Wit in Much Ado About Nothing as Female Empowerment

 

Wit in Much Ado About Nothing as Female Empowerment

 

“The power of laughter can be just as subversive, as when carnival turns the old hierarchies upside-down, erasing old differences, producing new and unstable ones” (Moi 40).

 

Shakespeare is known as the world’s bard because his works are so universal and timeless. Much Ado About Nothing is not one of his more popular works and it is more often academically ignored in the literary world simply because of its simpler plot. In it, Shakespeare did not create two separate parallel plots nor does the play contain as many characters as his other plays. Much Ado About Nothing is definitely one of Shakespeare’s more pared down comedies but it is in its simplicity that we can appreciate wit’s true function: a function of portraying reality without too serious a tone while shedding light on feminist issues. If the audience is laughing, they will not think deeply enough to be offended, but just enough to be thinking.

Shakespeare’s works tend to draw the lines when it comes to the discussion of feminism. Some critics will say that Shakespeare was (even during his time) pro-feminist and that he repeatedly attempted to flip gender roles on their heads in attempt to address women’s issues, while the other camp will that such readings of Shakespeare is just wishful thinking. In “Much Ado About Nothing” Shakespeare introduces characters, who, not only perform outside their specified gender roles but also use wit to go about flipping those roles. This essay will examine, through dialogical analysis, how Shakespeare not only intentionally subverted gender roles, but also did it in such a way that his audiences’ sensibilities would not be offended and they would be entertained. Though “Much Ado About Nothing” is not lauded as one of Shakespeare’s best plays, it is unique in its format and content. Its uniqueness is in how it “treats the performance of wit as so central to its design” and without it would have difficulty reaching an audience (Munro 91).

Though drama’s platform often carries the purpose of entertainment through fiction, it has long been theater’s tradition to portray societal truths. Shakespeare’s plays, that of comedy, tragedy, historical, and mythical, attempt to do just that. In each one, Shakespeare attempts to portray truths (to a more or lesser extent depending on the category) to give the audience something to think about, like a morality lesson. In Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare endeavors to give women a voice through the lines he gives his female characters. Particularly with Beatrice, Shakespeare empowers her through the use of wit. It is Beatrice’s weapon and allure. At the conclusion, the dialogue shows Shakespeare’s affinity for using wit to not only diffuse any possible offence his audience might feel towards his gender role subversion but also to allow his female characters an outlet to express themselves freely without societal disdain.

Textual and stylistic analysis will reveal Shakespeare’s use of wit as an attempt to empower women and allow men to step outside their normal roles and flip them. Discourse examination and stylistic writing choices will expose Shakespeare’s objective in turning gender roles on their heads and showing us what could be. Beatrice’s powerful wit is engaging and fearsome, something unexpected for women of her time period. Her ammunition and target is Benedick, with whom she has an undisclosed tempestuous history. Through retorts such as, “Is it possible disdain should die while she hath such meet food to feed it as Signor Benedick? Courtesy itself must convert to disdain, if you come in her presence” (I.i.115-118) we can see Beatrice is no ordinary passive Elizabethan woman. She is not impressed by character descriptions of Benedick by the messenger preceding Don Pedro and Benedick’s arrival. She does not swoon in Benedick’s presence but instead commits to a war of words with him. Shakespeare appears to be using the wit to allow behavior that was not normally allowed by women of the time. Because it was always the expectation that women needed men and needed husbands, it is interesting that Shakespeare chose to subvert that notion along with normativity. Carl Dennis states, “Their battles of wit take the form of insults because they want to show themselves as being under no idealistic delusions about the worth of the opposite sex” (Dennis 226) While it is not unusual for a man of that time to hold such views it was not common for women to have such views and to commence in verbal banter with men about such views, which is precisely what Beatrice does. The question comes in why does she? Why is Beatrice like this? Could it be that Shakespeare wanted to indicate that women did have a choice? In Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare uses her point of view to display the unsettling existing dynamic of male/female relationships and how Beatrice uses that knowledge to protect herself.

In other Shakespeare comedies and romances, it is always the woman who should be tamed and eventually gives in without the man changing much at all or being changed by his love. In “Much Ado About Nothing”, Beatrice does change her opinion on love but she does not really change who she is and Benedict is transformed (almost in a feminine way) by his love for Beatrice as we see at the end of act 5, scene 2.

Beatrice: Will you go hear this news, signor?

Benedick: I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap, and be buried in thy eyes; and moreover I will go with thee to thy uncle’s. (94-97)

Benedick is at this point, transformed by his love for Beatrice. His unyielding love for her appears to be more obvious than any emotions the guarded Beatrice may be harboring.

It is important to note that Shakespeare decided to make his main characters, Benedict and Beatrice be of a more mature age which sets the scene for great comedy as they are more set in their ways and more jaded towards love.

From a theoretical perspective one could assume because of the time period and Beatrice’s assumed elder age that she has some knowledge and specific perspective on what love and marriage meant to a lady’s life. It would seem she feels it represents several losses and no gains for her; loss of independence, of one’s mind, and of one’s fortune. With Beatrice having such knowledge at hand, her epistemic advantage is one to focus on to explain her need for wit as a weapon. Shakespeare was keenly aware of the lack of voice and agency women had in Elizabethan literature and drama and in life. In Act II, scene 1, Claudio and Hero disclose their feelings in front of Don Pedro and Beatrice and Don Pedro turns to Beatrice and comments on her attitude toward the impending marriage and Beatrice remarks about her own circumstances, “Good Lord, for alliance! Thus goes everyone to the world but I, and I am sunburnt. I may sit in a corner and cry, ‘Heigh-ho for a husband!” (II.i. 303-305). Here Beatrice’s wit is self-deprecating and liberating at the same time. Using a ballad title to reference everyone’s ridiculous (in her view) need to get married, she mocks her chances of doing so by saying she is dark-skinned, which in fact she is not, but just objects to love and the restrictive institution of marriage. As Carl Dennis points out , “But this wittiness also implies a certain view of life. Taking the form of playful insults between a man and a woman, it expresses indirectly a detached attitude toward love, a sophisticated amusement at conventional romantic attitudes” (Dennis 225). Shakespeare’s dialogues in Much Ado About Nothing allow for a good basis for feminist theory, particularly one lens called Standpoint theory.

Within the school of Standpoint Feminism, there are two theses, the situated-knowledge thesis and the thesis of epistemic advantage. The epistemic advantage thesis is the basis for this literary analysis. Intemann defines it as, “This thesis…[is] the claim that epistemic communities that include members of marginalized groups will have epistemic advantages, or more rigorous critical consciousness, than communities that do not (at least in some contexts)” (Intemann, 787). This lens has its roots in Marxism as it looks at the hierarchy of the advantaged and disadvantaged groups and dictates that the lowest member has the most balanced view because of the disadvantage. Beatrice knows what awaits a woman who fancies a man and then gives her hand to him for marriage. She thinks love is a sickening fairy tale that only leads to misery. Though Shakespeare does not reveal any backstory to Beatrice’s disdain for men, love, or marriage, his use of wit gives up plenty with which to understand Beatrice’s epistemic advantage. We see evidence when she is discussing Benedick with Don Pedro:

Don Pedro: Come, lady, come you have lost the heart of Signor Benedick.

Beatrice: Indeed, my lord, he lent it to me awhile, and I gave him use for it, a double heart for his single one. Marry, once before he won it of me with false dice; therefore your grace may well say I have lost it. (II.i.263-268)

Beatrice alludes to a past time when Benedick wronged her by lying. This goes a long way in explaining Beatrice’s perspective on love and men. This evidence allows us to see her standpoint and how from her perspective, she feels certain the knowledge she possesses is the right one. It is because of this alluded to past experience that we can see how love and marriage might have been construed as a restrictive ritual. Her perspective is even explained further through a conversation between Don Pedro and Leonato after Beatrice departs from them.

Don Pedro: She cannot endure to hear tell of a husband.

Leonato: Oh, by no means. She mocks all her wooers out of suit. (II.i. 332-334).

Not only does Leonato know Beatrice’s position is an unwavering one but he also points out her use of wit in keeping would be suitors away. In his paper “The Role of Wit in Much Ado About Nothing” McCollum begins his explanation of wit usage in common language and then connects those usages to Shakespeare’s intent in his use of wit in this play. Wit, as McCollum states, “…informs the words spoken by the characters themselves as truly witty and intelligent, inappropriately facetious, or ingeniously witless, suggests the lines of action these characters will take, and, as intelligence, plays a fundamental role in the thematic action: the triumphing of true wit (or wise folly) in alliance with harmless folly over false or pretentious wisdom.” (McCollum 166) So it would seem that wit is not just a platform for comedy, but in fact a many layered platform in which the characters can safely express themselves without fear of retribution.       Beatrice’s experiences with men have taught her that women lose a lot more than their name when they trust in love and give in to marriage and so her use of wit is two-fold; protection and to keep any such affections from growing. From Beatrice’s point of view women lose their own will, their fortunes, and their independence as evidenced by Leonato’s speech to Claudio when he gives Hero’s hand. “Count, take of me my daughter and with her my fortunes…” (II.i. 288-289). So it stands to reason that Beatrice’s weapon and shield to fight against such a life is wit. Women were objects to be bartered among countries for peacemaking and wealth growth. Shakespeare was well aware of this and often pointed out their lack of agency in his plays thus creating the debate that he might have been a bit pro-feminist. In “Victorian Portias: Shakespeare’s Borderline Heroine”, Julie Hankey makes a good point about this, “It was the Victorians who first associated Shakespeare with elevated notions of Womanhood. He had long been credited with an understanding of female psychology…” (426) Shakespeare understood women and understood the patriarchal conditions [expectations] under which they lived and represented their situations as realistically as possible. Since Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy, Shakespeare plays with the dialogue to give his characters an opportunity to step outside expectations and be more masculine (the women) and more feminine (the men) in their responses. Even within the courting of Hero and Claudio their exchanges look reversed than usual male/female dialogues. Two separate examples of this are first when Don Pedro is wooing Hero while masquerading as Claudio and the second after Leonato gives permission for Claudio and Hero to marry.

Hero (to Don Pedro thinking he is Claudio): So you walk softly and look sweetly and say nothing, I am yours for the walk, and especially when I walk away. (II.i. 82-84)

And in Act 2, scene 1:

Claudio: Silence is the perfectest herald of joy. I were but little happy if I could say how much!—Lady, as you are mine, I am yours. I give away myself for you and dote upon the exchange. (292-295)

In both of these exchanges Shakespeare has the characters act in reverse of gender expectations. Hero uses wit to exert her display of choice. She knows she can choose to stay and dance or not. And Claudio acts fairly feminine when displaying his extremely submissive romantic side by giving himself up to his romantic (albeit immature) love of Hero.

            Much Ado About Nothing’s main characters appear to subtly reject normal society’s gender roles and just move merrily along in fictional Messina being witty in their non-normative dialogues. Leonato does not force marriage on his daughter or niece but it is not so unusual as to completely change his behavior in regards to giving his daughter’s hand in marriage. Leonato even instructs Hero early on to accept the Prince’s hand should he ask. “Daughter, remember what I told you. If the Prince do solicit you in that kind, you know your answer” (II.i. 61-63)

Though Leonato does not force it, she is still not considered completely independent and that is also Shakespeare’s skill: thwarting gender roles without being viewed as subversive. After all he did not want to alienate his audiences.

Much of the research available about Much Ado About Nothing focuses on psychological and/or linguistic aspects of the play. Despite Much Ado About Nothing being a less popular play and fairly ignored by much of academia, it was possible to find some sources that covered different aspects that this research wanted to explore; none, however, looked at Much Ado from a feminist perspective. As mentioned some research covered the linguistic aspect of the use of wit using a reader response (McCollom) approach while others looked at the play from a new criticism approach. Starting with McCollom he examined the connection between the battle of wits behavior with the psychological act of protecting oneself from the hurt of another, such as the case with Beatrice and Benedick. McCollom’s research suggests there is more [layers] to the verbal banter than what appears on the surface. It is not just the words that wit has an effect on but the mood and the timbre of a scene. As McCollom says, “In Much Ado, at any rate, wit is organic” (166) and therefore can change a scene from one of seriousness to outrageousness effortlessly.

As themes go, deception ranks number one in the most researched among the little academic writing available on Much Ado. Carl Dennis’s Wit and Wisdom in Much Ado About Nothing elaborates further on Shakespeare’s application of wit between the main characters by delving into wit as a defense mechanism against being deceived moving toward a relationship of trust and how deception plays into wit being used a shield against such jabs of trust. Richard Henze points out that Beatrice’s sarcasm and wit are a tool of deception to divert any attention from anyone realizing she does in fact desire marriage and love but is not willing to reveal her heart to get it, so instead she deceives Benedick through verbal jabs. Ironically, Benedick is no different as Dennis points out, “To Benedick his impulsive friend [Claudio] is an image of his emotional self which he is unconsciously trying to suppress; and his laments about Claudio giving up manly soldiership for effeminate love express his unacknowledged war against his own latent desire for love” (Dennis 225). Benedick and Beatrice both use diversionary deception through sarcasm to hide and deny their own feelings. For Beatrice, it also empowers her to be able to refuse even if she does not want to deep down.

One of the more important contributions to this research is Kristen Intemann’s research on Standpoint theory. Though this theory is not new, it has had very little attention and very little research has utilized this feminist lens. This overlooked lens is so important to feminist research because it was born out the Marxist class of criticism stating that the one who is at the bottom of the hierarchy is most likely to have the most objective perspective. This definitely applies to the female characters of Much Ado About Nothing as they already know what awaits them once they yield to society’s expectation for them to enter into wedlock. Beatrice demonstrates this when she explains the depressing ritual of courting and marriage to Hero. “For hear me, Hero: wooing, wedding, and repenting is as a Scottish jig, a measure and a cinquepace. The first suit is hot and hasty, like a Scotch jig, and full as fantastical; The wedding, mannerly-modest, as a measure, full of state and ancientry; and then comes Repentance, and with his bad legs falls into the cinquepace faster and faster till he sink into his grave” (II.i. 64-74). Beatrice, essentially tears the ritual of courtship and marriage apart in that one speech; revealing to her cousin that she better choose wisely as she will soon be chained to that person until their death and that it could be good or bad depending on her choice (hinting that it should be her choice and not her father’s). Men took and still do, take for granted the innate rights their sex engenders them and so they are unable to have the most objective view. Despite the men in Much Ado showing an aversion and resistance to marriage, once they give in to the desire, it is much easier for them for they lose nothing. Intemann’s research is the most comprehensive on Standpoint Theory and is very applicable to Beatrice and Hero’s positioning. Of all the resources available for this essay, this one is the most important. By acknowledging who has the greater epistemic knowledge, it allows for a clearer view of character motivations of why say and do what they do.

Lastly, piggybacking off Intemann’s work, the use of Toril Moi’s book provides feminist theory background knowledge in which to base this paper’s assertion that there is room to analyze Much Ado About Nothing from a feminist perspective. Whole Moi’s book does not speak specifically to Shakespeare, it does provide excellent information regarding feminist theory. It is an overall good resource for emphasizing gender identity as a non-issue as is the case with Much Ado About Nothing where the characters periodically switch in and out of gender norms.

 

Conclusion

Shakespeare’s writings are not subversive feminist texts, but they do allow for women to make choices and remain who they are, something that was missing from much of Victorian literature. Earlier this essay asserted that Shakespeare tended to show the truths of life as he observed it and it is still true but it is still fiction which allowed him to explore areas he wished were reality, such as women having choices about their futures without meeting disdain from society. Despite not being the epitome of feminism and even sometimes backsliding to the traditional (Beatrice and Benedick eventually marry), the importance for the feminist lens is that his female and male characters are not chained to specific roles to perform to. They slide back and forth between masculine and feminine, all for the sake of love and trust. Ironically, it is through the role of deception disguised as wit that Shakespeare is able to reveal most of the truths needed to be seen by the characters and the audience. Benedick and Beatrice have an unrevealed past relationship which clearly has a created a rift of distrust in each other and in love in general but their friends also use deception to fool the lovers into revealing their true emotions and getting past their pain. So the deception has positive and negative roles in the text. Bevington in his introduction discusses the two characters banter as a kind of “verbal abuse” that has been going on for so long that they cannot remember why they continue. But it is this plot that makes the story and wit usage so effective. The Benedick/Beatrice love story arc is evidence that because of their stubbornness to not be so immediately accepting of love and marriage and unwillingness to accept anything less than their ideal, theirs is a more stable and maturely founded love.

The Benedick/Beatrice story arc played against the Claudio/Hero love story arc displays clearly what having the full epistemic advantage allows. Claudio and Hero know very little of each other beyond their mutual romantic ideals and physical attraction of one another. This lack of knowledge allows Claudio to fully accept the scandalous accusations against Hero, but with Beatrice and Benedick they have knowledge at their fingertips. Beatrice and Benedick are older and wiser and therefore have the advantage of knowledge to wait and choose wisely. Beatrice does not reveal her feelings towards Benedick until the end because unlike Benedick, who has very little to lose from his emotional revelations, she fears to lose her independence and freedoms. Her standpoint is most important because it is the most clear and most objective because as woman, she is at the bottom. It is sad that Claudio and Hero are like Othello and Desdemona in that without maturity and proper knowledge they are easily deceived and allow themselves to be destroyed by unsubstantiated and fictional claims of ruined innocence. Shakespeare intentionally plays these two love stories together simultaneously so that the audience can view the effects of being easily manipulated (a flaw in Claudio’s character) and the advantages to having the strength to stand by your beliefs (as with Beatrice and Benedick’s ideals).

Much of the existing research focuses on the parallels with Othello and the theme of deception. This is an important theme in Much Ado About Nothing, as there is a lot deception going, deception eventually almost destroys one couple and actually brings one together. The deception of Don John is evil like that of Iago in Othello and Claudio and Hero’s love is like that of Othello’s and Desdemona’s love which was immature and surface in nature. It is the display of Benedick and Beatrice’s verbal banter that we can see how maturity (and a little wit shielding) can prevent such shallow devices from destroying what could be true love. Benedick and Beatrice’s use of wit as a shield prevents them from revealing their emotions but it also serves to allow them to get to know each other and get past such deceptions that befall Claudio and Hero.

The use of wit advances Beatrice’s goal of allowing her to choose her own happiness, something she wishes for her cousin as well. In Act 2, Scene 1 she says, “Yes, faith it is my cousin’s duty to make curtsy and say, ‘Father, as it please you.’ But yet for all that cousin, let him be a handsome fellow, or else make another curtsy and say, ‘Father, as it please me.’” (II.i. 49-52). Beatrice here uses her wit to advise her cousin to choose wisely and to make her choice, while not offending but instead amusing her uncles. Wit also serves another underlying purpose in teasing and flirting but appearing to be verbal banter as a shield. In fact, Benedick and Beatrice commit to verbal warfare because they cannot stay away each other. Each exchange of sarcasm allows them to reveal a part of themselves without risking injury. It brings them closer together and allows them to build trust without realizing it. Shakespeare references One Hundred Merry Tales, a bawdy satirical book of stories, several times including when Beatrice directly mentions it as way to inference wit’s function of not only humor but also as way to insult. Satirical wit plays front and center in the masquerade scene when Beatrice dances with Benedick and feigns being a stranger but she knows it is him and takes the opportunity to completely insult him with her biting wit. As a comedy, Much Ado About Nothing utilizes wit in almost every communicative capacity as possible.

Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing may never reach the heights of fame that of Romeo and Juliet or even it is tragic counterpart of Othello, but it is nonetheless one of his most unique works in how the characters transform and move across gender lines effortlessly. Claudio and Benedick more freely give their love in more effeminate ways and Beatrice maintains a tough exterior through, holding back her emotions in a more masculine manner. A reader can see that is Beatrice’s point of view that Shakespeare wanted to emphasize for its maturity and epistemic advantage, something that was sorely lacking in Claudio and Hero’s relationship. This comedy can be utilized to study wit from a linguistic point of view, and emotional lens, and a feminist lens. The latter being the most important because it is this lens that this play has received the least attention. This research submits that more research in this area would enlighten educators on how to expand their teaching of this comedy to their students.

 

 

Works Cited

Bevington, David, ed. The Necessary Shakespeare. “Much Ado About Nothing” New     Jersey:  Pearson Education, 2014. 4^th Ed. Print.

Bevington, David, ed. The Necessary Shakespeare. “Much Ado About Nothing” Introduction.    New Jersey:  Pearson Education, 2014. 4^th Ed. Print.

Dennis, Carl. “Wit and Wisdom in Much Ado About Nothing”. Studies in English Literature,       1500-1900. Vol. 13, No. 2, Elizabethan and Jacobian Drama. Spring 1973. JSTOR. Web.    18 July 2015.

Intemann, Kristen. “25 Years of Feminist Empiricism and Standpoint Theory: Where Are We      Now?” Hypatia. Vol. 25. Issue 4. Fall 2010. JSTOR. Web. 18 August 2014.

Hankey, Julie. “Victorian Portias: Shakespeare’s Borderline Heroine”. Shakespeare Quarterly,     Vol. 45, NO. 4 (Winter, 1994), JSTOR. PDF. 10 August 2015.
Henze, Richard. “Deception in Much Ado about Nothing”. Studies in English Literature, 1500-    1900, Vol. 11, No. 2, Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama (Spring, 1971). JSTOR. PDF. 1         September 2105.

McCollom, William G. “The Role of Wit in Much Ado About Nothing” Shakespeare       Quarterly, Vol. 19, No. 2 (Spring, 1968). JSTOR. PDF. 2 August 2015.

Moi, Toril. Sexual/Textual Politics. Routledge. New York. 1988. Print.

Munro, Ian. “Shakespeare’s Jestbook: Wit, Print, Performance”. ELH, Vol. 71, No 1. (Spring,     2004). JSTOR. PDF. 2 August 2015.

Scheff, Thomas J. “Gender Wars in Much Ado About Nothing”. Sociological Perspectives, Vol.     36, No. 2 (Summer, 1993). JSTOR. PDF. 10 July 2015.