http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/muchado/themes.html
whilst looking through this i found the theme of Public Shaming:
Public Shaming
Even though Hero is ultimately vindicated, her public shaming at the wedding ceremony is too terrible to be ignored. In a sense, this kind of humiliation incurs more damage to her honor and her family name than would an act of unchaste behavior—an transgression she never commits. The language that both Claudio and Leonato use to shame Hero is extremely strong. To Claudio she is a “rotten orange” (IV.i.30), and to Leonato a rotting carcass that cannot be preserved: “the wide sea / Hath . . . / . . . salt too little which may season give / To her foul tainted flesh!” (IV.i.139–142).
Shame is also what Don John hopes will cause Claudio to lose his place as Don Pedro’s favorite: once Claudio is discovered to be engaged to a loose woman, Don John believes that Don Pedro will reject Claudio as he rejected Don John long ago. Shame is a form of social punishment closely connected to loss of honor. A product of an illegitimate sexual coupling himself, Don John has grown up constantly reminded of his own social shame, and he will do anything to right the balance. Ironically, in the end Don John is shamed and threatened with torture to punish him for deceiving the company. Clearly, he will never gain a good place in courtly society.
This theme interest's me because it allows us to explore a feminist view on how women were looked on in the past. I would like to explore how in the past women have been viewed very differently to men. Especially on:
- How it is seen more unacceptable for a women to commit adultery than it is for a man.
- How women were viewed on to just 'stay at home and be a housewife'.
I am going to pitch this idea to my group next lesson.
No comments:
Post a Comment