In view of what we know of Beatrice and Benedick from Act I and Act II, Scene I, how realistic is Don Pedro's aim to bring them together?

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Patrick Rynne

In view of what we know of Beatrice and Benedick from Act I and Act II, Scene I, how realistic is Don Pedro’s aim to bring them together?

Beatrice and Benedick are the two major characters in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ that provide comic relief. Their ‘merry wars’ of words and phrases as described by Leonato, are frequently throughout the play examples of Shakespeare’s magnificent ability to bring about amusement in his plays. In Act I and Act II scene I, Beatrice and Benedick are reunited after Benedick and the other soldiers return from war. Beatrice almost instantly jumps into a frenzy of lyrically punishing Benedick, who after a war of men begins a war of words.

From the beginning of the play even before Beatrice and Benedick begin their battle of wit, it is evident to the audience that she has some kind of strong feelings for him, whether they are feelings of hate or of lust or of something in between or that they. Thought their insults are biting, their ability to maintain such clever, interconnected sparring seems to illustrate the existence of a strong bond between them. This is shown when the messenger arrives to bring the news that the war is won and the heroes are soon to return. The conversation focuses on Count Claudio and his bravery, ‘the figure of a lamb, the feats of a lion,’ however Beatrice almost instantly changes the subject by asking the messenger if ‘Signior Mountanto returned from the wars or no?’

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Although this is an insult, it is evident that Beatrice could not wait to find out how Benedick was. The audience are instantly given the impression that she disguises her feelings for him. She continues talking about Benedick with the messenger and Leonato, who states that ‘There is a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and her; they never meet, but there’s a skirmish of wit between them’. Beatrice argues back that ‘in our last conflict, four of his five wits went halting off……….He hath every month a new sworn brother….he wears his faith but as the fashion of ...

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