Blog 4 (on Much Ado about Nothing)

4. page 162, a: Look back at what Claudio says and how he behaves during Act 5. Then write an entry where you argue that he is EITHER genuinely penitent OR that he is shallow and insincere. Give examples to prove your argument. Do you think he deserves a second chance with Hero?

I personally believe that Claudio is shallow and insecure. Even though he doesn't trust Don John, he believes him immediately when Don John says "the lady is disloyal." (Act 3, Scene 2, line 76.)

If Claudio truly had a deep love for Hero, he would have approached her, talked to her, gotten to the bottom of what he thought he saw. Instead he lept to conclusions and treated her terribly. Instead of cancelling the wedding because of what Don John said and showed him, he chose to shame her publicly by jilting her at the altar. The prince joins in, saying "as I wooed for thee to obtain her, I will join with thee to disgrace her." (Line 93-94.) I think this not only shows disrespect for Hero, but for their host (and her father) Leonato.

Even when he believes that she is dead because of his treatment of her, he doesn't behave like a penitent man -- he mocks her father and uncle, who would defend Hero's honor even in death. He says of them to Benedick, "We had like to have had our two noses snapped offwith two old men without teeth." (Act 5, Scene 1, Line 112-113.) At this point, even his dear friend Benedick has had enough, and challenges him. I believe this challenge has dual meaning; Benedick makes the challenge both for his beloved Beatrice and because he honestly believes that Claudio's behavior is reprehensible and deserves to be called out. Still, Claudio thinks he's done nothing wrong, and mocks Benedick, believing that he's only challenged him because of love for Beatrice. It is not until word arrives from Dogberry that Don John has fled, and Borachio is captured and confessed his part in the deception that Claudio begins to feel any remorse for his behavior towards Hero. Suddenly, his "love" for her floods back: "Sweet Hero! now thy image doth appearIn the rare semblance that I loved it first." (Act 5, Scene 1, lines 220-221.)

I realize that my attitude about Claudio is colored by my modern point of view, but I don't agree with Hero marrying Claudio after all. He does not deserve her, and has proved that he'd believe the word of a knave over the word of his lady. I find it difficult to believe that Beatrice agrees that Hero should marry Claudio as well. The ending is just too contrived for my taste, even for a story of that period in history.