Guy De Maupassant The Necklace. In The Short Story By Guy

Guy De Maupassant The Necklace In the short story by Guy de Maupassant The Necklace A young beautiful maiden longing for the finer things in life becomes her greatest downfall. Whereas losing everything can make you bitter., greediness can sometimes lead forced humbleness. The author of the story introduces us to Mathilde. She is the focus of the story. Noted for her beauty, she often dreamt as many do of being born in the wrong family. The setting of the story tells us that this fair maiden lived in an error where a caste system existed. It was her misfortune to be married to a mere clerk. To some, this would have been perfectly fine. However, for our character, this was like her Scarlett letter. She found herself having to†¦show more content†¦Her story can be likened to that of Cinderella wishing that her fate would change. They both share in some form of envy. â€Å"Mathilde envies her rich friend and Cinderella envies her step-sisters. â€Å" She had no dresses, no jewels. was envious of her friend and anyone else who had more than what she had. Cinderella had nothing and longed to attend the ball like the other girls. Both ladies fate will change. Both ladies share the same good fortune by being invited to a ball. Cinderella receives help from her fairy god mother while Mathilde s husband and friend steps in. This is where the ladies begin to part. For Cinderella, a fairy godmother magically changes everything into a what she needs to attend the ball. On the other hand, poor Mathilde states that she cannot go to the ball because she has nothing to wear. Her poor husband comes to her rescue by giving her the money he has saved for something else so that she may by a dress. Again the disposition of the two ladies spread further apart. Cinderella is shocked and can’t believe how lucky she is.. Mathilde on the other hand is still unhappy because she doesn’t have any jewels to wear with her expensive dress Her husband who has no more money to give his beautiful bride suggested that she borrow some from her friend. Forestier allowed Mme. Loisel to borrow a superb necklace of diamonds(902). Mathilde Loisel had a wonderful time atShow MoreRelatedAn Ironic, Witty Short Story by Guy de Maupassant, The Necklace1023 Words   |  5 PagesGuy de Maupassant is considered to be one of the fathers of short stories, he is a French author who lived in the 19th century. Born in 1850 at the Chateau de Miromesnil in France, to a lone literary mother who passed on her passion for books to Guy. The author’s writing style is characterized by economy of style, brilliant irony and elegant denouement. Maupassant wrote over 300 short stories, six novels, three travel books, and a volume of verse. Maupassant incorporated genres such as realism andRead MoreThe Necklace by Guy de Maupassant1034 Words   |  5 Pagesregret which Guy de Maupassant depicts throughout â€Å"The Necklace.† Guy de Maupassant, a French writer, born in 1850, was considered one of France’s greatest short-story writers. His writings were mostly influenced by the divorce of his parents when he was thirteen years old and by great writers such as Shakespeare, Schopenhauer, and Flauber. His parent’s divorce caused his stories to depict unhappiness of matrimony, deceit, miscommunication, and a profound misunderstanding (Maupassant, Guy de, 1850-1893)Read MoreThe Theme of Pride in Guy Maupassants The Necklace Essay1147 Words   |  5 Pagescharacter in Guy de Maupassant’s short story, â€Å"The Necklace†. Set in Paris in the late 1800s, Maupassant’s story shows the costs of pride. The main character, Madame Loisel, borrows a diamond necklace from her rich friend, Madame Forestier, to wear at a ball hosted by the Minister of Public Instruction at the Palace of the Ministry. To her dismay, Madame Loisel loses the necklace, and she and her husband spend the next ten years paying back the loans they had to take out to replace the necklace, only toRead MoreLiteray Analysis of The Necklace1155 Words   |  5 Pageshumans nature of greed. Guy De Maupassan t, the author of The Necklace, perfectly shows how greed can lead to bad outcomes in the short story. Guy De Maupassant, one of the fathers of the short story, was born on August 5th 1850. A quote representing the legacy of Maupassant French writer of short stories an novels of the naturalists school who is by general agreement the greatest french short story writers(Bennet). In his short story, The Necklace, Maupassant focuses mostly on greed.Read MoreA Wasteful Fashion in The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant1149 Words   |  5 Pageslife used to pay back a debt that was worth ten thousand dollars. Was it worth it? Guy de Maupassant was a popular French writer who is known as one of the fathers of modern short stories. Many of Maupassant’s stories are set during the Franco-Prussian War of the 1870’s. Maupassant ended up writing about three hundred short stories, six novels, three travel books, and one volume of verse. In his short story, ‘The Necklace’ , the main character, Mathilde Loisel, feels as if she should have been born richRead MoreGuy De Maupassant s Life1179 Words   |  5 PagesGuy De Maupassant was born August 5, 1850, in Chà ¢teau de Miromesnil, France (The Famous People, Guy de Maupassant), when he was young his parents got divorced and after that, his father left, denying him a chance to develop a relationship with his son. He started school with a religious education but, after getting expelled on purpose he pursued a bachelor s degree at Lycà ©e at Le Havre (World History: The Modern Era, Guy de Maupassant). One of his most well known stories is The Necklace. In thisRead MoreThe Necklace And The Bet Short Story867 Words   |  4 Pages Have you ever read an intense short story? Well both â€Å"The Necklace† and â€Å"The Bet† are the most intense short stories ever. Both authors from both passages explain the dialogue by discovering new aspects of the passages. In â€Å"The Necklace† written by Guy de Maupassant (1884), is about how a character called Mathilde that loses one of her friends necklace, that was a fake, and spends the next 10 years paying it off. On the other hand â€Å"The Bet† written by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1889) is about aRead MoreTheme of Reality vs. Appearances in â€Å"the Necklace†1617 Words   |  7 PagesTheme of Reality vs. Appearances in â€Å"The Necklace† Henri Rene Albert Guy de Maupassant was born on August 5, 1850 in the chateau de Miromesnil near Dieppe, Normandy. He lived in Fecamp, France until age twelve (when his parents separated) then moved with his mother to a villa in Etretat, France. Home-schooled, except for a brief stay at a boarding school when he was thirteen, Maupassant ran free for most of his school years. Maupassant attended university in Paris, where he began to study lawRead More Guy De Maupassants Works2329 Words   |  10 PagesIn examining the influence of Guy de Maupassant’s â€Å"The Necklace† and â€Å"Piece of String†, a similar form of figurative language is found. Situational irony, where an outcome is different from what was expected, is found in Maupassant’s short stories’ surprising and cruel endings. In â€Å"The Necklace† the protagonist, lost a diamond necklace, and ten years after struggling to pay off the replacement, she found the original was a fa ke. In Maupassant’s â€Å"Piece of String† the main character picked up a pieceRead MoreViews of Women in The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant AP by John Updike848 Words   |  4 PagesViews of Women in The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant AP by John Updike The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant, and AP by John Updike were written in two different centuries by two authors of very different backgrounds. However, each story expresses very similar views about women. The women in these stories are self-centered creatures who control men with their sexuality, and end up damaging the mens life. The main character in The Necklace is a lady named Mathilde who is extremely pretty

Confucianism And The Chinese Society - 1257 Words

When Western people think of Confucianism, they often think of it in a past sense- as something only relevant to ancient China that cannot be applied to modern day society. However, what these people fail to realize is that Confucianism’s roots have been so integrated into China’s society that the values have become a part of every day life. Without having to explicitly state that they are following specifics aspects of Confucianism, most Chinese people submit to them, often times unknowingly. However, Confucian values not only exist in the Chinese society, but also permeate into other areas of Chinese culture such as architecture and aspects of Feng-Shui. If one is to examine how Confucianism is still relevant to modern day society, it may be of some help to first understand this ethical system in its past context. Before the Zhou Dynasty (1100 – 221 BC), there is no written proof of any scholars providing personal philosophies with the intent of teaching others in an attempt to benefit society. The only types of philosophy present revolved around divine beings, divination, and magic. However, after the Zhou Dynasty ended, there was a period of time overran by philosophers who were all trying to educate the masses on ethical philosophies in order to make society a better place. If there was no attempt to teach philosophy in the past, what occurred during the Zhou reign that caused these scholars to all of a sudden have a desire to change society? This matter mayShow MoreRelatedConfucianism : A Great Part Of Chinese Society895 Words   |  4 PagesConfucianism has always been a great part of Chinese society. Confucius ideolo gies stand for education and becoming superior through learning, they also see women as a weakness and should therefore be no more than used as household keepers and child bearers. This way of thought is seen throughout Lisa See’s Snow Flower and the Secret Fan in which both Lily and Snow Flower spent a lifetime hearing from everyone around them that they were worthless and weak. They were made believe that their sole purposeRead MoreConfucianism And The Social Behaviour Of The State For Keeping Chinese Society1785 Words   |  8 PagesConfucianism Pertaining to Confucius indicating the preference of Li over Fa, people guided by Fa will try to evade the punishment without having any sense of shame, whereas people guided by virtue (Li) will have the sense of shame and also be reformed. The followers of Confucius believe in a more active form of governance and a more rigid social order, and it is essential for man to establish rules such as Li so as to encourage good governance of the state for keeping Chinese society in orderRead MoreThe Impact of Confucius on the Development of Chinese Thought and Culture1528 Words   |  7 PagesThe impact Confucius had on the development of Chinese thought and culture Confucianism has been a part of Chinese culture for over a thousand years. Many who have studied Confucianism would say that it is not a religion. It is better described as a philosophy or moral code. The philosophy of Confucianism comes mainly from the speeches and writings of Confucius, a great Chinese thinker and educator. He believed that Humanity, Rite, Neutrality, Virtue, Education, and Cultivation were the basisRead MoreConfucianism : A Great Chinese Thinker And Philosopher Who Lived During The Warring States1206 Words   |  5 PagesRainey 18 June 2015 Ancient China Confucianism Who was Confucius? Confucius was a great Chinese thinker and philosopher who lived during the Warring States Period from 551-479 BCE. He was born in 551 BC, in Zou, Lu state in a family that was in between common people and aristocrats. He never held a high-class job, only working as a shepherd, cowherd, clerk, and a book-keeper. His mother died when he was 23 and he then mourned for three years, an Ancient Chinese tradition. Lu state had a duke andRead MoreConfucianism Of Han Chin Synthesis And Syncretion1581 Words   |  7 PagesINT 196J 14 November 2014 Confucianism in Han China – Synthesis and Syncretion Abstract: The American Oriental Society suggests that historians consider the fall of the Han Dynasty in negative perspective, viewing the fall of the Han Dynasty as â€Å"the failure of Confucian ethics.† After scrutinizing the available information, one is led to think otherwise. The studies of Confucian traditions are mostly approached by historical and philosophical views. Based on the Chinese dynastic histories of theRead MorePhilosophy Of Mencius And Xunzi1111 Words   |  5 Pages Confucianism is unique in the fact that unlike other religions, it doesn’t have a divine ruler that is worshiped by its followers. Instead, followers of Confucianism adhere to the ideas and values spread in the teachings of Confucius, a philosopher. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Confucius was a thinker, political figure, educator, and founder of the Ru School of Chinese Thought (Reigel, para. 1). Other than that, however, not much is known for certain about the life of Co nfuciusRead MoreSexuality As A Social Experience1249 Words   |  5 Pagesand Plummer, 2012) For many societies, sex or sexuality has long been seen as a taboo. They think that talking or discussing sexuality is an ignominious thing. Under this atmosphere, the societies will recognize sexuality as a private matter, which cannot openly discuss and even mention in the public area. However, is sexuality as a â€Å"real† private matter?    Many people think that sexuality as a natural personal issue of life. However, all the participants of a society are learning what sexual behaviorsRead MoreBuddhism Is An Indispensable Element Of Chinese And Formation Of Mahayana Buddhism Essay1477 Words   |  6 Pagesindispensable element of Chinese philosophy and literature. As we all know, Buddhism originated in India and first spread to China around 100BC. Nevertheless, (Mahayana) Buddhism in China separated itself from the mainstream Buddhism and created a new form of Bodhisattva precept instead of following the Indian Vinaya precept. In fact , the distinct Chinese history and culture played significant roles in the development and formation of Mahayana Buddhism . The change of Chinese society also had a greatRead MoreSocial Philosophy Of Confucianism1398 Words   |  6 PagesConfucianism was founded by the philosopher Confucius who was born in 551 in the Lu state of China (Biography.com Editors 2017). Confucius’s teachings focused on creating ethical models of family and public interactions and setting educational standards (Biography.com Editors 2017). Confucius died in 479 B.C., but Confucianism became the official imperial philosophy of China and its influence was significant during the Han, Tang and Song Dynasties (Biography.com Editors 2017). Confucius’s philosophyRead MoreConfucianism Is An Eastern Asia Religion / Philosophy1071 Words   |  5 PagesConfucianism is an Eastern Asia religion/philosophy. Described as a way of life. Confucianism is neither said to be a monotheistic nor a polytheistic religion. This religion originated in China during the 6th-5th century BCE, and has since then spread to countries such as Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam. Confucianism which means â€Å"The School of the Scholars† developed from the teachings of Confucius. It is more a system of ethics and social behavior. People who follow the teachings of Confucius also observe

Theories of Melanie Klein DW Winnicott free essay sample

Compares lives, careers, influences psychoanalytic ideas on child development. Melanie Klein and D.W. Winnicott were both psychotherapists who belonged to the British Psychoanalytic Society. Klein and Winnicott had practices working with disturbed children. They both studied and accepted the work of Freud, although they both expanded and altered his theories on child development. Despite these facts in common, Melanie Klein and D.W. Winnicott had very different theories. Melanie Klein was a firm believer in the childs innate ability to fantasize on a complex level and did not give much credence to the role of the mother during early infancy. She gave credit to the innate instincts in determining a childs development. We will write a custom essay sample on Theories of Melanie Klein DW Winnicott or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page D.W. Winnicott, on the other hand, believed that the mother has an important impact on the babys development from birth. He believed that the environment the child inhabited was the key to a childs development. The..

What Could Shakespeare Be Saying About Honour and The Difference Between Male And Female Honour Essay Example

What Could Shakespeare Be Saying About Honour and The Difference Between Male And Female Honour? Essay Much Ado About Nothing is exactly that. It is a lot of dishonour and angst over something which never happened. So what did Shakespeare think about the gullibility and prejudices of the men and women of his time? All of the characters in the play are either honourable people unwittingly doing dishonourable things or dishonourable people deliberately doing honourable things, for example Don John: Lady Hero hath been falsely accusd, the Prince and Claudio mightily abusd, and Don John is the author of all, who is fled and gone. (5.3.102.5-9) I think this play is typical of William Shakespeares writing because he is challenging the opinions and social prejudices of the time he lived in. We will write a custom essay sample on What Could Shakespeare Be Saying About Honour and The Difference Between Male And Female Honour? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on What Could Shakespeare Be Saying About Honour and The Difference Between Male And Female Honour? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on What Could Shakespeare Be Saying About Honour and The Difference Between Male And Female Honour? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Another strong example of Shakespeares free-thinking and non-stereotypical characters is The Taming Of The Shrew where the heroine of the story is at first a strong-willed and outspoken young woman, similar to Beatrice, who through out the course of the play is beaten, starved and mentally abused until her husband Petruchio is satisfied that he has tamed his wifes unladylike ways. As at the time this would not have been an uncommon occurrence then perhaps this play was a personal attack on events which Shakespeare may have been forced to play witness to at some point. However, having said that it was not a rare occurrence, it still shocked and concerned a lot of its early audiences when it was first played out. I think The Taming Of The Shrew was also very strongly focused on the idea of honour, however the events it involved were far more sinister than that of Much Ado About Nothing even though they are both considered comedies. Petruchios actions towards his shrewish wife Kate are not spawned from his want of a happy marriage, but from his desperately proud and egotistic personality. Those personal flaws are what makes him so neurotic about Kates behaviour as any actions on her part which are perceived to be in any way masculine impedes upon his own masculinity and therefore his male honour. This demonstrates the fact that in the sixteenth century, most married men were more concerned about what their peers thought of them than their own wives well-being. Returning to Much Ado About Nothing, the ideas of male, female and even familial honour play a prominent role in the story. However, whenever someone is dishonoured in the play, it is almost always a woman who gets blamed for it. The only exception to this rule is when Don Johns deceit is discovered, however even then, Leonato still blames Margaret even though she was probably tricked into doing it, FRIAR: Did I not tell you she was innocent? LEONATO: So are the Prince and Claudio who accusd her, Upon the error that you heard debated; But Margaret was in some fault for this, (5.3.103.27-30) Even when everyone knows that Hero is innocent and that it was all a trick played by Don John, they still do nothing about it until after Hero and Claudio, Beatrice and Benedick are married before they do anything about it which allows John time to run from the town. In the beginning of the play, Don Pedro, Claudio and Benedick have just returned from fighting a war against Don John and his comrades Borachio and Conrade. Despite this fact when they arrive in Messina, they are all together as one party and Don Pedro has seemingly forgiven his brother for whatever sparked the war. Everyone is courteous and polite to him, making no comment about it and even: LEONATO: Let me bid you welcome, my Lord, being reconciled to the Prince your brother:I owe you all duty. (1.1.27.21-22) This demonstrates how a felony or betrayal by a man is so easily forgotten, and has no effect on his honour or on his future reputation. This is almost disturbingly different to how people would have reacted if he had been a woman. They would most likely have been spitting on him in the streets and his family, rather than taking him with them wherever they went, and would have denied all associations with him. In fact, a wonderful example of Shakespearian biases is Leonatos proclamation of Do not live Hero, do not ope thine eyes; For did I think thou wouldst not quickly die, Thought I thy spirits were stronger than thy shames, Myself would on the rearward of reproaches, Strike at thy life. (4.1.79.16-20) This shows the attitudes during the sixteenth century which seem kind of skewed compared to our perceptions nowadays. Leonato is basically saying that he would rather his daughter was dead than have to live with the fact that his daughter is not a virgin. This is very different to how fathers react now, because now most young Western women are not virgins when they get married but nobody minds very much because this is generally the norm, the main exception to this rule being in the Islamic faith. In Islam, many young women are forced into arranged marriages which can put their lives in danger if they refuse. Some of these marriages are to men whom the girls have never met let alone fallen in love with which can make the faith seem very behind the times, particularly as even in Shakespeares time people were often married for love like Hero and Claudio, Beatrice and Benedick. Many of the characters seem honourable at the beginning of the play but seem to become darker as it continues. In particular John, he is a bastard so he is, even at the beginning of the play less honourable than others, like Claudio. John is quiet and submissive a lot of the time and seems grateful to his half-brother for having him with them and particularly to Leonato for welcoming him into his home as a friend, I thank you, I am not of many words, but I thank you. (1.1.27.23-24) He is often described as melancholy or morose, these words make the audience empathise with him as in Shakespearian times, to be melancholy was associated with being in love or in particularly, with being in an unrequited love, something which made a man a lot more interesting to the women and would improve what his male peers thought of him and therefore make him more honourable. Having said that, and although there is no mention of Johns emotional attachments, some portrayals of the play have implied that there is an affair between Don John and his man-servant Conrade who is also described as being born under Saturn which generally implies that they are miserable or melancholy characters (again, both supposed symptoms of being in love). This in itself would have been unheard of and possibly the most dishonourable and therefore worst thing to be branded (even worse than being a coward) and if Shakespeare had intended for John to come off as being homosexual then not only would Shakespeare have been ridiculed, his views rejected by all, and he could even have faced being arrested, committed to the dreaded Bedlam Hospital and excommunicated. Had John been homosexual, he could have looked forward to a cell in Bedlam or prison, and possibly even execution, whatever the consequences were it would certainly have made him even more of an outcast than he is already because it is only in very recent years that homosexuality has become accepted in society and even now, there are many societies which frown on it, the Catholic church and Islam in particular. John would have been completely dishonoured had someone discovered him to be homosexual. John seems almost proud of his treacherous personality as he boasts to his men: it must not be denied but I am a plain-dealing villain. he also says I cannot hide what I am: I must be sad when I have cause, and smile at no mans jest, eat when I have stomach, and wait for no mans leisure: sleep when I am drowsy, and tend on no mans business, laugh when I am merry, and claw no man in his humour. (1.3.34.2-7) This makes him seem slightly less of a villain and therefore of a more honourable character because he is actually admitting that he is a bad person. When reading the script of the play, it is quite easy to miss John a lot of the time but when the play is performed John is present during almost every scene even though he doesnt say anything in them. The fact that he is always in the scenes but never joining in the jokes or the general joviality of the group and instead feels more comfortable hovering on the outside, never quite making it into the main group rather implies that he does seem to long for the sort of camaraderie that exists between his brother, Benedick and Claudio probably made to seem particularly strong to him because of his sense of being shunned, unloved and dishonourable all his life because of his being a bastard. This was the generally conceived opinion about illegitimate children during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries however again, nowadays we do not think like this, in fact around half of the population come from single parent families with children from one night stands or failed relationships. I think Shakespeare attempts to persuade his audience to dislike and find people dishonourable based on what they do and not on whether or not their parents were married when they were born. I think this because all of the bastards written in Shakespeares plays are written as villainous or unkind characters, for another example Edmund in King Lear. However, this could be interrupted two completely different ways, one: Shakespeare wanted people to look past the characters illegitimacy and judge them on their actions, or two: Shakespeare shared the common belief of his time that if a person is illegitimate then they will always be bad people so that is what he writes them as. John is a fairly good person for the first part of the play, certainly not matching up to his brother and only starts to show his true colours, namely his black hearted villainy and his yellow-bellied cowardice. Throughout the play though, John is doing things which are dishonest and dishonourable but until he flees instead of staying to face the consequences of his actions at the end of the play, in doing this, he brands himself a coward. Being a coward is basically the only way a man could dishonour himself, whereas a woman could dishonour herself easily. For instance she could have sex out of wedlock, this is what Hero is accused of and nothing she says to the contrary seems to matter whereas if a man (any man, even John) had been accused of the same thing then he could have denied it and that would have been an end to it. The worst thing John could have done would have been to run, unfortunately he does just that: He is composd and framd of treachery, And fled he is upon this villainy. (5.1.96.20-21) In contrast, his companions Borachio and Conrade show their true honourable characters by staying behind to face the consequences of their actions even though they did it under Johns command: BORACHIO: Let this Count kill me: I have deceived even your very eyes: what your wisdoms could not discover, () my villainy they have upon record, which I had rather seal with my death, than repeat over to my shame: the lady is dead upon mine and my masters false accusation: and briefly, I desire nothing but the reward of a villain. (5.1.96.2-13) Benedick is a difficult character because he has many honourable traits but he is fickle, somewhat two faced and shallow: He hath every month a new sworn brother. (1.1.25.6-7) God help the noble Claudio, if he hath caught the Benedick, it will cost him thousand pounds ere a be cured. On the other hand, he is loyal to Beatrice and is even willing to murder his best friend Claudio to defend Beatrices cousins honour, albeit a little reluctantly at first, BEATRICE: Kill Claudio. BENEDICK: Ha, not for the wide world. () Is Claudio thine enemy? BEATRICE: that hath slandered, scorned, dishonoured my kinswoman? Act IV, Scene I, Page 84, Lines 18-31. He does eventually agree, BENEDICK: Think you in your soul the Count Claudio hath wrongd Hero? BEATRICE: Yea, as sure I have a thought, or a soul. BENEDICK: Enough, I am engagd, I will challenge him, (4.1.85.22-25) Benedick also later calls Claudio a coward, this being a direct insult, Claudio would have no choice but to meet his challenge because if he didnt then not only would he be branded a coward by everyone, he would also be extremely dishonoured and likely never properly redeem himself, this would also make him more like John than any of them would probably be comfortable with. The way honour is earned and lost in the play and in the sixteenth century, is very different for men and women, the best example of this in the play is of course Hero. The reason she loses her honour is because she is supposedly not a virgin on her wedding day, however if Claudio were not a virgin then there would be very little fuss made about it. Hero is a young woman, of honourable birth so she was respected from birth, however when it is thought that she is no longer a virgin, almost everyone turns on her except for her cousin Beatrice and her maid Margaret. Beatrice persuades Benedick of Heros innocence but it takes the Friar and even a full confession from Borachio, Conrade and Margaret before Leonato and his brother Antonio are persuaded. This demonstrates the damage that could be inflicted by even the slightest suspicion of inappropriate or dishonourable behaviour during the sixteenth century. Having said that this only happened in Shakespeares time, if you compare the characters reactions to the accusations in the play to the likely reactions of an Islamic or Muslim family today, then there would be very little difference, young women in Islam are still very much considered inferior to the men and are therefore in more danger of having false accusations thrown at them and there being tragic repercussions from it. Anoth er similarity to modern day life is the fact that had Hero been a man, then not only could she have denied the accusations of her being unfaithful but, had she wanted to, she could have owned to them and probably improved her social status by doing so, this outcome applies to the era the play is set in but also very much so in the present day. There are even prejudices and biases between classes in the play, not just between sexes. Margaret and Hero are both unfaithful in the play, however truthfully Hero is only thought to be, Margaret is seen making love to her lover, Don Johns man Borachio at Heros window: DON PEDRO: I am sorry you must hear:upon mine honour, Myself, my brother, and this grieved Count Did see her, hear her, at that hour last night, Talk with a ruffian at her chamber window, Who hath indeed most like a liberal villain, Confessd the vile encounters they have had A thousand times in secret. (4.1.79.8-15) When everyone thinks it was Hero who was seen, they are all in an uproar about it but when it is discovered that it was not Hero but her maid Margaret, nobody bats an eye that she is not a virgin because she is of a lower class and almost expected to do things so sinful as make love to a man whom she is not married to. The works of Shakespeare are unusual in the fact that many of his plays breech the typical morals and views of the people of his time. His plays, in particular his comedies, often show authority figures in a bad light. Not all authority figures but almost always the heads of families: the Lords Montague and Capulet in Rromeo and Juliet (a tragedy) are shown as quite tyrannical because their hatred for each other makes them disregard their own childrens feelings which leads to the suicide of Romeo and Juliet and the murder of Mercuchio and Tybalt. In Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare shows every authority figure in a bad light except for the Friar who, aside from Beatrice, is the only one who believes in Heros innocent the whole time. The others however, do not fare so well. Leonato and Antonio are more inclined to believe the words of three men whom they hardly know than those of their niece and daughter, and Leonato even says that he would rather Hero was dead than have to live with the shame shes supposedly brought on them all. Don Pedro, who is the Prince of Arragon, having just fought a war against his brother John and therefore knowing his intentions are likely to be less than that of a concerned companion, believes John when he says that Hero is unfaithful to Claudio, although in fairness, he does think that he himself witnessed it as well. As for Claudio, he is shown as naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve, gullible and fickle. At first he adores Hero and enlists Don Pedro to woo her for him, then when the idea is planted in his head by none other than Don John, that Pedro is only wooing Hero for himself, Claudio turns against his best friend JOHN: you are very near my brother in his love, he is enamourd on Hero(2.1.40.18-19) BEATRICE: The Count is neither sad, nor sick, nor merry, nor well: but civil Count, civil as an orage, and something of that jealous complexion, (2.1.44.13-15) then when he is told that Pedro was wooing her for him, Claudio reconciles himself to Don Pedro again and resumes his position as lap-dog. DON PEDRO: here Claudio, I have wooed in thy name, and fair Hero is won. (2.1.44.18-19) CLAUDIO: Lady, as you are mine, I am yours, I give away myself for you, and dote upon the exchange. (2.1.44.27-29) In conclusion and having studied briefly other works by William Shakespeare, it is my opinion that on the whole Shakespeare did not agree with many of the morals, prejudices or opinions held by his peers. In particular, I believe that he did not share the general opinion of male superiority, or at least not as much as others did. I believe this because almost every one of his plays features a strong willed and dominant woman, in this case Beatrice, who ends up happy. He also portrays a downtrodden or submissive woman, in this case Hero, who, at some point in the course of the play gets beaten down and defeated, whether metaphorically (Hero) or quite literally as in The Taming Of The Shrew, Kate who begins as a fiery young woman much like Beatrice who marries a man she does not love and finishes the play with a disturbing monologue about a womans job being to obey her Lord completely and never fight with him or nag him. Finally Juliet, in Romeo and Juliet who, believing her love for h er new husband to be pointless because of their warring families decides to run away with Romeo rather than stand and defend their marriage to their parents, this in my opinion misguided decision leads to both their deaths. I also think that Shakespeare felt that honour and dishonour are not things which one can be born with, rather they must be earned by ones lifes deeds, or misdeeds as the case may be. He also seems to be very judgmntal of his own sex as the bards song in the play clearly shows that Shakespeare was less than content with the way men treated women in his time and that he thought women were certainly the fairer sex: Sigh no more ladies, sigh no more, Men were decievers ever, One foot in sea, and on on shore, To one thing constant never, The sigh not so, but let them go, And be you blithe and bonny, Converting all your sounds of woe Into Hey Nonny Nonny! Victoria Holland 11BM