Much Ado About Nothing Gender Roles Essay

Gender is a huge theme in Shakespeare’s play Much Ado about Nothing and the idea of gender roles is essential to the framework for the plot, the characters and even the language of the play. Much Ado is largely influenced by the inequality of the sexes within Elizabethan Era society. This inequality is frequent in the treatment of women throughout the play, the personalities of each individual character and the language Beatrice uses. The play’s plot consists of two contrasting couples: Beatrice and Benedick and Hero and Claudio. Hero is the soft spoken and obedient woman who marries the noble and courageous Claudio. When Claudio arranges to marry Hero, he acts as if he is making a purchase and that Hero is his property. Hero’s beauty and submissiveness are what makes her valuable to Claudio. Their relationship is the definition of a male-dominated, patriarchal marriage. On the other hand, the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick shows an opposite view on gender roles. Beatrice is blunt, and opinionated which is not the typical feminine characteristics. She and Benedick are always insulting one another and unlike the social norm of this era, their relationship is both equally ruled by male and female. The two relationships are at opposite ends of the spectrum of the role of gender. …show more content…
However both male and female characters have expectations and limits because of their gender. Hero is a prime example of this as she is a wife and a daughter who is always willing to yield to her father and husband. Gender is also used as a defense; both characters Benedick and Beatrice say they’re looking for an unreasonably ideal mate but are actually too afraid to admit their love for one another. They both expect the same about being in love which is being