Much Ado About Nothing –Zhuoya Li
“Much Ado About Nothing” was created at Shakespeare’s most mature writing period. The contents are full of joy, as well as philosophizing. The story is about masks, camouflage or game, and the characters in the play explored the relationship between men and women in this whole society.
The play was around the theme of two parallel proposes. One is a couple Claudio and Hero. Claudio quickly fall in love with Hero when they have just met. They pledged their love to each other and wanted to get married. But at the wedding, Don John’s jealousy and boredom made him to disrupt the whole plan—he had his companion make love with Hero’s servant at her room and made everyone think Hero is the unfaithful woman. Beatrice came up an idea and let the family pretend that Hero was died. After they arrest Don John’s followers, they finally approved that Hero is really innocent. Claudio apologized, and promised to marry “Hero’s cousin”. But the truth is, Hero did not die. She came back at the wedding with Claudio, married him and lived happily after. The other propose is about Beatrice and Benedict. Their love story started at a misunderstanding. When Benedict heard Don Pedro’s talking, he thought that Beatrice has different feelings for him. He showed nothing, but in deeper mind, he started to fall in love with Beatrice. Luckily, Beatrice did the same. After they worked together for Claudio and Hero, they finally admitted their love and ready for the double wedding along with Claudio and Hero.
Hero and Claudio’s ideal marriage is based on the traditional model. Men ruled society, women are properties of men. They belong to their fathers before marriage, and belong to the husbands after. Hero is not only beautiful, kind, gentle, but also the only future successor of her father. This is a very important point to Claudio. After he confirmed with Prince Pietro himself, he was brave enough to express to Hero. But the marriage process was between Hero’s father and the Prince. Proposes are contracts, and the wedding ceremony is the official exchange of properties. When Hero turned into a “bad woman,” her father was entrusted her to die without any father-daughter affection. Hero had to “die” to prove her innocent. Even though everyone was happy at the end of this play, but Hero’s “death” was actually became a silent challenge of the social structure.
In another story, Hero’s cousin Beatrice is eloquent. She break the routine, refused to accept the social structure of women, did not want to find a husband to feed her. She and Benedict, were strongly against marriage at the beginning. But after she heard Benedict says he loves her, she turns to a gentle and warm lady toward Benedict.
Beatrice is the most cheerful woman among all these people. She can be the same as other men joking with each other. She debated with the men, beat Benedict. Other women can only joke on the masquerade, but men and Beatrice disclosed wits. She was not afraid of power, did not want male ruled over them. When the man asked she wether she wants to marry him, Beatrice refused with smooth reaction. Hero’s silence and Beatrice’s eloquence led them into marriage hall, but eventually, Beatrice’s personality won the respect in front of the transitional social structure.