Examine the dynamic between men and women in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ throughout Act 1 Scene 1, Act 2 Scene 3, and Act 4 Scene 1. Also, provide analysis on relevant scenes. Notably, Benedick concludes in the final scene that “Man is a giddy thing.”
‘Much Ado About Nothing’ is a play that highlights the clash between men and women in Elizabethan society. The play effectively depicts the social beliefs of both genders during that era, as well as the contrasting romantic relationships between men and women.
The phrase “Man is a giddy thing, and this is my conclusion,” uttered by Benedick at the play’s end, appears to be his confused observation after observing the actions of both men and women. Benedick seems unable to comprehend the foolishness that arises when individuals are in love. Love causes people to behave out of character and stand out among their peers.
The quote suggests that the word “giddy” is the main focus. When Benedick uses this term, it could indicate various meanings such as stupidity, strangeness, imbalance, disorientation, irrationality, ambiguity, inconsistency, or confusion. The phrase starts with “man is such,” implying that he is not only referring to the individual but to humanity as a whole. This suggests that people may appear disoriented or imbalanced due to their affection for another character.
“It amazes me how one man can recognize the foolishness of another man when he devotes himself to love.”
Regardless of what is happening, a “giddy” act is almost guaranteed to be displayed everywhere in the play.
The play, titled “Much Ado About Nothing,” establishes the foundation for the subsequent occurrences. It implies that numerous events are unfolding, all of which ultimately revolve around insignificant matters. At first, this may appear confusing to most people. However, after observing the events and dynamics within the romantic relationships, the significance behind the title becomes apparent.
In act 1 scene 1, the men come back from war and Leonato talks about a “merry war” between Beatrice and Benedick. The term “merry” describes the love felt between the two characters, but due to their cleverness and constant competition to outsmart each other, it appears as a “war” between them. To the audience, this may seem confusing and deceptive. Additionally, the use of juxtaposition enhances the lively and unpredictable atmosphere between the two characters.
“Signor Benedick and her are engaged in a joyful conflict.”
Benedick’s constant negativity throughout the play hinders his efforts to win over Beatrice.
“In my opinion, she is not deserving of a highly positive evaluation, as she lacks the necessary qualities. She has a modest appearance and does not meet the criteria for being considered beautiful. Additionally, she falls short of the requirements for receiving a significant amount of praise.”
The attitudes of Beatrice and Benedick would seem confusing to an audience of Elizabethan times. Their portrayal of love does not conform to the expectations of that era. In contrast, the love between Claudio and Hero is what one would expect. The unconventional and witty love between Beatrice and Benedick would not be easily understood by an audience of that time. It represents a more modern type of love, which makes it relatable for a contemporary audience. Shakespeare’s understanding of relationships between men and women is evident in his ahead-of-its-time portrayal.
In act 1 scene 1, another instance where a character appears “giddy” is when Claudio informs Benedick about his love for Hero. Despite only seeing her briefly once and never having spoken to her, it seems that Claudio must have known her prior to going to war. This declaration of love without proper introduction may be seen as “giddy.”
“Even if I had sworn the opposite, I would hardly trust myself to marry Hero.”
Act 2 scene 3 presents yet another scene filled with “giddy” actions. The scene opens with Benedick’s soliloquy, in which he observes how Claudio has been acting foolishly due to his love for Hero. This behavior would have appeared “giddy” to audiences during the Renaissance era because it was unusual for a man to follow his heart rather than his head. By calling Claudio a fool for being in love, Benedick associates love with foolishness, implying that men behave this way when in love. Benedick’s soliloquy employs short and concise sentence structure, suggesting his strong belief in these matters.
“Claudio is such a man. I’ve known him when he only enjoyed the drum and the fife as music. Now, he prefers to listen to the tabor and the pipe.”
In this passage, Benedick points out how Claudio used to be interested only in the excitement of war before he fell in love. However, now that he is in love, Claudio’s focus has completely shifted to the joys of love. This change also suggests that Benedick is beginning to doubt Claudio’s trustworthiness.
Benedick proceeds to explain that love will never cause him to become such a foolish person:
“Even though love may change me into an oyster, I swear that until he turns me entirely into one, he will never make me behave foolishly.”
Benedick’s speech now includes imagery of the sea. He compares an oyster to a man, noting that although an oyster appears tough on the outside, it is soft inside and contains something valuable. By aligning softness with men, he suggests that they become more feminine when in love. Furthermore, Benedick asserts that it is impossible to turn him into an oyster, implying that he will never experience love.
Benedick proceeds to describe his perfect woman:
“She will be wealthy, that is certain. She must be wise or I will not pursue her. She must be virtuous or I will not lower my standards. She must be fair or I will not even gaze upon her. She must be gentle or I will keep my distance. She must be noble or I would not even consider her an angel. She must engage in meaningful conversation, be a talented musician, and her hair color will be whatever pleases God.”
Benedick argues that the qualities mentioned by Benedick are too specific and idealistic, making it impossible for any woman to meet such standards. This is why he struggles to fall in love. He imagines a woman who could not have possibly existed during that time period, and the only person who somewhat embodies these traits is Beatrice.
Attempting to listen to the conversation between ‘Monsieur Love’ and Claudio, he hides behind a hedge.
Benedick remains attentive as the two men share their thoughts about Beatrice.
“What did you say today about your niece Beatrice being in love with Signor Benedick?” “She loves him passionately.”
Deceiving Benedick, Beatrice’s alleged deep love for him is portrayed through certain words. Additionally, the men utilize animal imagery, referring to Beatrice’s love as something that can be hunted, with Benedick as the prey. Through asides, the cast share secrets with the audience, creating humor in the stark contrast of their thoughts. This “giddy” situation is amusing to the audience, while Beatrice remains unaware of what occurs in this scene.
The scene incorporates a song that is featured at the beginning of the play. This song helps to establish a romantic atmosphere in the scene. The lyrics of the song discuss how men have always deceived women, highlighting their inconsistent nature and lack of commitment. The critical lyrics are disregarded as the focus remains on the romantic tune of the song. The song also references war, suggesting that men are not always on land due to their involvement in conflicts. The overall message of the song is for women not to worry about men and to let them go. The song concludes with the happy words “Hey nonny, nonny,” further reassuring women not to be concerned about anything, especially men. This song effectively sets the desired romantic atmosphere while also continuing the theme of criticizing men. Additionally, it emphasizes that men are unstable in various aspects of life, not just love.
After the song, the men converse for a while before they decide to find Beatrice and invite Benedick to dinner. At this moment, Benedick unexpectedly emerges from behind the hedge and starts a soliloquy, marking the end of the scene.
Benedick begins by expressing his belief that this cannot be a trick because it was spoken by “the white bearded fellow,” who is Leonato. It is Benedick’s faith in the integrity of men during that era and his conviction that all men are honorable that leads him to believe what has been said about Beatrice. He also mentions Hero in his concluding speech. Hero, being Beatrice’s cousin and having a high social status as the daughter of Leonato, would be the most reliable source of information.
“Hero believes that she will certainly die if he does not love her,”
After hearing this, Benedick completely changes his attitude towards love. To the audience, Benedick appears incredibly gullible, and it seems that only the audience can recognize how deceptive Benedick’s friends truly are in this scene. Additionally, the audience witnesses Benedick’s foolishly “giddy” demeanor as a result of believing in such an act.
Benedick concludes in his final soliloquy that he must return Beatrice’s love if she truly loves him, which contradicts his previous soliloquy and implies his unpredictable behavior. He also recalls the qualities he previously highlighted as essential in a woman to attract him. Despite having some of these traits, albeit to a limited extent, Beatrice is deemed acceptable. This shift in attitude conflicts with his earlier strong aversion to romance and underscores his anti-romantic disposition.
“The lady is fair, they say. I can personally confirm the veracity of this assertion. She possesses virtue and I have no cause for disapproval. However, she shows lack of wisdom when it comes to loving me.”
Benedick confesses that he is deeply infatuated with Beatrice, acknowledging his contradictory feelings towards love. The juxtaposition employed in this declaration proves to be highly impactful, as it highlights Benedick’s negative perception of love while simultaneously revealing his fondness for Beatrice. This statement aligns with Leonato’s earlier mention of the “merry war” in Act 1, scene 1.
He then mentions that he might get made fun of due to his long-standing opposition to marriage. However, he follows this by stating that attitudes can change with age. In this context, it appears that he is connecting the notion of changing preferences with his own character development, suggesting that his tastes can evolve just like his character does in different situations throughout the play.
“I may possibly have some strange peculiarities and funny remarks of cleverness directed towards me because I have criticized marriage for a long time; but doesn’t the desires change? A man enjoys the food in his youth that he cannot stand in his old age.”
Benedick expresses his determination to not let others interfere with his love, asking whether clever remarks and arguments can divert him from his true nature. He likens verbal attacks to paper bullets that lack any real power to harm him, and therefore, he remains unaffected. Benedick then justifies his decision by stating that it is his duty to contribute to the population by having a child.
The main contradiction between the two soliloquies arises from the excuse that is given: “When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married.” Although this excuse seems self-explanatory, it appears foolish to the audience because he is willing to use it as a justification for his insincere love.
The two soliloquies illustrate Benedick’s true feelings. The emotional contrast is intentional and resonates with the audience because he is not addressing anyone specific, and at times it seems like he is speaking directly to them. It also highlights the significant transformation in Benedick’s character since the beginning of the play. Additionally, it serves as a clever way of providing the audience with information that other characters are unaware of, creating humor through audience involvement. Furthermore, it advances the overall “giddy” act, as Benedick’s behavior in this scene is so unusual that it seems unbelievable for such a drastic change to occur. Lastly, the concluding part of this scene confirms that the deception has succeeded and Benedick genuinely believes that Beatrice has romantic feelings for him.
This section of the play is the ultimate illustration of how love can transform someone like Benedick and proves that “man is such a giddy thing”.
Throughout Act 2 Scene 3, there is a recurring theme of hunting. This can be attributed to the trio of men who are actively seeking out Benedick and attempting to manipulate him into pursuing Beatrice. The concept of hunting is depicted as a form of amusement or recreation, something enjoyable. However, this portrayal may seem frivolous or lighthearted because love is typically something that naturally occurs when a man is attracted to a woman, rather than something that requires active pursuit. This exemplifies the societal hierarchy present in the play, where women were considered inferior during Elizabethan times, being the ones being “hunted,” while men held the power and were the “hunters.”
In Act 4 scene 1, the wedding of Claudio and Hero is depicted, but Claudio declines to marry Hero. To a contemporary audience, this appears very foolish because conflicts are usually resolved privately before or after the wedding ceremony, not during it in front of a crowd.
Leonato, take her back.
During the Elizabethan era, women had a specific role and status. They were given away by their fathers to their husbands, becoming the property of their husbands. As Hero conforms to the typical expectations for women during that time, she accepts this arrangement without being able to resist, since the men involved were portrayed as dominant figures.
Claudio’s exaggerated reaction to the situation is disproportionate, triggered by an event in which he believes Hero was involved. However, he lacks concrete evidence that Hero was responsible, while the audience knows that Margaret was the woman he saw in bed with another man in Hero’s room. Claudio was influenced by other men in the play due to the close bonds shared by men during that era.
“Follow me and I will show you enough. Once you have seen more and heard more, proceed accordingly.”
During Act 1 Scene 1, Claudio employs heavy sarcasm, insinuating that Hero could not possibly be capable of such an action, could she?
“Please give me your daughter, this maid,” he said. “Her worth can balance this valuable and precious gift.”
Hero’s blushing causes Claudio to believe that she has been unfaithful to him. He sees her blushing as a sign of guilt and continues to verbally attack her.
“Now, if you are a maid, respond to this.”
This seems like a foolish response because it is completely untrue. Claudio has made a hasty judgment, and to make matters worse, Leonato, who is Hero’s own father, chooses to support the men. This exacerbates the situation, as her own father then disowns her. This is even more irrational than what occurred before.
“Death is the most suitable way to hide her shame, which is the best outcome that can be desired for her.”
The idea that someone would wish such imbalance upon anyone is completely off- balance and beyond reason. This play provides a clear example of status and the dynamics between men and women. In the director’s interpretation, which we learned about in class, the heroine is depicted sitting down while several males stand over her, symbolizing their higher status. However, in the actual performance, I believe status is conveyed through the short, direct sentences spoken by Claudio and his male friends.
“Allow me to ask our daughter one question, using the authority and affection that you possess over her, and instruct her to respond honestly.”
Hero cries out, “Oh god, protect me! I am surrounded!”
The quotation I have chosen to use as an example of Claudio speaking, once again employs sarcasm but this time directed towards Leonato. I perceive this as a tactic Claudio utilizes to align Leonato with the males.
The entire situation seems frivolous as all the chatter revolves around an event that didn’t even involve Hero. This relates to the play’s title, “Much Ado About Nothing,” and raises the question of why Benedick decides to support Hero. It becomes clear that he has witnessed how love can foolishly change someone.
The play “Much Ado About Nothing” illustrates how problems can arise from misunderstandings, particularly when “notings” are mistaken for “nothing.” This play was successful because it presents a modern approach to love, making it relatable for contemporary audiences. Shakespeare accurately portrays the social attitudes of his time through his writing in this play. Additionally, he demonstrates that love can occur between people who are both similar and different, but trouble can also arise as a result.
