Traditional Gender Roles In William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing

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William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing is a rich play, entertaining, and straightforward, that explores a multitude of themes effortlessly: how deception can be used as a means to an end, for either negative or positive results, or the strengths and vulnerabilities of love and marriage. But, perhaps, the most compelling theme of the novel is how gender identity and traditional gender roles limit and define how men and women should perform and interact in society. While Shakespeare uses many of the characters in the play to illustrate how honour is defined differently for men and women, or how social grace and polished manners controlled the interactions between men and women, Shakespeare utilizes the characters of Beatrice and Benedick …show more content…

The play is set in Messina, and in the film, Messina is a beautiful place tucked in the countryside of Italy. The home of Leonato is a beautiful estate, with white and cream pillars, huge fountains, lovely sculptures, and gorgeous landscaping. All of the characters are dressed in white, giving each character a light-hearted, yet noble appearance. Additionally, the action allows for the audience to truly comprehend the message, where the actors express the emotions their character’s are supposed to be feeling. In regards to Act 4, Scene 1, after Leonato has agreed to follow the friar’s plan, everyone goes their separate ways, with Beatrice heading into a small altar room. Benedick follows her to the room, where we see Beatrice kneeling, and presumably praying to God. She appears distressed, with tears in her eyes and sadness across her face. Benedick kneels beside her, gazing into her face, where Beatrice doesn’t even glance at him and simply continue to stare at the crucifix on the wall. There is soft, romantic composition playing, when Benedick asks Beatrice if she has been crying all this time. Beatrice, still refusing to look at Benedick, states that she has been crying and that she will continue to do so freely. It isn’t until Benedick declares his love for Beatrice that Beatrice finally looks into his eyes with wonder and shock. He expressed it openly and without warning, comfortable in his

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