9.1.11

Claudio

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Claudio

Claudio refers to Hero as a "jewel", which to modern audiences may seem to objectify women.

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Key line

  • CLAUDIO: Can the world buy such a jewel?
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The “problem plays”

  • Towards the end of his life, Shakespeare wrote three plays (All's Well That Ends Well, Measure for Measure and Troilus and Cressida) that have come to be known as the “problem plays”, so called due to them not always following the established conventions of comedy or tragedy.
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Established conventions

  • Whilst Much Ado About Nothing has not been labelled in the same manner, the treatment of its female characters by their male counterparts does not always sit comfortably with a modern audience.
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A compliment?

  • In simple, contemporary (Elizabethan) terms, Claudio is paying Hero a compliment by comparing her to a “jewel”.
  • It suggests she is beautiful and, as shown through his question, that her beauty surpasses all others and that she is priceless.
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Objectification?

  • However, a modern - especially feminist - interpretation could regard this line as being both materialistic, as shown through the imagery of an expensive jewel, and objectifying towards women.
  • Claudio is attracted to Hero because of her physical attraction, nothing more.
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Female restrictions

  • This problematic interpretation is sustained through Benedick’s response: “Yea, and a case to put it into”.
  • Again, initially it is likely this was intended by Shakespeare to demonstrate Benedick’s preference for Beatrice.
  • However, the idea of men limiting women’s freedom by keeping them in cases is not an image modern audiences would feel entirely comfortable about.

Claudio

CLAUDIO: Tis certain so. The Prince woos for himself [...] beauty is a witch.

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Key line

  • CLAUDIO: Tis certain so. The Prince woos for himself [...] beauty is a witch.
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Definitive language

  • Claudio’s language here is definitive (“Tis certain”) showing just how easily he can be manipulated by Don John.
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Social standing of women

  • It also reflects the inferior social standing of women at the time as even the illegitimate Don John (with whom Claudio was at war not so long ago) is believed over Hero.
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Deception and appearances

  • The use of the metaphor “Beauty is a witch” relates again to the theme of deception and appearances.
  • Claudio feels he has been duped by Hero’s attractiveness, as though she has lured him by casting a spell over him.
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Witchcraft

  • The misogyny of a patriarchal society is no better illustrated through the persecution of women who were accused of witchcraft in the 16th and 17th century.
  • Many innocent victims were burned at the stake, drowned or stoned to death simply because they were accused of being witches and were unable to provide evidence to the contrary.

Jump to other topics

1Key Terminology

1.1Key Terminology

1.1.1Key Terminology

1.1.2End of Topic Test - Key Terminology

2Structure & Form

2.1Structure

2.1.1Structure

2.1.2Acts 1 - 3

2.1.3Acts 4 - 5

2.2Form

2.2.1Tragicomedy

2.2.2End of Topic Test - Structure & Form

3Act 1: Plot Summary

3.1Act 1, Scene 1

3.1.1Summary

3.1.2Key Lines

3.1.3Key Lines 2

3.1.4End of Topic Test - Act 1, Scene 1

3.2Act 1, Scene 2

3.2.1Summary

3.2.2Key Lines

3.3Act 1, Scene 3

3.3.1Summary

3.3.2Key Lines

3.3.3End of Topic Test - Act 1, Scenes 2-3

4Act 2: Plot Summary

4.1Act 2, Scene 1

4.1.1Summary

4.1.2Key Lines

4.1.3Key Lines 2

4.1.4Key Lines 3

4.1.5End of Topic Test - Act 2, Scene 1

4.2Act 2, Scene 2

4.2.1Summary

4.3Act 2, Scene 3

4.3.1Summary

4.3.2Key Lines

4.3.3Key Lines 2

4.3.4End of Topic Test - Act 2, Scenes 2-3

5Act 3: Plot Summary

5.1Act 3, Scene 1

5.1.1Summary

5.1.2Key Lines

5.2Act 3, Scene 2

5.2.1Summary

5.2.2Key Lines

5.3Act 3, Scene 3

5.3.1Summary

5.4Act 3, Scene 4

5.4.1Summary

5.5Act 3, Scene 5

5.5.1Summary

5.5.2End of Topic Test - Act 3

6Act 4: Plot Summary

6.1Act 4, Scene 1 (Part 1)

6.1.1Summary

6.1.2Key Lines

6.1.3Key Lines 2

6.2Act 4, Scene 1 (Part 2)

6.2.1Summary

6.2.2Key Lines

6.2.3Key Lines 2

6.3Act 4, Scene 2

6.3.1Summary

6.3.2End of Topic Test - Act 4

7Act 5: Plot Summary

7.1Act 5, Scene 1

7.1.1Summary

7.2Act 5, Scene 2

7.2.1Summary

7.2.2Key Lines

7.3Act 5, Scene 3

7.3.1Summary

7.4Act 5, Scene 4

7.4.1Summary

7.4.2End of Topic Test - Act 5

8Key Themes

8.1Key Themes

8.1.1Love & Marriage

8.1.2Deception, Appearances & Noting

8.1.3Gender

8.1.4Reputation

8.1.5End of Topic Test - Key Themes

9Recap: Main Quotes

9.1Characters Quotes

9.1.1Beatrice

9.1.2Beatrice 2

9.1.3Benedick 1

9.1.4Benedick 2

9.1.5Benedick 3

9.1.6Benedick 4

9.1.7Benedick 5

9.1.8Beatrice & Benedick

9.1.9Beatrice & Benedick 2

9.1.10Beatrice & Benedick 3

9.1.11Claudio

9.1.12Claudio 2

9.1.13Claudio & Benedick

9.1.14Don John

9.1.15Don John 2

9.1.16Don Pedro

9.1.17Hero

9.1.18Leonato

9.1.19Leonato & Messanger

9.2Text Structure - Quotes

9.2.1Deception, Appearances & Noting

9.2.2Gender

9.2.3Reputation

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Beatrice & Benedick 3

Claudio 2