Even Hero's own father does not believe her, and when she "dies" Leonato says, .
"O fate, take not away thy heavy hand.
Death is the fairest cover for her shame.
That may be wished for.".
Even the act of Hero falling shows the lack of power shown by women. The only instance that the roles are reversed is again between Benedick and Beatrice. The woman is the dominant force in the conversation making Benedick into going to Claudio even though they are great friends. In the last lines of the scene he says " Enough. I am engaged; I will challenge him." This may not only show the love Benedick has for Beatrice but also the control she has over him.
The second section in this scene is The Friars plan. He is the only male who believes Hero and thinks there is something wrong. He says,.
" Trust not my age,.
My reverence, calling, nor divinity,.
If this sweet lady lie not guiltless here.
Under some biting error." .
Beatrice also believes Hero is innocent of anything she is being accused of. " O, on my soul, my cousin is belied." she says. The friars plan is to make it seem to the most people that Hero is dead, so that when Claudio finds out, he will realise that she means a lot more to his than he thinks.
"Why, then we rack the value, then we find.
The virtue that possession would not show us .
While it was ours. So it will fare with Claudio.
When he shall hear she died upon his words".
This means that people usually don't realise they have a good thing until it's.
gone. The friar's dramatic purpose also changes the mood of the audience, and in some ways realises the tension made from earlier on in the scene .
The way that the two situations of love are dealed with shows the two pairs of relationships. The way that the pairs love is explored is very different from one another. On one hand, the playwright has made Hero and Claudio's love is more conventional for that time in that the man in the relationship takes the leading role and the woman is very feminine.
