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Much Ado About Feminism:  A Historical Perspective of Feminism in Much Ado About Nothing

                 In 1598, William Shakespeare wrote Much Ado About Nothing, a play that focused on the social standing of women in and around Europe.  Shakespeare shows a healthy respect for women as adults capable of making up their own minds.  Through the plot, he advances the notion that women who go against the traditional passivity demanded of them and take an active role in the determination of their future benefit from this.  Shakespeare does this through the contrasting examples of two couples: Claudio and Hero, and Benedick and Beatrice.  He expects the audience to learn from both relationships, but he clearly feels that Beatrice is emblematic of the direction women should be heading because he presents her with more choices and the better consequences.

                 Much Ado About Nothing is set in the Italian city of Messina just as a civil war fought by two opposing brothers, Don Pedro and Don John, is ending.  The brothers have reconciled and come to visit one of the governors, Leonato, as well as his daughter, Hero, and his ward, Beatrice.  Don Pedro is accompanied by a pair of soldiers; Claudio and Benedick.  Claudio falls immediately in love with Hero while Benedick spars verbally with Beatrice.  Don John is still bitter about his half-brother’s better lot in life and tries various schemes to break up Claudio and Hero.  He does succeed to some extent when he convinces Claudio to publicly shame Hero, but in the end the two lovers are reunited and Don John is given his just desserts.  Meanwhile, through a well-meaning scheme, Benedick and Beatrice are pushed together into a romantic relationship and find that they’re compatible.  While the play’s plot focuses in on Claudio and Hero, the character development centers around Beatrice and Benedick, the only two characters who are fully realized.

                 Beatrice, cousin to Hero, and ward of Leonato, clearly thinks women to be the better sex.  She’s intelligent, witty, and perpetually unwilling to become attached to a man.  In response to Benedick saying he loves no women, Beatrice replies, “A dear happiness to women: they would else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor. I thank God and my cold blood, I am of your humor for that: I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.”  (line 126, page 254) Shakespeare favors Beatrice over Hero, giving her center stage through sparkling discourse, often giving her the last word in her word play with Benedick.  He also provides her with choices and a range of devoted men, such as Don Pedro’s proposal. (line 328, page 261)

                 Hero is barely given any dialogue at all.  In Act One, Scene One, Hero has exactly one line, and it is spoken about her cousin.  (line 35, page 253)  She is the daughter and – effectively – property of Leonato and Shakespeare does not let either the audience or Hero forget it.  When Leonato tells Hero, “Daughter, remember what I told you: if the prince do solicit you in that kind, you know your answer,” (line 67, page 259) she just stands there, silently agreeing to her father’s whim.  Later on, while dressing for her wedding, she says of her dress “God give me joy to wear it! for my heart is exceeding heavy.” (line 24, page 271) implying that she cannot find even joy on her own.  Hero’s looks are obviously her greatest asset, as they are what attract Claudio.  He falls in love with her at first sight, based solely on her appearance.  Only after looking her over does he make inquiries about her character.  Determined to have her as his bride, he sets about getting Don Pedro to ask her father to marry him.(line 301, page 256)  Hero accepts what her father wants, which says a lot about Hero.

                 Even in his choice of names, Shakespeare shows that he favors Beatrice over Hero.  When Claudio accuses Hero of cheating on him, it brings to mind her namesake from Greek mythology, a priestess of Aphrodite who had an illicit affair with a socially inappropriate young man and killed herself when he died.  (Hero and Leander)  Perhaps Shakespeare had this story in mind when he named this character, but though there are some parallels, his Hero lacked the independence to ever have an affair.  The historical roots of the name do suggest Hero's very traditional attitudes, though.  Beatrice's name means bringer of joy, which is appropriate in that she is a perfect match for Benedick, who enjoys even their arguments.

                 Hero does not get to choose her husband, while Beatrice is given the option of marrying up when Don Pedro proposes to her. (line 328, page 261)  Beatrice is referred to as witty and intelligent, and repeatedly demonstrates that she is more than just a pretty face, while Hero is manipulated by those around her.  Even when Hero tries to influence Beatrice towards Benedick, she’s just participating in a plot concocted by her father and Claudio.  Hero doesn’t display much of an indication that she has a mind of her own, and is never really in any position to follow through on her own ideas, even if she had some.

                 Both Hero and Beatrice are manipulated by other characters in the play, but Beatrice alone seems to take the misinformation she hears offering her a choice to make, as opposed to an order she must follow.  Hero is weak and ineffectual.  When she is publicly shamed on her wedding day, she faints, effectively leaving the decision of how to clear her name in the hands of her father, Beatrice, and the priest. (line 209, page 275)  Beatrice looks at what Hero and Ursula say about her with regards to Benedick and makes a conscious decision to change her behavior. (line 107, page 267)  It’s this ability to choose ones fate that separates Beatrice and Hero the most.

                 Beatrice and Hero represent two different stages on the path to female equality.  Hero symbolizes what women were at the time, not much more than slaves to their male betters, subject to the whims of their effective owners, first the father, then the husband.  Beatrice is a step in a new direction, making her own decisions and speaking her mind.  Shakespeare illustrates his own feminist nature by making Beatrice the more likable and full character.  This does not mean that he thought that women were completely equal.  He has Leonato berate Beatrice for being too shrew-like to find a husband (line 18, page 258) and Shakespeare keeps Beatrice as a second-class citizen by having her wish that she had been born a man, rather than speaking of being equal to men while remaining a woman, thus buying into the necessity of fixed gender roles. (line 305, page 276)

                 In wishing she was male, Beatrice becomes as much a product of her time as Hero.  A more modern view of feminism would have had Beatrice not only make her own decisions but follow through with them on her own.  In the movie Kill Bill, the protagonist, Beatrix, does both for herself.  The plot of Kill Bill revolves around Beatrix’s quest for revenge after a group of assassins murders her entire wedding party and puts her in a coma for six years.  Through two movies, we see Beatrix slash, shoot and fight her way to her goal of killing the man behind her particular tragedy.  The second volume of the movie starts off with this monologue from Beatrix:

 

Looked dead, didn't I? But I wasn't. But it wasn't from lack of trying, I can tell you that. Actually, Bill's last bullet put me in a coma - A coma I was to lie in for four years. When I woke up, I went on what the movie advertisements refer to as a 'roaring rampage of revenge.' I roared. And I rampaged. And I got bloody satisfaction. I've killed a hell of a lot of people to get to this point, but I have only one more. The last one. The one I'm driving to right now. The only one left. And when I arrive at my destination, I am gonna kill Bill.  (Kill Bill: Volume Two)

 

She never asks for help, and the viewer is never disappointed that she is not male, because the director, Quentin Tarantino, doesn’t place restrictions on Beatrix on the basis of gender.  This is the essence of feminism: equality, even in the face of obstacles.

                 Beatrice can never make this modern jump to full equality.  When Beatrice says “Kill Claudio,” (line 288, page 275) this is a request made of Benedick.  When Beatrix tells the viewers that she is going to “kill Bill”, this is a simple statement of intent; she does not need to ask anyone to get revenge on her behalf.  Hero, of course, never even speaks of her need for revenge.  It’s doubtful the thought even enters her mind.  Each woman represents a stage of feminism portrayed in the venue of entertainment.  Hero is silent and wispy, never dreaming that she could be equal to a man.  Beatrice wants to be equal, but can’t make the next step.  Beatrix is equal, and makes sure that no one makes an issue of her status as a woman.  In the modern world, Beatrix is what a woman should aspire to, at least in terms of her feminism, not her bloodlust.

                 Both Kill Bill and Much Ado About Nothing paint a disturbing picture about the violent nature of revenge.  When Beatrice asks Benedick to kill Claudio to prove his love, the audience still shivers, even if they agree that Claudio needs punishing.  Viewers of Beatrix’s massacre of Oren Ishii’s (one of the assassins at her wedding), body guards are shocked (Kill Bill: Volume One), but they still laugh nervously because on some level they know that violence leads to violence.  Beatrice and Beatrix both possess that fundamental need for revenge.  In the real world, revenge is not realistic, but in the world of plays and movies, the theme of revenge and how it’s dealt with can certainly play out an interesting allegory of social status.  In the end, neither Beatrice nor Beatrix can be, or should be, considered villainous.

                 Through out Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare makes several allusions to the war of the sexes.  The question then becomes, who wins?  In the case of Hero and Claudio, Hero wins only a single battle.  Despite the fact that Hero is shamed, and her marriage, life, and body remain under the control of men, she outdoes Claudio in the end because it’s proven that he was wrong about her.  This is the one thing that Shakespeare gives Hero after denying her so much freedom and character.

                 Claudio is not worthy of Hero, as his jealousy is too strong to allow genuine love.  This is most clearly shown when he betrays her in the church and leaves her for dead.   Hero, on the other hand, never wavers in her loyalty to anyone.  In marriage, Claudio wins out in the war of the sexes, as he gets her beauty, loyalty, and inheritance while she winds up with a husband who is arrogant, possessive, and unforgiving. “Hero and Claudio are painful historical portraits, and if their attitudes are commonplace they are necessarily so in order to define the rare luck of their quarrelsome intellectual superiors.”  (Zitner)  Hero was typical of women of the time period, and served as an example of why this type of marriage, while commonplace, was unfair.

                 Looking at Beatrice and Benedick there is no clear winner, but there is no loser, either.  Beatrice and Benedick may do all that sparring, but their relationship is based on mutual respect.  Beatrice has the option of marrying Don Pedro, and given her upbringing, marrying your social better would have been the clear path to take.  However, that’s not the sort of relationship that she wants or needs.  Benedick is Beatrice’s equal, and the verbal duels are part of their enjoyment of each other, not a battle to see who the dominant one in the relationship is.  Shakespeare took special care not to ever mention Beatrice’s financial status.  (Zitner) Beatrice and Benedick are two sides of the same coin, paralleled in almost every way during the story.  Both are tricked into considering the other as a possible mate.  Both are witty, intelligent, and vulgar.  Finally, both make a conscious choice to wed the other despite outside influence, not because of it.

                 Much Ado About Nothing is a play that presents many themes, but the underlying social commentary on the status of women is one of the most important.  Shakespeare put feminist ideals into the character of Beatrice, and showed them to be much more favorable than the pliant traits of Hero.  It was a step in the right direction for sexual equality.  This step was followed by other characters in fiction today, who’ve taken things further in that direction.  Shakespeare did not go for full equality, but he certainly presented the idea that it was desirable and achievable.

 

Works Cited

 

"Hero and Leander." 1911. 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica. 14 Jun 2004 <http://56.1911encyclopedia.org/H/HE/HERO_AND_LEANDER.htm>.

 

Kill Bill: Volume One.  Screenplay by Quentin Tarantino.  Dir. Quentin Tarantino.  Perf.  Uma Thurman, Vivaca A. Fox, and Lucy Lui.  Miramax.  2003.

 

Kill Bill: Volume Two.  Screenplay by Quentin Tarantino.  Dir. Quentin Tarantino.  Perf.  Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen, and Chia Hui Liu.  Miramax.  2004.

 

Shakespeare, William. "Much Ado About Nothing." Stages of Drama: Classical to Contemporary Theater. Ed. Carl H. Klaus, Miriam Gilbert, and Bradford S. Field Jr. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003. 253-284.

 

Zitner, Sheldon P. "Introduction to Much Ado About Nothing." 1993. Literature Resource Center. 14 Jun 2004 <http://www.galenet.com/servlet/LitRC?locID=itha37434&srchtp=ttl&c=1&stab=512&ai=80495&docNum=H1420043962&bConts=269999&vrsn=3&TI=Much+Ado+About+Nothing&OP=starts&TQ=TW&ca=1&ste=57&tab=2&tbst=trp&n=10&wi=1097710>.

 

Copyright 2004

by Amanda Evans

Date: 06/14/04