“My Reputation Precedes Me”: An exploration of Gendered Power Dynamics as they Concern Female Reputation in both Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and Frank Capra's It Happened One Night by Campbell

Campbell Montgomery

Professor Sinowitz 

ENG255F

February 19, 2020

“My Reputation Precedes Me”: An exploration of Gendered Power Dynamics as they Concern Female Reputation in both Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and Frank Capra's It Happened One Night 

Frank Capra’s It Happened One Night (1934), explores the reputation of the female protagonist that is being questioned by a man-- a critical theme of many early romantic comedies. This questioning often is a result of a patriarchal power dynamic depicted throughout the romantic comedy industry/ the early to mid 1930’s as a whole. The male protagonist in the story often doubts his partner’s fidelity, intelligence, or capability, and therefore shames her or speaks down to her. It Happened One Night has many instances where Peter Warne (Clarke Gable) doubts Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert), and questions her character, based solely on surface level observations and assumptions. However, male dominance over a female character’s reputation is not a concept limited to the mid 1900’s; this theme dates back to the times of William Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, displays both the male centered power and the questioning of the female lead’s moral standing throughout the play. Specifically, the relationship between Claudio and Hero, and the public humiliation that Hero suffered on the basis of a male claim, speak to the aforementioned themes. These two works address the role that male power plays in defining the reputation and credibility of women, a theme that is prevalent in romantic comedies to this day. Established by Shakesepare’s Much Ado About Nothing, Frank Capra’s It Happened One Night recreates the themes of patriarchal power and the relation of this power to the definition of a woman’s character. 

Throughout It Happened One Night, the power dynamics are often in Peter Warne’s favor. Despite him being of a lower social class than Ellie, he is depicted as having more authority than her throughout the film. This is due to the notion that males intrinsically hold dominance within society. In all aspects of the power scale (wealth, class, status), Ellie should be seen as more privileged than Peter. However, his gender privilege overpowers her socioeconomic status. This is evident in images from two of the first first scenes where Ellie and Peter are shown together.

Both scenes depict Peter towering over Ellie, creating an immediate visual contrast. Due to the relatively unimportant background of the scenes, the audience is drawn to see the character’s positioning first. The film establishes a physical power dynamic, before the story unpacks the social dynamic. In the second image, Ellie begs Peter to help her and is portrayed as being incapable of finding her way without the help or reassurance of a man. Physically, Peter’s height and positioning in this scene physically overpowers her smaller frame, but her need of assistance from a man supports the social overpowering of women as well. From the first scenes, Ellie is seen as lesser than Peter because she is the one in need. His agreeance to help her further solidifies the notion that her character is somewhat helpless. Throughout the film, Peter continues to define Ellie, with no real basis for his judgements, besides her basic reputation as an upper class woman. For example, in the hitchhiking scene, Peter describes in detail the proper way to get a car to stop for them, and demonstrates carefully to Ellie the motions and timing of proper hitchhiking. He assumes that because she is a woman from an upper class family, that she would not be able to comprehend this type of task, making her out to seem incapable and to have a lack for basic understanding of things. Ellie later proves Peter wrong and hails a car on her first attempt, using her own (more risqué) method. Ellie defies the label that Peter has placed on her in this moment, and in a way, brings the power into her own hands. Peter assumes Ellie’s reputation based on stereotypes surrounding her status and gender, he then projects his ideas of who she is onto her. As a man, it is accepted for Peter to assume and think whatever he wants about Ellie with no real repercussions. 

Hero and Claudio, while a more dramatic version, mirror the dynamic between Peter Warne and Ellie Andrews. Claudio makes assumptions and false claims against Hero’s reputation as a loyal fiancé. Claudio, without discussing the infidelity claims with Hero, decides to publicly humiliate her as a way to retaliate. This rash decision, with little to no logical reasoning was made simply because Claudio wanted to display his power over Hero. The male dominance throughout the play is extremely evident, and oftentimes is excessive. While, citizens of high socioeconomic class will ultimately have the most power, all men will have a stronger societal upper hand over a woman of any social status. This is due to the patriarchal ideals that many societies have been founded on. Claudio, in the same fashion as Peter, makes an assumption about his love interest and ultimately defines her reputation through this assumption. Hero is wrongly defined as disloyal and unfaithful by her male counterparts, and is never asked for her side about the night that these accusations stem from. In the struggle for power, the female character, such as Hero, is disregarded and branded in accordance with what their male counterparts see them as. The men in the story define the women’s reputations through how they speak of and to them. Therefore in order for men to remain powerful, they speak down to the women and degrade them with false accusations. 

Ultimately, it has been made clear throughout history that male characters have created the female’s reputation through the way that they speak about them and to them. Male words and actions surrounding a female’s personal moral standing, go further when there is a patriarchal power tied to them. In the cases examined previously, male power is what allows them to make assumptions and decisions without fear of being rejected. The women in both works are falsely defined by their male counterparts, and must prove that they are worthy of love/respect. Ellie is labeled as a helpless rich woman, who cannot do anything for herself, while Hero is described as an unfaithful cheater. These reputations were developed by Peter and Claudio, respectively.  The intrinsic social power that the men in both of these works have, allows them to construct the women’s reputations based on their own opinions. Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, written and published in the 16th century, created the basis for many romantic comedies to come, and hundreds of years later Frank Capra’s It Happened One Night utilizes the same themes of male power and the development of  female reputation to promote a similar love story. 

Works Cited

It Happened One Night. Directed by Frank Capra, Columbia Pictures, 1934. 

Shakespeare, William. 1564-1616.  Much Ado About Nothing. London; New York: Penguin, 2005