This cleverly worded metaphor explains that instead of being sweet and pleasant like a fresh orange, she is now ugly and sour as she is no longer a virgin. This displays the strong views held by Elizabethan people in regards to virginity; it shows that if a woman loses her virginity before marriage she loses all value and becomes worthless, regardless of her wealth, beauty or status. Claudio's orange metaphor also includes a contextual reference " in the 1600s it was believed that prostitutes sold oranges in and around the Globe theatre, so she is also being compared to a prostitute.
In the Kenneth Bragnah film version of the play the director uses physical violence to help Claudio and Leonato express their pain. When Claudio gives Hero back to Leonato he throws her to him, sending her stumbling over a bench and onto the floor. This shows how angry he is at Hero. Later on when Leonato is talking to his daughter he strikes her multiple times. The violent way in which Hero is treated by two of the plays kindest characters is used to show just how unacceptable pre-marital sex was.
Later on Claudio uses a religious reference to describe Hero's deception " he says to Hero "You seem to me as Dian in her orb But you are more intemperate in your blood than Venus ". In this antithetical comparison, Claudio tells Hero that she acts as if she is Dian, the goddess of chastity, but in reality she is more sexually unrestrained than Venus, the goddess of sexual love. Antithesis is a strong theme used throughout the scene; in his anger, Claudio refers repeatedly to Hero's supposed betrayal and how she is not what she seems, he does this through the use of similes, metaphors and comparisons. Claudio uses phrases such as "sign and semblance ", "show of truth ", "cover " and "exterior shows " to direct the attention of the audience (of the wedding) to Hero's treachery and deceit in the hopes of making the experience as humiliating and shameful as possible.
