Much Ado About Nothing: Stereotypes

Many stereotypes found in Much Ado About Nothing are related to gender. Throughout the play, women are portrayed as mindless, and easily manipulated. In the very beginning, when Claudio is desperately seeking Hero’s love, the Prince makes a promise. Don Pedro claims he will dance with Hero, and make her fall in love with Claudio. He simply says “The conclusion is, she shall be thine” (I.1.265). Don Pedro believes making a woman fall in love is easy, and will only take ten minutes! Indeed, Hero does fall in love with Claudio, while wooing women in real life would require a bit more effort.
Later on, Borachio goes about the task of wooing Margaret, Hero’s servant, in a similar fashion. Borachio feels he has complete control over Margaret’s emotions. He claims “I can, at any unseasonable instant of the night, appoint her/to look out at her lady’s chamber window” (II.2.14-15). Borachio implies that he could seduce Margaret whenever he pleases. He does accomplish this, and once again, this is not very realistic. Most women are not this easily controlled.
I do not think Shakespeare believed in these stereotypes. He gives examples of this stereotype to show that the stereotype exists, not that the stereotype itself is true. In the end, though, Beatrice is not easily won over, proving that not all women are easily manipulated. Shakespeare obviously didn’t believe all women were this way, or he would not have created Beatrice. Shakespeare used Beatrice to shatter existing female stereotypes, by making her strong and independent.