Gender Roles and Marriage

In the first two Acts of Much Ado About Nothing we learn that the Prince, Don Pedro, and his military men or knights are coming to visit the home of the governor of Messina, Leonato.  We learn that noble Claudio is Don Pedro’s right hand man accompanies him and Claudio seems to fall in love with Leonato’s daughter, Hero, at first sight and wishes to marry her.  We also learn that Benedick, another lord who has accompanied Don Pedro, disdains marriage as a yoke around the neck of men, and that Beatrice, Leonato’s niece, is a witty woman who disdains marriage as well and they both dislike one another at the beginning. The treatment of gender is well described in these first two Acts and can be best described provocatively through the characters of Beatrice and Benedick and more traditionally through the characters Hero and Claudio.

The primacy of patriarchy in English society is summed up in a Balthasar’s song:

Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more.

Men were deceivers ever

One foot in sea, and one on shore.

To one thing constant never.

Then sigh not so, but let them go.

And be you blithe and bonny.

Converting all your sounds of woe

Into hey nonny, nonny (2.3.57-63).

This song shows men to be deceitful and women to play their role of being beautiful, not complaining and singing their pain away—in other words, suffer in silence. 

Perhaps it is this acknowledgement at the silence women must bear that convinces Beatrice she will never marry since she has no problem speaking her mind and has apparently had years of verbal sparring with Benedick.  It seems as if they both enjoy their taunts and witticisms although, because of the gender roles they are both meant to play, neither will admit that they are attracted to the other. Although Beatrice is given the role of shrew by speaking her mind such as when she tells Benedick, “I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me,” she admits that she “was born to speak all mirth and no matter” (1.1.106-108, 2.1.288-289). This seems to show that her duality in being witty—good for a man, bad for a woman—and yet always happy—expected of the perfect wife.  Even Benedick admits that despite his constant insistence against marriage, “The world must be peopled” (2.3.213-214).  This is the point.  Although men and women may not like losing their freedom, they have to have children to populate England.

Nevertheless, men also had anxiety about marriage as can be seen when Benedick is challenged about his insistence about always living the life of a bachelor, saying, “But that I will have a recheat winded in my forehead, or hang my bugle in an an invisible baldic, all women shall pardon me” or when Don Pedro says, “In time the savage bull doth bear the yoke” (1.1.196-198, 1.1.213-214).  The word “yoke” is a disparaging one.  According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a “yoke” is “A contrivance, used from ancient times, by which two animals, esp. oxen, are coupled together...” and yet, for an agricultural society, it seems inevitable.

 

And in this corner...

Something that really struck me during this read was the first exchange between Petruccio and Katherine in Act II Scene 1.  The conversation reminded me of an intense verbal boxing match; when one opponent swung, the other fired back swiftly and fiercely.   Both characters were hit ‘below the belt,’ yet didn’t let the blow shake them.  This resilience requires a tough exterior and a very strong will that both Katherine and Petruccio maintain throughout.  Upon entering this “match,” Petruccio knew exactly what he wanted and he wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of his quest for victory.

Throughout Act II, the readers become very acquainted with the fiery nature of Katherine.  We see her beat her helpless and bound sister, swear revenge on her father, and smash a lute over the head of Hortensio.  She has certainly proven herself to be the top contender.  When Petruccio comes into the picture, I definitely questioned his ability to hold his ground with Katherine.  After the first few lines of the conversation my doubts are completely squashed.  Petruccio absolutely proves himself a worthy opponent for the “shrew.”  After each of Katherine’s quick and witty jabs, Petruccio knows exactly what to say to keep him self in the running.  I can vividly imagine the confident smirk on his face while Katherine grows red with fury.  When it comes to witty comebacks, it seems Katherine has met her match.  One of my favorite exchanges between the quick-witted duo is lines 218-220, where Kate first exclaims, “What is your crest? A coxcomb?”  and Petruccio insinuatingly replies, “A combless cock, so Kate will be my hen.” And Kate fires back with “No cock of mine.  You crow too like a craven.”  Needless to say, I was very entertained during Petruccio’s “chase.” 

In today’s world, I think we can see a conversation much like Petruccio and Katherine’s in our local P&G’s on any given Friday night.  There are plenty of persistent, smoothing-talking guys today that love a challenging hook up.  If a girl doesn’t give seem to be interested, these guys, like Petruccio, do not back down just yet.   Sometimes, a girl may be impressed with this persistence and confidence.  Other times, however, a girl may react in the same way Katherine does—with swift slap in the face.  Fortunately for women today, we are not forced into a marriage with these guys that wont take no for an answer.  Katherine, however, was not so lucky.  Even though she had to give in and marry Petruccio, she certainly put up a solid fight and showed her future husband just whom he was dealing with.