Love

Romantic Love

• S presents love through marriage by offering the reader varying perspectives on the advisability, advantages and attractiveness of marriage through different perspectives of the characters. 

S does this through the character of Claudio, who served as standard romantic lover who has little to say for himself and his love serves as a pawn for other characters to shuffe around into a satisfactory marriageable state. Claudio asks if the 'world can buy such a jewel', suggesting he thinks Hero is beautiful. This shows the audience that Claudio is immedietly infatuated with Hero even though he has never spoken to her. This also suggests that Claudio has superficial impressions of Hero. The word 'buy' suggests that love only consisted of a mans choice and that Hero is simply a possesion of Leonato which Claudio will proceed to purchase. Claudio says that Hero is the 'In mine eye, she is the sweetest lady that I ever looked on'. This shows the audience that Claudio is in love at first sight, showing that he is a standard romantic. The phrase 'looked on' suggests that he is only judging her by her appearance, in which the audience can infer that he is arguably superficial and the foundations of love for Claudio are simply based on looks. The phrase 'mine eye' also foreshadows his blindness and prejuidce, and shows the reader that he is quick to form an opinion. This is further emphasised when Claudio finds out about Hero's apparent affairs with other men and calls her a 'rotten orange'. This shows the audience that Claudio has no trust and instantly forgets how much of a 'jewel' Hero is. This dramatic plot arises from a direct attempt to subvert their wedding, thereby implicitly attacking the foundations on which this society is built, suggesting to the audience that Hero and Claudio present the ideal couple who are yoiung, beautiful and rich.

• S presents love through the characters of Beatrice and Benedick, and how they have similar negative attitudes towards romantic love and both denounce it as a viable alternative for themselves.

Benedick is known to be fickle and inconsistent with women; his inability to make romatic commitments is commented on by himself and his asociates. Benedick says that he will 'live a bachelor', suggesting to the…