Stereotypes in Much Ado About Nothing

In the play Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare presents stereotypes that fit with the times, not necessarily to teach a lesson or prove a point. The main stereotype he develops is that women are inferior to men. Throughout the entire play, we see the women being taken advantage of and pushed around. Hero, for example, hardly tries to stand up for herself when Claudio shames her publicly. She just spits out denials at all of his claims but it doesn't get her anywhere. After Claudio accuses her, her own father, who supposedly cared about her more than himself, yells at her like she is nothing. He tells her that she has shamed him. And he never even asked her what really happened! He just went off of Claudio's (practically a stranger) harsh words and assumed they were true without question. This shows women as fragile and and weak, with Hero as a perfect example. Another woman in the play who displays this is Margaret who gets pursued by Borachio. She is taken advantage of and used without even knowing it. Borachio and Don John take advantage of her affections and use her to ruin Claudio and Hero's wedding day. She doesn't realize something is wrong until later, and then Leonato once again assumes that she knew about it the whole time when really she didn't. Everyone assures Leonato that she wasn't involved, but he wouldn't have believed solely Margaret if they hadn't stepped in to confirm her validity. Margaret is one character who shows that women can step up and defend themselves. She is the only woman in the play who talks back to men and stands up for Hero when no one else would. Her character and personality show off a more powerful woman that is not shown elsewhere in the play. She reminds us that women aren't weaker than men, and that they have strength too. Shakespeare tells us how the times were, and stereotypes about women being inferior to men were very common.

Lies. For good or for evil?

In the play, "Much Ado About Nothing" lying is often seen. However, are the characters' lies justified? Sometimes lying is used for ethical reasons, like trying to protect a friend. But lying is also used to make other people feel bad or to make themselves superior to another. One example of someone lying for good reasons is when Claudio, Leonato and Don Pedro talk about Beatrice while pretending that Benedick can't hear a thing, even though he's right around the corner, listening in. Claudio says, "Hero thinks surely she will die; for she says she/ will die, if he love her not, and she will die, ere/ she make her love known," (II.iii). Claudio does not honestly know at this point whether or not Hero knows this. He does not know if Beatrice feels this either. Yet he still says it aloud, because he wants his friend to find love in Beatrice. His little white lie worked, for later in the scene Benedick proclaims, "They have the truth of/ this from Hero." (II.iii). Benedick believed his friend was telling the truth because he had supposedly heard it from someone close to Beatrice. This lie helped him realize that he may love Beatrice back. This is obviously not a bad thing, so in this case the liar's intentions were good and the lie was an ethically and morally justified one.

Nonetheless, there are several occasions of unjustified lying throughout the play. Don John is the main man in the unethical lying department. Don John comes up with many a plan to destroy Claudio and Hero's love. He and Borachio decide that it would cause some disruption if Hero was suspected to be unfaithful and in love with another. Borachio states, "Not honestly, my lord; but so covertly that no/ dishonesty shall appear in me." (II.ii). He will lie, but he will do so as to not show any sign that he is lying. This lie is benefiting no one except Don John. He is tearing Claudio and Hero's love to shreds because he wants to marry Hero himself. Perhaps if he were a little more honest, he could get a wife of his own, instead of instilling a lie into Claudio and Hero's love. This lying is done for the wrong reasons, and is completely unethical.

Lying can be found in many forms. Little white lies, done solely to protect another, are justified. They are told to make others happy, and sometimes give them self-esteem. But other kinds of lies, done in the favor of oneself, are unjust. They are unethical and immoral. In my own personal experience, I've learned that little white lies aren't always bad. One year, I was invited to a birthday party and some of my friends weren't invited. The person who invited me asked me not to tell them about it so they wouldn't feel bad. I agreed and tried not to tell them. A few days later, my friends had turned into detectives and pulled it out of me unwillingly. Although it seems that a birthday party wouldn't cause any problems, teenage melodrama kicked in as always. My friends were upset, and I knew that my other friend would be upset too for telling them. Luckily it ended up perfectly alright. Under the right circumstances, white lies are okay but telling the truth is also a good choice. In conclusion, people lie. The only difference is whether or not it's for the right reasons.