Much Ado About Nothing – Commentary Act 2 Scene I
Much Ado About Nothing – Commentary
Act 2 Scene I
How do the characters feel about “Love” and marriage?
Don Pedro wooed Hero and got Leonato to consent to the marriage. However, Claudio had been tricked earlier into thinking that Don Pedro had been attempting to woo Hero for himself, which he had more than readily believed, without any questioning nor suspicion whatsoever. It had made him very angry, almost instantly, as he felt that the man who had promised to help him get married had betrayed him. Because of this misunderstanding, it seemed uncertain whether or not Claudio would accept Hero and marry her. And yet, he does receive Hero, after which he claims to be so overwhelmed by happiness that he barely even speaks to her, saying: "Silence is the perfectest herald of joy."
Claudio’s mood swing, from feeling ‘betrayed’ to ‘so happy that he can’t even speak’ is alarming and, not only does it show how gullible he is, but also makes the reader doubt the veracity of his feelings for Hero. Claudio also did not even propose to Hero himself, which is wretched and even somewhat childish. He is full of distrust and quite insecure, but he never did fight for her when he thought he had lost her to Don Pedro, which might mean that he doesn’t love Hero as passionately as he claims he does. Claudio seems to love Hero’s social standing, her fortune and maybe even her beauty, but nowhere is it evident that he loves her for who she is as a person.
The fact that he would truly believe that Hero would marry Don Pedro proves that he fully understands that to her, marriage is but an arrangement. And maybe to Claudio, that is all it is for him too: a convenient match. Hero acts as if marriage was no more than something that she must do, a duty so to speak. She would probably accept to marry anyone who asked her father for her hand. And Claudio just happened to be the first one to ask, well Don Pedro in the name of Claudio anyway. She is treated as goods, as a
Act 2 Scene I
How do the characters feel about “Love” and marriage?
Don Pedro wooed Hero and got Leonato to consent to the marriage. However, Claudio had been tricked earlier into thinking that Don Pedro had been attempting to woo Hero for himself, which he had more than readily believed, without any questioning nor suspicion whatsoever. It had made him very angry, almost instantly, as he felt that the man who had promised to help him get married had betrayed him. Because of this misunderstanding, it seemed uncertain whether or not Claudio would accept Hero and marry her. And yet, he does receive Hero, after which he claims to be so overwhelmed by happiness that he barely even speaks to her, saying: "Silence is the perfectest herald of joy."
Claudio’s mood swing, from feeling ‘betrayed’ to ‘so happy that he can’t even speak’ is alarming and, not only does it show how gullible he is, but also makes the reader doubt the veracity of his feelings for Hero. Claudio also did not even propose to Hero himself, which is wretched and even somewhat childish. He is full of distrust and quite insecure, but he never did fight for her when he thought he had lost her to Don Pedro, which might mean that he doesn’t love Hero as passionately as he claims he does. Claudio seems to love Hero’s social standing, her fortune and maybe even her beauty, but nowhere is it evident that he loves her for who she is as a person.
The fact that he would truly believe that Hero would marry Don Pedro proves that he fully understands that to her, marriage is but an arrangement. And maybe to Claudio, that is all it is for him too: a convenient match. Hero acts as if marriage was no more than something that she must do, a duty so to speak. She would probably accept to marry anyone who asked her father for her hand. And Claudio just happened to be the first one to ask, well Don Pedro in the name of Claudio anyway. She is treated as goods, as a