MAAN-Stereotypes

There are many stereotypes in the play Much Ado About Nothing some of them being gender and class. Women in this world are stereotyped as being inferior to men, and this is shown in the play especially in the relationship between Hero and Claudio. Hero is overlooked and she is hardly asked her opinion, even just an object to be won. This is shown when the Prince tells Claudio “Here, Claudio, I have wooed in thy name, and fair Hero is won” (2.1.249-250). She is simply shown as an object and not a person. Shakespeare was trying to show the audience that even though someone might not be what they seem on the outside, that is no reason not to trust them. In the middle Claudio did not believe Hero’s word, and I think Shakespeare was trying to say to the audience that one should not disregard someone simply because of their gender.


There is also the stereotype of class that is shown through the comic relief of Dogberry, Verges and the watchmen. Dogberry clearly has not been educated because he keeps using his words incorrectly. When he is talking to the watchmen and he says “Truly, I would not hang a dog by my will, much more a man who hath any honesty in him” (3.3.55-56). He says “more” when that clearly makes no sense and he should have said “less”. I think here Shakespeare is simply showing what he truly believes, that those of inferior classes will always be inferior. There are many stereotypes in the play Much Ado About Nothing.