William Shakespeare must have been endlessly fascinated by the relationships between men and women. The Bard's most popular plays dealt with the male and female dynamic, which were often played for laughs in satirical comedies, like Much Ado About Nothing. The play's action and conflict revolved around two couples, Hero and Claudio and Beatrice and Benedick. Hero is the daughter of Leonato, the much-admired Governor of Messina. Claudio is an Italian soldier of equal noble breeding. When he professes his love for Hero, Leonato could not be any more pleased. He gives his blessing to the match, proclaiming, "She is worthy" (I.i.212) of Claudio's love. A translation of this comment might be, "Claudio is socially worthy of being Hero's husband." Had he not been of similar status, not only would Leonato not have given his approval so quickly, he would have done everything in his power to discourage the union, and would have been, in all likelihood, successful.
             Beatrice is Leonato's niece, and while she is a woman with some pedigree, she is not equal to Hero's social standing, and therefore, her choice for a husband is a bit less restricted. Benedick is also a soldier, a friend of Claudio's, who is similarly not bound to the rigid constraints of social convention. In fact, neither Beatrice nor Benedick care whether they marry or not, for there have been no grandiose expectations placed upon them to act a certain way. Benedick remarks, "That a woman conceived me, I thank her; that she brought me up, I likewise give her most humble thanks; but that I will have a recheat winded in my forehead, or hang my bugle in an invisible baldrick, all women shall pardon me. Because I will not do them the wrong to mistrust any, I will do myself the right to trust none; and the fine is, for the which I may go the finer, I will live a bachelor" (I.i.220-227). Beatrice expresses an identical di...