Upon first reading of Act III Scene I of Much Ado About Nothing, Hero seems to shed her ingenue persona completely in favor of a catty, malicious facade. She busts out almost cruel criticisms of her cousin such as “...she is too disdainful./I know her spirits are as coy and wild/As haggards of the rock”(3.3.35-37), and “So turns she every man the wrong side out/And never gives to truth a virtue that/Which simpleness and merit purchaseth.”(3.1.72-74). These comments seem out of place for a girl whom has been described as nothing but kind and sweet up until now. But why should we consider this girl to be so one dimensional? I personally consider some of Shakespeare's women to be very well written, multi-faceted characters, so why should Hero be any different?
While it is true that we do not hear Hero speak very much in the first two acts, what we do hear is telling. She makes jokes at the party, even going so far to expressly say that she will only like a man if she likes his face. This is interesting, because she most likely knows that this is the man her father has told her she must marry, and yet here she is, sassing a man who may very well be her future lord. She is very smart, in that she knows how to behave and when to behave that way. Around her father and his friends, she is well behaved and amiable. Around her future husband, she is flirty. However, when left alone, she’s actually a very real person. And very much a young woman at that.
Honestly, Hero is one of the most normal characters, and Act III just confirms that. If it weren't for the scene quite honestly, I would doubt whether Shakespeare had ever actually known a teenage girl. They gossip. They harbor unkind feelings towards those they are jealous of. Hero is most likely no older than 17. Why should we criticize her for normal teenage behavior? When we expect her to act like someone who she is not, we’re simply being unrealistic. Let teenage girls be teenage girls in literature! Stop taking Shakespeare so seriously! Appreciate characters for what they are instead of trying to make them something they’re not and hating them because they don’t fit your ideas! Let Shakespeare be fun!
Belle, I think you made some very interesting and important points about Hero. You're right. She is most likely a teenage girl, and when we consider that, it probably is only fair to allow her to be "human" without criticizing her. I actually like her more in Act III, scene 1, because she does show a more human side. I much prefer her "catty" side to her quiet, mousy side. I'm not even sure if I would use the word catty. I think she is having fun in that scene, and I think her "jabs" against Beatrice are mainly in good fun.
ReplyDeleteI did notice that you have a few typos. Not a lot, but some, and if you can go through and try to revise those, it will strengthen your overall blog post.
Overall, though, great work! I loved how your passion for Shakespeare and his plays really came through in this post. I loved that your tone as a writer was obvious in this post.
Jenny
I like your point about it the use of the word catty. Retrospectively, it does seem a little bit harsh, and her rather pointed remarks are more in the spirit of the game than out of any sort of animosity. Thanks!
DeleteThis is actually a really eye-opening take on Hero for me! Since being introduced to this play last year, I've been of the impression that Hero is simply a plot device with no character development, but you make a fair point that she's just being a teenage girl -- and even when it seems like she has very little dialogue, a great deal is told about her through her lines, and what other people say about her. I still think Shakespeare could have delved a little deeper into her personality, but after what you've pointed out I'm a little more satisfied with her characterization. Thank you for that!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad this helped! Thank you!
DeleteBelle,
ReplyDeleteInteresting read, very passionate, very well written, I can tell you care a lot about the subject and come with a lot of prerequisite knowledge. Though your blog post title is rather descriptive of your views on Hero I was wondering whether or not these 'chameleon' like qualities you described in your second paragraph were positive or negative in your opinion? What do you mean by "stop taking Shakespeare so seriously!" is that a statement for our class discussions or the general way in which you think Hero is viewed by Shakespeare's audiences?
Once again, this was a great read, I'm eagerly awaiting your reply!
I'm glad you enjoyed this! Those traits I described, in my opinion, are actually very positive things. Hero is very smart, and the ability to change herself in order to get what she needs in her world is a sign of that. As to the statement about Shakespeare, it wasn't directed at anyone in particular, just a bit of frustration when people assign these great big responsibilities to Shakespeare to have these great big statements, when in reality most of his stories can really be compared to rom-coms. Thanks!
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