Reflection
So far in the play Much Ado About Nothing we have picked up how the characters, Beatrice and Benedick, are foils (character that act the total opposite from other characters such as the protagonist/main character(s)) of Hero and Claudio. People would have noticed how Beatrice and Hero are foils by the definition of a good women in society from their time period. "A good women does not speak, she is silent." Hero fits perfectly in the category of a good women because(I.i) she has only said ONE line during the whole conversation with the messenger. After the class read the whole scene, Mrs.Whitley asked us who were the people in scene one, we named Leonato, the prince, Benedick, Claudio, and Beatrice. All of 12N forgot all about Hero being in the scene. In the play later on, Claudio was one of the many people to notice her "in" the conversation, but Hero through her silence(I.i). Claudio has even said"Silence is the perfectest herald of joy." (I.i), proving my point of a "good women" in their time. At first Claudio is COMPLETELY certain he had found his wife, but once Don John started putting stuff in Claudio's head making Hero seem promiscuous and unfaithful he says "Friendship is constant in all other things save in the office and affairs of love. Therefore all hearts in love use their own tongues. Let every eye negotiate for itself and trust no agent, for beauty is a witch. . .(II.i)" I thought about what he had said and it seems as though he would choose his friendship over someone he "loves". Claudio uses the "Bro code" which is "Bros before ___". Also, "beauty is a witch" I took that as "Beauty is the Beast". Beatrice would represent Hero's foil quite well for mainly speaking without "permission". In Elizabethan/ Shakespearean time what society viewed as a "bad women" was someone who spoke without permission and they were considered monsters."By my troth, niece, thou wilt never get thee a husband if thou be so shrewd of thy tongue."- Leonato (II.i), her own uncle even tells her that she won't be suitable to get a husband because she is so talkative and her words are harsh.
Now with Claudio and Benedick what makes them a foil will have to be their views/opinions on marriage. Benedick doesn't want to get married because he doesn't trust women at all.Men are shamed by their women being promiscuous. Once a women cheats on her man, then he would "become" a cuckold due to her committing adultery/ being unfaithful. It's funny how to reason's for two people to become a couple is related to tricking each of them. Don john tricks Claudio in to thinking Hero is sleeping around when she is not. The prince and Balthazar just to stick it to Benedick's pride by saying that he couldn't compare with Beatrice. In the process of he FINALLY realizes he actually loves her.
