Discussion of the Presentation of Women in "Much Ado About Nothing"

In "Much Ado About Nothing", women are presented in a number of different ways. Some conform to the behaviour expected of women at the time whilst others rebel against their unequal status in a patriarchal society.
In most cases the women in the play behave according to their social standing. Generally speaking, the lower the status, the greater amount of freedom. Two women in the play, Hero and Margaret, illustrate this point well. As the daughter of Leonato, a wealthy and powerful governor, Hero is quiet, polite and respectful. Margaret however, is only a servant in Leonato's household. Therefore she has more freedom as she is not expected to honour her family name. Beatrice, another female character in the play, does not fit into either of these categories.
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