Gender Roles In Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing

Women are submissive, and men are superior – that is the traditional assumption made of gender roles throughout the Elizabethan era. In Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing the theme of traditional gender roles and gender equality run throughout the play, contradicting one another. According to Professor Linda Bamber, “whenever Shakespeare’s comedies challenge the limits to sexual equality, they end by strenuously reaffirming those limits.” In this paper, I will argue that her statement is true, whereby Shakespeare challenges gender roles and stereotypes, but concludes the play by portraying these gendered stereotypes in his characters and their language. This is revealed through the characters Hero, Claudio, Beatrice and Benedick, both as …show more content…
Beatrice is a witty, outspoken, playful and noble character. However, her views on matters of the heart do not follow that of traditional attitudes. Beatrice retorts “Just, if He send me no husband, for the which blessing I am at Him upon my knees every morning and evening.” (2.1.27-29) This suggests that Beatrice is thanking God for not having a husband, as she refers to God as “he” and “him.” She refutes the idea of marriage, and is content with being an independent female. However, her statement both challenges and encourages stereotypical gender roles. She refers to the action of kneeling, which portrays submission towards God who is mentioned as male. Therefore, although Beatrice’s views and ideas of marriage do not depict that of a traditional woman, Shakespeare implements the limitations to sexual equality through subtle implications in Beatrice’s spoken actions. Nonetheless, Beatrice’s character in its entirety challenges all gender-affiliated characteristics and expectations during that …show more content…
In the case of Beatrice, gender roles and stereotypes are emphasized when Beatrice changes her mind about marriage. She proclaims, “contempt, farewell, and maiden pride, adieu! … to bind our loves up in a holy band (3.2.115-120). This indicates Beatrice rescinding her pride in being unmarried and agreeing to love and marry Benedick. Beatrice is willing to marry the person she thinks is suited for her and had not been entirely against the idea of marriage. This emphasizes the boundaries to gender equality because Shakespeare had revoked Beatrice’s ability to be an independent female without the need of a man, by changing the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick. Additionally, limitations are emphasized through Beatrice’s language, as she addresses only Don Pedro as “my lord” which means “the male head of a household,” master or husband. In the play, Don Pedro is the only other character who has a friendship of sorts with Beatrice and teasingly offers a marriage proposal. Likewise, Hero only addresses Claudio as “my lord.” Here, Shakespeare uses the characters’ language to implement the limitations to gender equality by exhibiting submission of the female characters towards the male characters that are proposed