Beatrice's wrath for Hero's reputation

BEATRICE:

"Is he not approved in the height a villain, that hath

slandered, scorned, dishonored my kinswoman? Oh, that I

were a man! What, bear her in hand until they come to take

hands and then, with public accusation, uncovered

slander, unmitigated rancor—O God, that I were a man! I

would eat his heart in the marketplace."(295-300)
ACT IV, Scene 1 (at church)

 

Beatrice wishes she were a man so that she may behave as a man would in defending her cousin Hero. Claudio has dishonored her cousin in such a manner that Beatrice is determined to see him pay. This is not the behavior of an Elizabethan woman...demanding, angry, loud...all of the qualities that would be frowned upon by the men and many of the women around her. She is furious that this man can make such accusations and have no proof to back them up. Claudio is able, because he is a man, to stand by and say nothing and all his comrades do the same. All of the men stand by including Hero's father. Her own father is ashamed of Hero believing this man.  Men were superior to women this proved it.

Hero herself doesn't have the strength to stand up for herself, or she knows that she truly can't. No one would listen to a woman, believe a woman, never! The men including her own father, Leonato have dismissed her as a common whore. There isn't a moment that the words of Claudio are questioned. Hero has been branded a woman unworthy of Claudio, even he didn't question Don John. Why wouldn't Don John be questioned why wouldn't there be more proof needed, because a man said it and therefore it must be so. Sadly Hero's reputation is ruined for the time being. She agrees to marry him because he has repented once she was proved to be true to him. If Hero refused to marry Claudio she may have appeared "unmarriable" going forward, because she had a voice and stood up for herself. This was not Shakespeare's wish, she does as is expected and they live happily ever after.