Cuckoldry as a Dramatic Motive in Much Ado about Nothing

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This paper aims to examine the concept of cuckoldry in Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing. Shakespeare reveals the attitude of 16th-century society toward women by making use of this dramatic motive for the actions of male characters in his play. In Shakespeare’s time, women’s honor was based on their virginity and virtuous behavior. When a woman had a pre-martial sexual relationship with a man, she lost both her honor and her place in the society. This play presents this attitude and men’s mistrust of women in 16th-century society, particularly in the love affairs between Claudio and Hero, Benedic and Beatrice. The anxiety and mistrust the male characters felt in relation to women make it a problem play because they cause tragic events.

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Cuckoldry , woman , problem play , Much Ado About Nothing

Journal Of Graduate School Of Social Sciences

126

Journal Of Graduate School Of Social Sciences