Women's Emancipation in Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It and The Taming of the Shrew In Shakespeare's comedies, many - perhaps even most - of the female characters are described as manipulated, if not even controlled, by the men in their lives: fathers, uncles, suitors, husbands. Yet, there are women who populate Shakespeare's comic world who seem to enjoy a greater degree of autonomy and personal power than one would expect in a patriarchal society. Superficially, then, Shakespeare's plays seem to send mixed signals regarding the concept of female empowerment. Some women are strong and independent, others are completely submissive, and the behavior of both seems to be influenced more by theme or plot than by any quality of the characters themselves. A closer look, however, should make it clear that this is not the situation. case; as in many of Shakespeare's works, appearances can be deceiving. In some cases, the outward behavior is a deliberate facade to mask the character's true feelings; in others, it is a cultured veneer that is burned away as a result of the play's events. Despite their outward appearances, however, most of these female comedians belong to one of two opposing archetypes. An examination of these archetypes allows the reader to see beyond such deceptions and discover the true personality beneath. The “Daughter” and “Granddaughter” Archetypes In Shakespeare's plays, many of the female characters are depicted as submissive and easily controlled. Like dutiful daughters, these women submit to patriarchal repression without complaint. Perhaps the best example of a "daughter" character in Shakespearean comedy is the role of the Hero in Much Ado About Nothing. Hero is completely under the control of his father Leonato, especially when it comes to courtship. When, in the second act, Leonato believes that Don Pedro may ask for Hero's hand, he orders Hero to welcome the prince's advances despite the age difference: “Daughter, remember what I told you. If the Prince so solicits you, know your answer” (II.i.61-3). We thus see that Leonato controls not only Hero's actions, but also his words. In fact, Hero is so thoroughly repressed by the male-dominated society in which she lives that she submits not only to her father's will, but to her father's. almost every other man in the play. She is easily courted and won over by Don Pedro posing as Claudio (II.