Honour

The wedding ceremony in which Claudio rejects Hero and accuses of her of infidelity ultimately shaming her in front of her father is the play’s climax.

In Shakespeare's time a woman's worth was based on her virginity and chaste, for a woman to loose her honour by having sex before marriage ultimately meant that she would loose her social standing, something from which she would never recover.

The woman’s shaming would impact the whole family. As a result Leonato attempts to obliterate Hero completely to shield his family from dishonour. “Hence from her, let her die” (IV.i.153)

Leonato speaks of a loss of honour and he feels that he cannot escape from this loss of honour and uses the metaphor of a stain which he can not get rid of “O she is fallen / Into a pit of ink, that the wide sea / Hath drops too few to wash her clean again” (IV.i.138–140).

Hero’s loss of honour was a form of complete annihilation.

For men honour depended on friends and acquaintance in a much more military nature.

Men were more able to defend their honour and the honour of his family by fighting.

Beatrice wishes for Benedick to avenge Hero’s honour by duelling with Claudio.

Hero cannot gain her own honour but Benedick can do it for her.