MAAN & Stereotypes

I beleive that Shakespeare believed in the stereotypes based on gender, race and class that he placed in his play. None of the stereotypes he deliberatly incorporated in his work, "Much Ado About Nothing" were written in to teach the audience a lesson, they were added because they were part of the times. Hero is good example of a gender stereotype. She's constantly being pushed around by other men, and can barely get a word in. Like when her marriage is arranged, she seems pleased, but she hardly says anything; she hardly even accepts the marriage proposal as she only has one line in that particular scene. Also, when Claudio publicly shames her at the alter, she hardly protests, all she does is splutter and faint--- which presents another stereotype; that women are weak (weaker than men). Then Hero's own father begins ranting and insulting her, believing Claudio, that his daughter is whore; he even threatens to KILL her. Claudio contributes to some of the racial stereotypes found in this play as well. When he consents to marry Beatrice when he believes Hero is dead he remarks that he would even marry an "Ethiope" (a deragatory term for a black woman) if it would please Leonato. This comment is loaded with racial racism, and is completly inappropriate. Finally, Dogberry and the watchmen represent a class stereotype. They are of the working class, which is lower than the main characters' class, and they are portrayed as complete idiots. Dogberry is especially seen as an imbecile as he makes up words because he doesn't know the real ones, calls himself an ass, etc. Shakespeare didn't incorporate these stereotypes to teach a lesson because they just insult groups of people, which is what stereotypes do.