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.
5 comments:
I wouldn't have thought of Claudio's not trusting Hero as a way to show everyone should be listened to. Indeed, Hero is a person with opinions. Also, in Shakespeare's time, lower class were seen as stupid. But they couldn't help it... Anyway, you're right about this being a stereotype Shakespeare touched on.
allo ruth!
i am in agreement with your post! I like your statment at the end of the first paragraph about what message Shakespeare was trying to get accross about the stereotypes between genders or something like that. I think you're right about that part. And how lower class people were thought to be unintellegent in shakespeare's timeperiod. those are all stereotypes that Shakespeare used in the play! nice post! :D
~ashley
Hey! Great job on your post! I completely agree with you when you say that women in the Shakespearian world are inferior to men. Although when you talk about Shakespeare thinking Dogberry and Verges will always be inferior I have to disagree. Dogberry and Verges are the ones who find out about Borachio and Margret, and thinking they're inferior, Leonato doesn't listen to him.
nice, nice, also to your 1st point, i wrote that no one listened to her side of the story when she was blamed for having an affair with someone before her wedding day. To your 2nd point i actually thought shakespeare was trying to say not to stereotype lower class people because they might have important info. nevertheless, good.
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