Explore the presentation of marriage in 'Much Ado About Nothing'

Status/image
1. marriage for the sake of climbing the social ladder is very common
  1. Claudio asks Don Pedro whether Hero is Leonato's only child
2. Couples marry very quickly, loving but non-married relationships are looked down upon?
Sought after constantly
1. Marriage is the 'happy ending' in the play
Role of women and men
1. women like hero with a high status don't have a choice in the matter of marriage
  1. women belong to fathers and then to husbands
    1. Marriage does not make a couple equal
2. Betarice refuses Don Pedro
treated very lightly
1. Couples get married on a whim that they love eachother
  1. very spontaneous and sudden
2. Weddings are not considered binding, ceremony is about singing and dancing rather than the uniting of a couple for the rest of their lives
  1. Vows are very short
Beatrice and Benedick's views of marriage
1. They tease each other about marriage
2. believe it is an unecessary ceremony that ties you down
Deception
1. Deception (especially of a cheating wife) is the source of cuckoldry
2. Even to the last lines of the play, characters tease that adultery is an ever-present possibility
3. Fear of Deception drives Claudio to shame Hero at their wedding

Resource summary

	Created by Sophie Koch about 9 years ago