independance. Her behaviour is unconventional. To the modern reader she is
somewhat of a heroine but to the Elizabethan audience she was breaking
society's rules. They would probably have found her boldness quite
shocking.
In contrast we have Hero. She displays all the qualities the Elizabethan
audience would have admired in a woman. She knows her place in society.
Her father is there to be obeyed. There is an absence of dialogue by Hero in
the opening act. She is the ideal woman of her time. She behaves in the
manner Society expects and does not question it. However, certain areas of
the play allow us to see Hero in a different light. In Act 3 Scene 4 the women
are discussing Heros attire for the wedding, she displays a certain firmness of
mind when she says to Margaret on the subject ofn the dress:
'' My cousin's a fool, and thou art another, I'll wear none but this ''
This shows the audience that she does have a mind odf her own and with it
she chooses to conform.
Shakespeare also provides us with two very different male characters, each
offering different perspectives on the themes of the play.
Benedick has very similar qualities to Beatrice and they appear to be ideally
suited. He is outspoken, but he likes to use his wit to make light of many a
situation. He has a wondeful sense of humour. His opening line is a joke and
in Act 1 Scene 1 he jokes with Leonarto. Don Pedro asks whether Hero is
Leonarto's daughter to which her responds with inuendo:
'' Were you in doubt sir that you asked her?''.
He is a lively quick witted character who thoughily enjoys his batchelor
lifestyle. When Claudio speaks of his feeling toward Hero, Benedick tries to
make light of the situation. His memorable lines are:
'' Is't come to this? In faith , hath not the world one man, but he will wear his
cap with suspicion? Shall I never see a batchelor of three scores again? Go
to, I'faith and thou wilt needs thrust thy neck into a yoke, wear the print of it,
and sigh away Sundays. Look, Don Pedro is returned to seek you ''
We also have Claudio, the dashing young count returned from the wars in a
blaze of glory. Claudio represents the romantic, his speach is lyrical, the
speach of a lover. He says of Hero:
'' Can the world buy such a jewel?''
In Elizebethan times women were worshipped by their suitors. They alsmost
saw them as goddesses to be idolised and adored. Claudio behaves in this
manner.
He also follows convention in another way. He want to be sure that Hero
would make a suitable bride before he pursues her. He asks Don Pedro:
'' Hath Leonarto any Son, my Lord?''
He want to be certain that she is worth his efforts. Would she make a worthy
match. Although her appreciates her charm and beauty, he needs to know
whether she is a safe financial choice. This would not be unreasonable at the
time, suitors were expected to find a partner who was in similar financial
circumstances to themselves. He also enquires about Hero's reputation.
Women were expected to be sweet and pure as well as submissive. He asks
Benedick:
''Is she not a modest young lady?''
This question would be highly inappropriate in the modern world. It would
come across as offensive and sexist. However there are still some cultures
that adhere to these values even today.
And so we have the four main players, each offering a variation of values and
ideas which encourage us to debate the morals and values of the time. I think
this was Shakespeare's intention.
During the play each character becomes a victim of deception. We have
different reactions to the sequence of events.
The central deception begins with Claudio. The masked ball is a very useful
tool here. It allows disguise to play a part.
In Act 2 scene 1 Don John and Borachio pretend they think Claudio is
Benedick. Don John says:
'' Signor, you are very near my brother in his love, he is enamoured on Hero.
In pray you disuade him from her, she is no equal for his birth: you may do
the part of an honest man in it ''
The conversation develops and Claudio is left without a shadow of doubt
that this must be true. He has heard it said and so it is certain. He is a man of
honour and does not consider that another should be otherwise. Poor
Claudio has much to learn throughout the play. Don Pedro assures him that
he wooed in Claudio's name.
This does not however, stop Claudio from being decieved again.
The most appealing use of deception is with Beatrice and Benedick. Each
character assumes they have overheard something they should have not. This
is the only method Shakespeare could have used to sucessfully fool these
two quick thinking characters.
They would not have blindly accepted what they were told like Claudio did.
An illusion was required here to get them thinking on another level.
Benedick thinks he is hidden in the orchard, when the men approach.The
three men praise Beatrice and insult Benedick. They use Hero as a tool in the
deception. Pure, gentle Hero would not tell an untruth. It was she that said
that Beatrice loved Benedick.
Don Pedro addresses Leonarto:
'' Come hither, Leonarto, what was it you told me of today, that your neice
Beatrice was in love with Signor Benedick?''
Because of the respect Benedick has for these men the deception is a sucess.
Likewise Beatrice is decieved in a similar way. She eavesdrops on two
characters she trusts and values.
Ursula says to Hero:
''But are you sure that Benedick loves Beatrice so entireley? ''
Hero replies:
'' So says the prince, and my new trothed Lord ''
The parts are played so convincingly the Beatrice is fooled.
Both parties consider the evidence however before making any judgement.
In Act 2 Scene 3 Benedick says
''This can be no trick, the conference was sadly borne, they have the truth
from Hero, they seem to pity the lady: it seems her affections have their full
bent. Love me?''
Similarly Beatrice reacts in Act 3 Scene 1:
'' What fire is in mine ears? Can this be true? ''
She beleives it because whe knows in her heart that it is true, the women have
merely helped to convince her.
Athough the two are influenced by others the outcome is thought up by there
own knowlege of the situation. Unlike Claudio and Hero there own opinions
are of more importance than what everybody else thinks. At the time this play
was written this would have been unusual. What society thought about
something usually came first.
The play moves foward in Act 3 Scene 2 on a more serious note. Don John
begins to put his plan into place. He aks Claudio whether he still intends to
marry Hero.
'' You know he does''
replies Don Pedro. Don John insinuates that Hero has been disloyal and that
he has evidence to prove it. He says to Claudio when he questions it:
'' Even she, Leonarto's Hero, your Hero, everyman's Hero. ''
Hero is described as a posession as though she does not have a mind of her
own. In Elizabethan society a woman's honour was of utmost importance to
a potential husband. A disgrace female was often outcast from her friends
and family and would struggle to obtain a husband. However the men are
more concered with Claudio's reputation than that of Hero. Don John says he
will provide the evidence to which Claudio responds:
'' If I see anything tonight, why I should not marry her tommorow in the
congregation, where I should wed, there I will shame her. ''
Feelings of love have been forgotten. His honour is at stake, in order to save
that he fully intends to destroy Hero.
Ultimately, in that period honour was more significantly important than love.
Hero has to endure much at the hands of the men in this play. Initially she is
led to beleive that the pricne wooes for himself. She is then given to Claudio.
She is expected to accept what twists and turns life throws at her without
resentment. She is treated cruelly by Claudio and her father on her wedding
day and has to tolerate it. Beatrice or any modern woman would never
tolerate such behaviour. When the truth finally comes out she is again given
to Claudio the man who so cruelly spurned her. Throughout all this she
remains silent and complies with what is expected of her.
Today she would be described as a doormat. Her submisssive behaviour
would be unacceptable to a modern thinking woman. But Hero really has no
choice, at the time women were reliant on men for their existance. She had no
independance and no hope pf getting any, thus she behaved as a dutiful
daugher to Leonarto. She acts on orders from others throughout the play
even though as Shakespeare has shown us she does have her own ideas.
In conclusion, this play tackles love, marriage, friendship and society in a
cleverly crafted way. Without two pairs of lovers we would have been unable
to compare expectations of society against individual expectations.
Shakespeare sucessfully explored Elizabethan values and ideas with Claudio
and Hero. He provided the modern reader with a hero and heroine in
Benedick and Beatrice. He allowed the Elizabethan audience to see a pair of
lovers who were not willing to conform.
The interest of the audience/reader is kept by the two plots running alongside
one another. Without this the play would have been much less interesting and
closed to certain discussion.
He covers conventional, serious and often disturbing aspects of lover with
Hero and Claudio, but contrasts them with the unconventional but
meaningfull love of Beatrice and Benedick.
All the themes chosen are as relevant today as they were when the play was
written. I think it enables a modern reader to realise exactly what
considerations had to be made with regard to love and relationships at the
time and why.
