Hero’s Character in Much Ado About Nothing. Literature Essay

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10 December 2018
Hero’s Character in Much Ado About Nothing
Hero is Beatrice’s cousin, Leonato’s daughter, and Antonio’s niece and the beloved fiancée of Claudio. She is gentle and loving. Of the four main characters in the play, she Hero has the fewest lines though she is supposed to be the lead character in the play. The characteristic that stands out in her is that she is always reacting or responding to the words, actions or commands of others, and rarely gives her own.
Much Ado About Nothing is one of the famous comedies by Shakespeare. It features a pair of lovers, Beatrice and Benedict, Hero and Claudio. The witty exchanges between Beatrice and Benedict, who are evenly matched, trading barb for barb draws attention away from Hero whose fidelity and chastity are questioned on her wedding day in a humiliating way by her fiancé and father. It is a scene that is horrifying as it is supposed to be Hero’s celebration to the homecoming of her man. Later, Hero’s name is cleared, and she accepts Claudio again as her husband without questions.
Hero is obedient and respects her father, Leonato. She does not say a word without her father’s agreement. There is no reference to her mother in the play, apart from when she is mentioned at the beginning of the play in a joke shared between Don Pedro and Leonato. From this, it can be imagined that it was her father who raised into a real lady who completely obeys his instructions and directions; that shows her love and respect to her father.
Throughout the play, Hero’s small words and actions show her willingness and sass, but this side of her is expressed infrequently as she lets other people make big decisions for her. It is also notable that when Hero speaks, she speaks very beautifully and poetically. She is quite gifted in speech,” Good Margaret, run thee to the parlor. There shalt thou find my cousin Beatrice Proposing with the prince and Claudio. Whisper her ear and tell her I and Ursula Walk in the orchard and our whole discourse Is all of her… There will she hide her To listen our purpose. This is thy office. Bear thee well in it and, leave us alone”...