Sigh....

William Shakespeare

 "Sigh No More, Ladies..."

(From "Much Ado about Nothing")

Sigh no more, ladies, sigh nor more;

Men were deceivers ever;

One foot in sea and one on shore,

To one thing constant never;

Then sigh not so,

But let them go,

And be you blithe and bonny;

Converting all your sounds of woe

Into. Hey nonny, nonny.

Sing no more ditties, sing no mo,

Or dumps so dull and heavy;

The fraud of men was ever so,

Since summer first was leavy.

Then sigh not so,

But let them go,

And be you blithe and bonny,

Converting all your sounds of woe

Into. Hey, nonny, nonny.

 

http://www.poetryloverspage.com/poets/shakespeare/sigh_no_more_ladies.html

The above poem is at the beginning of the movie, Emma Thompson recites it to the people. She is sitting in a tree, looking every bit like a woman that hasn’t a care in the world. It is the epitome of a woman that is confident and carefree. She isn't going to conform to what she is supposed to be, she is her own woman and if it makes men not want to deal with her so be it. She would rather not be

BEATRICE

Yes, faith; it is my cousin's duty to make curtsy
and say 'Father, as it please you.' But yet for all
that, cousin, let him be a handsome fellow, or else
make another curtsy and say 'Father, as it please
me.' (46-50) ActII,SceneI

http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/much_2_1.html

The duty of a daughter is to honor her father and not ask for a husband that she desires. Hero may want a handsome fellow but it is implied she is to ask her father, how may I please you? Whom should I marry? And she does, she marries Claudio even though he has humiliated her and trashed her name in front of the entire community.