Is it Hero?

Enter Hero (Pops out from hiding place)

Hero: Wherefore, wherefore, am I not the comely maid?

Belied by thy ruffian, mired by semblance
Strike at mine life with you kindly power
Think me intemperate; an approved wanton
The luxurious state with unknown loins
No maiden ye think, printed in mine blood.

Refuse me Claudio, refuse me wide

Believeth his lies, well carried to mine
But I will not desire that, God defend
He is the malefactor, the foot-licker.

Being that I weep in grief, I confess:

My study of imagination racks
Every lovely organ in mine life,
Nev’r vanquished, not a false gallop
I swear on Dian, I swear on Venus:
Claudio, I am only to thee
I come before thee, the properest sir.

My liver bound to you, unconstrained

Let my counsel sway you, kept from folk
I will bid thee, with my maiden liver.
 Rationale
*No base setting in Act 3 Scene 2. Don Pedro, Claudio, Leonato and Benedick were
just hanging out and are casually talking in that scene. *

In this monologue, Hero is not characterised to be the typical Elizabethan woman

whose emotions are suppressed by the Elizabethan values and beliefs of women as
wives or adulterers. Instead of being restrained by these socially expected views, this
independent and expressive Hero presents her hidden voice and reveals her true
feelings for Claudio: “Being that I weep in grief, I confess: … Claudio, I am only to
thee.” However, despite Hero wanting to be with Claudio, she also reveals her
sinister and controlling side which would’ve never been accepted in Elizabethan
society due to the socially expected views of women being obedient and suppressed.
The commanding words “I will bid thee” and “Let my counsel sway you”
demonstrate her thirst of control over Claudio which would’ve been Claudio’s role as
a male and husband. In addition, by demonstrating Hero’s disgust and anger towards
Don John’s accusations through her aggressive pointing, readers will be presented a
contrasting view to the passive and obedient Elizabethan woman she was
constructed to be by Shakespeare earlier in the play.
Shakespeare intentionally left Hero out from this scene as readers would’ve easily
predicted her reactions upon hearing Don John attempting to defame her purity.
Readers would immediately expect to see a suppressed Hero who would try to bottle
in her feelings of confusion and possible anger. By introducing a Hero revealing her
bottled feelings through her expressive and free tone, readers will be able to relate
more closely to this independent Hero as her characterisation corresponds better
towards our 21st century views of freedom of speech for both women and men.

267 Words (Rationale only)