A recurring theme, particularly in Shakespeare's comedies, is love and marriage. Shakespeare often revealed the culture and society of his time and how they evolved in his plays. In Shakespeare's time, love was still an insignificant factor in marriage. For the most part, marriages were arranged by families as part of some sort of business arrangement or, if the families were large enough, a political alliance. In Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare plays with the idea that perhaps love should be a component of marriage. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Early on in Much Ado About Nothing, Claudio realizes that he is in love with Hero and wants his father to marry her. This relationship is based on the patriarchal society typical of the early Middle Ages. Claudio assures that she is rich and that Leonato plans to leave them his money. The hero is depicted as a weak and helpless girl while Claudio is a strong soldier. In Act 4, Scene 1, Claudio shows his true colors by saying, “There, Leonato, take it back: don't give that rotten orange to your friend. » (4.1.29) Claudio no longer believes that Hero is a virgin so he compares her to rotten fruit. Even when Hero is insulted and accused of being a prostitute, she does not defend herself and instead says, "Is my lord well, that he should speak so widely?" (4.1.59) This reinforces the idea that Hero is weak and dependent on Claudio. Shakespeare demonstrates how the standard patriarchal way of marriage is flawed, but uses the relationship between Benedick and Beatrice to demonstrate that a relationship built on love and trust can lead to a stronger marriage. Both Benedick and Beatrice swear they will never marry, but as the story continues, they are somehow brought to love each other. Their relationship is not superficial like Hero and Claudio's, but rather is a much deeper relationship. They constantly insult each other, but their hatred turns to love and they prosper more than Hero and Claudio. Although Hero and Claudio seem to be the focus of the play, some critics say otherwise. Marta Mateo states that "the wit, verbal agility, intelligence and truth of feeling of Beatrice and Benedick made them the true protagonists of Shakespeare's play, to the detriment of Claudio and Hero". (Mateo, 28) In her article, Variations On Much Ado About Nothing, she explains that Beatrice and Benedick are the most protagonists in the play and that Shakespeare intentionally wanted Claudio and Hero to be the least liked couple. Shakespeare wanted to emphasize that a marriage based on love is stronger than a marriage arranged as a business deal. It is also important to note that Hero and Claudio rarely speak to each other. In the article Gender Wars written by Thomas J. Scheff, he explains that the discourse between the two is unnecessary because the marriage that ultimately took place was arranged in its entirety by others” (Scheff 161) . He further explains that when Claudio told Benedick that he was going to marry Hero, he hadn't even met her yet and only knew her and her family. By not meeting Hero before declaring his love for him, it is evident that love was not a factor in the marriage, but that it was simply a business matter. Shakespeare always has all the characters disdain the idea of ​​love throughout the play while subtly suggesting it. is a good thing. At one point, Benedick realizes his love for Beatrice and proclaims "...for I will be horribly 245)..