Beatrice says of herself that she was born to speak all mirth and no matter. To what extent do you consider this to be a fair summary of the way Shakespeare presents her character in Much Ado About Nothing?

Authors Avatar

Beatrice says of herself that she was “born to speak all mirth and no matter.”  To what extent do you consider this to be a fair summary of the way Shakespeare presents her character in Much Ado About Nothing?

Many would believe this to be a understated summary of the way Shakespeare presents her character in Much Ado About Nothing because Beatrice is not just a humorous character but a strong role model for both Shakespeare’s time and for a modern audience defying social expectations and being equal to her male counter parts, she is the heroin of the play and even though speaking “all mirth” which would probably be expected from a lead Shakespeare role, however she is much more that that.  Beatrice has the most depth to her character in comparison to other characters than simply humour.  Thus the statement not doing Beatrice justice as she has the most positive influence over the other characters.  To an Elizabethan audience the story line of Hero and Claudio would be familiar because of the traditional views held by their characters, and so the audience would have expected Hero to be the romantic lead of the play.  However, Beatrice’s ‘emotional gravity,’¹ eventually leads the importance of her role to go beyond that of Hero’s, whilst still maintaining the humorous aspect essential to her character.

It would seem definite that Shakespeare is making a criticism of the patriarchal and misogyny that resided in society at that time which is expressed through Beatrice who defies her social expectations.  She is a strong feminine role model; Shakespeare uses her to challenge sexist beliefs and the subordination of women.  This holds special interest for feminine critics, alike many of Shakespeare’s works female characters such as Beatrice have the major parts and speak as many lines as men; she is witty and intelligent, having a powerful influence on the development of the plot.  For this reason she comes across as being ‘a free spirit’ and equal to her male counterparts.  Beatrice has more freedom than other women such as Hero as she is not shackled by a husband or a father which enables her freedom of speech but not solely because of this as she naturally has a free-thinking nature which contributes to her strong-minded character.

              She even turns down a marriage proposal from the Don Pedro, because she puts her own beliefs before society’s expectations.  Beatrice uses humour in this situation to avert from the seriousness using her wit to diminish the rejection of his marriage proposal and realises that wit is not suitable in all circumstances thus her apologising saying that she was “born to speak all mirth and no matter” (II.i.311).  This meaning that it is not in her nature to discuss such serious matters as marriage (also that she doesn’t want to) and that she sometimes exceeds the use of the humour and uses it in unsuitable occasions.  She also states “I could not endure a husband” (II.i.26), and ridicules the traditional attitude toward subservience to your father.  “It is my cousin’s duty to make curtsy and say, ‘Father, as it please you’: but yet for all that, cousin, let him be a hansom fellow, or else make another curtsy and say, ‘Father, as it please me’” (II.i.48-52).  This we can relate to more than an Elizabethan audience who would disagree and say was disrespectful, because she reinstates the importance of strong beliefs and a woman’s independence.  However an Elizabethan audience at this time would not denounce such a lead character for someone who is the central wit of the play.  It would also seem that Beatrice would be more appealing to a modern audience in that Beatrice is a feminine non-conformist character defying social order and expectations to both men and women , and would appeal to women overall as a role model.  However it would appear that characters such as Hero would appeal more to males of an Elizabethan audience, as critics at that time (who were male) saw Hero as their ideal woman; passive, demure and obedient while condemning Beatrice as being too masculine, odious and aggressive.  This being interesting and highly satirical considered the patriarchal order within society at that time.

Join now!

Through the course of the play there are a number of comical instances of wit between Beatrice and Benedick which highlight the play in terms of humour. Beatrice and Benedick constantly stand to win “a kind of merry war” (I.i.56), both attempting to out-do each other in their witty double entendre jokes to get the superiority above the other.  “Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher.”  “A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours” (I.i.128-129).  We see her witty humour only to the full extent while in converse with Benedick because of their attempt to outdo each ...

This is a preview of the whole essay