonato’s daughter is accused of adultery at her wedding, it is clear that the honor of his family is very important to him. Leonato is ashamed and tells his own daughter that she
Shakespeare’s introduction of the other couple in question is in stark contrast to the way in which Beatrice and Benedick were introduced. Claudio and Hero are amorously receptive to one and other from the very start. Upon laying eyes on Hero, Claudio remarks of her to Benedict “is she not a modest young lady?” (1.1.125). Clearly, by having Claudio express his fondness of Hero to Benedick, the playwright directly compares the older and more cynical to the more young and naive, allowing the reader to see the contrasting personas of the two men. This is reinforced by Benedick, who after finishing listening to Claudio’s rhetoric on the charms of the young Hero (“in m...
The main problem is young Count Claudio. He is immature when it comes to matters of love, and it shows when he hints of his growing feelings for Hero when he asks Benedick what he thinks of her (I.i.161). 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 feeling...
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 today's society, true love can be described as someone buying a sparkly present for the significant other, celebrating their special anniversary with a beautiful getaway from their hectic life, or even risking anything in the world for that one person. These are all real examples of true love but these are also the things that Claudio didn’t do to show his affection and love towards Hero. Instead, he chose to humiliate her on their wedding day, he didn’t trust her to stay faithful until marriage, and even “killed” her. In the play, Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, the main characters, Hero, and Claudio, are not truly in love and their actions display that.
When Benedick hears that Claudio has fallen in love for Hero, he is enraged. He thought that Claudio would live a bachelor’s life like him. Benedick tells him that men who are in love are not masculine. Near the end of Act IV, Benedick’s complete change is evident when Benedick chooses love over friendship. Benedick challenges Claudio, previously his closest friend in the world, to duel to the death over Claudio’s accusation as to Hero’s unethical behavior. After Beatrice complains to him about Claudio’s mistake, Benedick gives in, “Enough, I am engaged. I will challenge him.” At this point, there is no doubt that Benedick has switched his allegiances entirely over to Beatrice. But then again, Benedick was relieved that Hero was proved guilty so he would not have to fight his close friend Claudio.
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.
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...
Scene 1. At her wedding Hero, is publicly accused of being a cheater by he fiancé Claudio. After being denounced by Claudio Hero faints, while she is on the ground her father Leonato says: “Do not live, Hero, do not ope thine eyes, For, did I think thou wouldst not quickly die, Thought I thy spirits were stronger than thy shames, Myself would, on the rearward of reproaches, Strike at thy life”(4.1.131-135). Leonato is hoping that his daughter Hero is dead, and if she is not, he will risk the punishment and kill her himself. Although he has no evidenced of Hero’s crimes, and Hero tells him she is innocent Leonato choses to believe Claudio over Hero. He is so angry at what his daughter has allegedly done he is prepared to kill her. It is seen here that in this time period men are much more trusted then women. This scene also shows how serious it was for a woman to have premarital sex. Leonato had no trouble believing his daughter was unfaithful with no evidence, and was ready to kill her because she had sex out of wedlock and dishonored his
In the play, Claudio has been sentenced to death for getting his fiancee pregnant (his crime was not so much getting her pregnant, but having sex with her at all). Claudio's sister, Isabella, who is in the process of joining a nunnery, feels that Claudio has done wrong, has sinned and committed a crime, but she feels that the sentence--death--is too strict. So, she goes to the ruler of the city, Angelo, to plead for her brother's life. The previously virtuous Angelo falls into lust with Isabella, and he propositions her to save her brother by having sex with him (Angelo). Now, remember that Isabella is in the process of becoming a nun. She, of course, rejects this propos...
The plot centers around the fate of Claudio, who is arrested by Lord Angelo, the temporary leader of Vienna. Angelo is left in charge by the Duke, who pretends to leave town but instead dresses as a friar to observe the goings-on in his absence. Angelo is strict, moralistic, and unwavering in his decision-making; he decides that there is too much freedom in Vienna and takes it upon himself to rid the city of brothels and unlawful sexual activity. Laws against these behaviors and institutions already exist, and Angelo simply decides to enforce them more strictly. Claudio is arrested for impregnating Juliet, his lover, before they were married. Although they were engaged and their sexual intercourse was consensual, Claudio is sentenced to death in order to serve as an example to the other Viennese citizens.