One patriarchal idea enforced in Much Ado About Nothing is that men are active and women are passive. Men in Patriarchal societies were seen to act upon their wishes and stop at nothing to get what they want. However women were seen to be passive and peacefully resistant in response to injustice. This idea is reinforced in Much Ado About Nothing through the characterisation of Hero and Claudio. Hero is characterised as being polite, quiet, chaste and obedient which places her in the gender role of woman as daughter. As a daughter she is expected to obey her father and is seen as a submissive object. Shakespeare has constructed her character to conform to the idea that women are passive and this is evident in when Hero is so wrongly accused by Claudio of being unchaste. Hero states, ‘Oh God defend me, how am I beset!’(4.1.71) This being on of the very few lines that Hero says in play, displays the way in which Hero cannot defend herself, and how she must ask for God’s assistance. The fact that she has almost no lines in this scene also displays the way that she is silenced in the presence of man, and even in response to injustice, she is passive. Claudio is characterised as being 3the model Elizabethan Lord, courageous in battle and active in his pursuits. This is evident when Claudio plans to immediately act upon the information he receives about Hero’s disloyalty. He states, “If I see anything tonight, why I should not marry her tomorrow in the congregation, where I should wed, there will I shame her” (3.2.91). Claudio has planned to shame Hero in front everyone, which is clearly something that only one who was active would do. Shakespeare has reinforced the patriarchal idea that men are active and women are passive, hence reinforcing patriarchal ideology.
A patriarchal idea which is challenged in Much Ado about Nothing is that men are rational and women are irrational. It was said that men thought rationally and acted decisively, whereas women were seen to be irrational and to be too heavily influenced by their emotions. This was one of the main reasons why men were placed in positions of authority and power. Although this was an idea held by Elizabethan society, it was challenged by Shakespeare in Much Ado About Nothing through the characterisation of Claudio, specifically his actions. It seems that all conflict in the play arises from the somewhat irrational behaviour of men, which is seen in Claudio throughout Much Ado About Nothing, beginning when he has little more than met Hero. An example of this irrational behaviour is in the wedding scene Act 4 Scene 1 where the blush of Hero Claudio is interpreted as: "Her blush is guiltiness, not modesty" (4.1.41). This irrational interpretation of Hero’s feelings is what brings the assumption of guilt, hence adding to the conflict. 4The remarks of Beatrice in this scene, in which she swears to have been in Hero's presence/bedroom every night other than the last, is also misinterpreted by the irrational men in the play. Instead of seeing the statement as contradicting Borachio's claim of wooing Hero in her bed chamber "a thousand such times," they see it as a sign of Hero's guilt on one night. Shakespeare had challenged the patriarchal idea that men are rational which ultimately challenges the patriarchal ideology of Elizabethan society.
Patriarchy, in organising society on the basis of gender, creates a social hierarchy where men hold the highest positions in power. Therefore, one patriarchal idea is that men are publicly more powerful than women. This idea is one that is both challenged and reinforced in Much Ado about Nothing. Although it is heavily reinforced by characters such as Leonato, it is also challenged in certain aspects. Leonato is characterised as a responsible father and in being given this role, holds a position of great power. Leonato’s power is evident through both his speech, and the actions of Hero towards him. For example, after discussing Claudio’s intentions Leonato says to Hero, “Daughter remember what I told you: if the prince do solicit you in that kind, you know your answer.” (2.1.48). This shows the way in which Leonato holds power over his daughter and that obedience is expected of her. Hero does not respond to this statement, not in spite but in agreement and acceptance of her father’s wishes. This acceptance not only reinforces Leonato’s power, but displays the lack of power that Hero has over her on life.
The power of a woman however, is implied multiple times in the play. One prime example of this is in the discussion of cuckolds between Benedick, Don Pedro and Claudio. Benedick states:
“The savage bull may, but if ever the sensible Benedick bear it, pluck off the bull’s horns, and set them in my forehead, and let me be vilely painted, and in such great letters as they write, ‘Here is good horse to hire’, let them signify under my sign, ‘Here you may see Benedick the married man’ (1.1.195-199)
This shows the way the Benedick makes a joke of the cuckhold, who is a man whose wife was unfaithful to him. 5The cuckold was supposed to grow horns on his forehead, invisible to himself but obvious to anyone else. This idea that a man can be cuckolded by a woman and ultimately humiliated, shows the way in which a woman can hold some power over a man. In turn, challenging the patriarchal idea that women hold little to no power.
One of the roles that women were given was woman as whore and woman adopting this role was seen to be manipulative, deceptive and wild. Men however, were never categorised into a role that was similar to this, therefore they were seen to be more reliable and trustworthy. In the play Much Ado About Nothing, this idea is challenged through the use of Balthasar’s song. The song goes against the patriarchal ideology of Elizabethan society and describes the man as deceiver rather than woman. The song states: “sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more,/Men were deceivers ever”. This is a very literal challenge to the patriarchal ideology; it describes the way in which the man has deceived the woman causing her to ‘sigh’ or to be unhappy. This song also however, reinforces the patriarchal ideology of man’s power as is instructs the women to accept this trait in a man. The song states “then sigh not so,/but let them go,” which is telling the women in society to accept this deceptive quality in a man even if it goes against her expectations of him. This ultimately puts the man in a position of power as the woman is being forced to change and accept the man. Therefore, through Balthasar’s song Shakespeare has been able to challenge the patriarchal ideologies regarding woman’s role as whore and reinforce the ideas revolving around man’s power and authority.
The play Much Ado About Nothing was written around 1598 – 1599 (Renaissance Period) in England. Society at this time adopted the patriarchal ideology, so the reception of the play within its society differs greatly with the reception it receives in today’s society. When this play was shown, audiences would see Claudio and Hero’s relationship at the beginning to be uninteresting because they are the ‘norm’. Whereas Beatrice and Benedick’s relationship would have been much more entertaining because their characters challenge patriarchal assumptions and their relationship is unusual. Viewer’s reactions to the actions of characters would also differ greatly. For example in today’s society 6Claudio’s condemnation of Hero looks misogynist, patriarchal and petulant, whereas Renaissance audiences would have found it much more acceptable. The reactions of both Leonato and Claudio in the situation would have also been more accepted in Elizabethan society than in today’s society due to the values we hold for family and for father/daughter relationships. The plays role in society is also very different. When the play was written and performed, those going to watch would be there merely for entertainment whereas now a play such as Much Ado about Nothing, is much more a source of insight into history than a source entertainment.
In the play Much Ado about Nothing By William Shakespeare, the patriarchal ideology of Elizabethan society is both reinforced and challenged. This has been done through the careful characterisation of main characters such as Claudio, Leonato, Hero and Beatrice. He has also included the element of live music and used it to present ideas about patriarchy. By both challenging and reinforcing patriarchal ideas, Shakespeare has been able to create conflict and successfully engage and entertain viewers for over 4 centuries.