In modern society, humans have come to judge each other off of superficial characteristics. These superficial characteristics are often a result of facticity, or characteristics people are unable to change about themselves, or at least not easily, as they are born with these qualities. Some of the most common elements that are used to form an opinion about people and serve as a basis for how to interact with them are their gender and socioeconomic status. The idea of identity, such as being a middle class male, shaping the status of a person in society is not only prevalent in reality, but also in literature, films, and theatre. Shakespeare, in his play Much Ado About Nothing, highlights the way both gender identity and socioeconomic identity shape the way people act and the way others interact with them.
As suggested in Joost Daalder’s commentary on the play, “The Pre-History of Beatrice and Benedict”, there are clear variations in the way the characters act and are treated based off of whether they are male or female. The …show more content…
As the story progresses, Hero is accused of sleeping with another man. When Claudio learns that his wife-to-be is unloyal, his first instinct is to publicly reject her at their wedding. He continues through with this plan, saying “Not to be married, not to knit my soul to an approved wanton” (125). Given his male identity, he has the power to do this. It was not looked down upon for him to retract his love so quickly from a woman who was believed to be impure. Claudio can easily get rid of a woman who is unloyal to him and find a new companion. This only works, however, because he is a male, for if the same had happened to Hero, she would have been expected, as a result of the gender norms created by society, to remain quiet and continue with the
As suggested in Joost Daalder’s commentary on the play, “The Pre-History of Beatrice and Benedict”, there are clear variations in the way the characters act and are treated based off of whether they are male or female. The …show more content…
As the story progresses, Hero is accused of sleeping with another man. When Claudio learns that his wife-to-be is unloyal, his first instinct is to publicly reject her at their wedding. He continues through with this plan, saying “Not to be married, not to knit my soul to an approved wanton” (125). Given his male identity, he has the power to do this. It was not looked down upon for him to retract his love so quickly from a woman who was believed to be impure. Claudio can easily get rid of a woman who is unloyal to him and find a new companion. This only works, however, because he is a male, for if the same had happened to Hero, she would have been expected, as a result of the gender norms created by society, to remain quiet and continue with the