Male Dominance and the Effect on Female

Lily Cameron 

ENG 255F

Professor Sinowitz

February 19, 2020

Male Dominance and the Effect on Females

“Now that’s my whole plot in a nutshell. A simple story for simple people. If you behave yourself, I’ll see that you get back to King Westley. If not I’ll have to spill the beans to Papa” (It Happened One Night). In the film It Happened One Night and Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing, the theme of male dominance plays a major role in the plot and outcome of both the film and the play. This theme has the most significant effect on the female characters. While it is generally accepted throughout society that the man holds more power than women and should act like a “guide” to them, I believe that this is problematic and should no longer be socially accepted and shown through plays and film. 

In It Happened One Night, there is this sense of male dominance that Peter Warne (Clark Gable) has over Ellie Andrews (Claudet Colbert). Since Ellie is slightly quieter than Peter, this allows for Peter’s self-assuredness and arrogance to guide Ellie throughout her escape from Florida to New York. Ironically she is escaping her wealthy father whose dominant personality is shown in the opening scene of the movie; this is displayed through her father’s quick temper seen when he flips the room service tray as a result of Ellie telling her father she does not want to be married. Peter is able to exert this sort of dominance because he is aware of the fact that in the back of Ellie’s mind, she is constantly thinking about if Peter will turn her in. Her paranoia of the public and more importantly her father knowing where she is and where she is planning on going leaves her vulnerable to which Peter takes full advantage of. As the movie goes on, Peter’s dominant behavior is seen when he forcefully disallows her from purchasing chocolate on the bus ride because she needs to budget since she only has four dollars to her name. While at first glance this could be seen as Peter caring for Ellie and wanting her to save her money because she probably has never had to worry about money in her life. However, if you further analyze this sequence, you will see that this is another way Peter exerts his dominance over her by contolling Ellie’s spending . 

In an effort to get away from her controlling father, Peter takes Ellie on a cross country adventure in hopes of keeping her away from her father. However, we all know that does not end up happening. At the end of the film, Peter ends up turning Ellie Andrews back into the hands of her father. The ten thousand dollar reward for Ellie Andrew’s return must have been too tempting for Peter and his arrogant persona could not pass that offer up. Once Ellie is turned back into the custody of her father, she is almost immediately set to get married to “King” Westley (Jameson Thomas) who she does not want to marry. Ellie wants to marry Peter who she claims to be in love with. While this sequence affirms the resolution of a romantic comedy, a happy ending this is not morally right at all. Even though Ellie ends up marrying Peter and we as watchers are supposed to gush over their love, however is this really the love that we want to see? Throughout the film Peter instructs Ellie on what to do and how to behave and she still falls in love with him. 

This sense of male dominance is also portrayed in Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing (1612). More specifically, in the relationship between Claudio and Hero. Hero like Ellie Andrews is a more reserved and quiet woman. This is more concretely displayed in Shakespeare’s play as Hero only has a handful of speaking lines throughout the entirety of the play. This allows for not only Claudio, her supposed faithful husband, but also all the male characters to impose their dominance over innocent Hero. This is most notably seen at the worst time possibly, Hero’s wedding day. While one might think your wedding day is one of the most memorable and happy days of your life, Hero’s was memorable for all the wrong reasons. Claudio decided that this was the perfect time to exert his dominance over Hero by making a massive claim that she was not the sweet innocent girl that she was playing the role of, in fact she was the complete opposite. As a result of his cruel accusation, Leonato exclaims that he wants to commit suicide and that Hero should die because her reputation is ruined and she has no reason to live. Throughout the play, Hero has to prove that she is in fact not a whore, but a faithful woman. 

Throughout the film It Happened One Night and the Shakespearean play Much Ado About Nothing male dominance is plagues the lives of the female characters throughout most of the film, making their lives both stressful and more importantly difficult. They have to succumb to standards set my men on how to behave and act in society. While both romantic comedies end in a “happy” ending by the two main characters ending up married, it begs the question of: is this the true love that the reader/watcher want?

Shakespeare, William. Much Ado About Nothing, edited by David L. Stevenson, Signet Classic,

1998.

Adams. It Happened One Night. Culver City, CA: Columbia TriStar Home Video, 1999.