Test your knowledge with free interactive questions on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

Quotations About Reputation

Closely linked to the patriarchal society of Messina is reputation and honour. Certain things were expected of men and women and the consequences of failing to live up to these standards are a key theme in the play.

__“Few of sort..."__

“Few of sort..."

  • “Few of sort and none of name”
    • For the male characters, reputation and status is hugely significant.
    • The importance of a title is highlighted early on in Act 1, Scene 1 when the messenger reports this about the casualties in the war between Don Pedro and Don John.
__"Bull's horns"__

"Bull's horns"

  • “Pluck off the bull’s horns and set them in my forehead”
    • In Elizabethan times, it was expected that a man could both control and satisfy his wife. Those who could not (leading to their wives being unfaithful) were considered to have been cuckolded and were often depicted with horns on their heads.
    • Benedick says this to Don Pedro in Act 1, Scene 1.
__"Contaminated stale"__

"Contaminated stale"

  • "Contaminated stale"
    • Believing Don John’s lies about Hero, Don Pedro feels his own reputation and honour has been compromised as he was the one who brought Hero and Claudio together.
    • This is what he labels Hero.
Jump to other topics
1

Key Terminology

2

Structure & Form

3

Act 1: Plot Summary

4

Act 2: Plot Summary

5

Act 3: Plot Summary

5.1

Act 3, Scene 1

5.2

Act 3, Scene 2

5.3

Act 3, Scene 3

5.4

Act 3, Scene 4

5.5

Act 3, Scene 5

6

Act 4: Plot Summary

7

Act 5: Plot Summary

7.1

Act 5, Scene 1

7.2

Act 5, Scene 2

7.3

Act 5, Scene 3

7.4

Act 5, Scene 4

8

Key Themes

9

Recap: Main Quotes

Practice questions on Reputation

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
  2. 2
Answer all questions on Reputation

Unlock your full potential with Seneca Premium

  • Unlimited access to 10,000+ open-ended exam questions

  • Mini-mock exams based on your study history

  • Unlock 800+ premium courses & e-books

Get started with Seneca Premium