Essay on Much Ado About Nothing

Nickeisha Gray
Essay on Much Ado about Nothing
October 7, 2008
Dr. Ximena Gallardo C
Since centuries ago women have always been consider weak and emotional. Society were supposed to be obedient to their father and after that to their husbands, but always submitted to the wills of males around them. Beatrice is the play's witty heroine. Beatrice is a prime example of one of Shakespeare's strong female characters. She refuses to marry because she has not discovered the perfect, equal partner and because she is unwilling to eschew her liberty and submit to the will of a controlling husband. When Hero has been humiliated and accused of violating her chastity, Beatrice explodes with fury at Claudio for mistreating her cousin.
In her frustration and rage about Hero's mistreatment, Beatrice rebels against the unequal status of women in Renaissance society. According to Shakespeare Beatrice stated, “O that I was a man for his sake! Or that I had any friend would be a man for my sake, I cannot be a man with wishing, therefore I will die a woman with grieving" (IV.i.314-320). Beatrice has a quick tongue and a sharp wit. She is never at a loss for snappy come-backs, spiced with truth, which she shuttles back and forth in verbal words.

Beatrice is presented to us as a woman who fights against social impositions. Possessed of such artillery, she is not intimidated by the authority of the Governor or the status of the Prince. She charms, captivates and stimulates. She was a very independent person, and didn't want to rely on anyone for support. She also was very smart.
Another characteristic of Beatrice was that she was very emotional. Beatrice is really vulnerable. She often changed her mood all of a sudden for no apparent reason. Also, Beatrice kept many of her feelings inside her. Sometimes she would be angry but wouldn't show it, because she always had to feel strong, and look like she didn't need anyone. Beatrice is an intelligent woman, a woman who does not follow social conventions and is able to interact with men as an equal expressing her own opinions. She is presented as a woman who men cannot control. At the beginning of the play Beatrice positions herself against marriage because she does not want to form part of the mount of arranged marriages without love that filled society at her time. She refuses to marry because she has not found her true love, the perfect man that loves her for what she is and not for her money or social position. She is a woman character that rebels against women position in the patriarchal society and claims for an equal status of sexes.
If Beatrice was to ever become a man. She would be a very aggressive man. She was already aggressive and resistant when she was a female. Her out view on men, she feels men can get away with anything. They mistreat females whenever they want. She will defend her believes to the end if she has to. She will slather Claudio for what he did to her cousin and any other men who gets in her way. Beatrice becoming a man means trouble because she feels men are consider very dominated, persuasive and aggressive. She would have to fight for her honor every day.

For years now women have been the back bones for men. The only problem is they still don’t realize how women are important to the society. I can feel the anger and rage that Beatrice is going through. I would love to see Beatrice as a man and in what ways would she go about trying to accomplish the unfairness of women.