Compare and Contrast the two couples, Beatrice and Benedick and Hero and Claudio. Discuss how much their individual character influences their situation. Consider what sort of future each couple might expect in the play Much Ado about Nothing.

Compare and Contrast the two couples, Beatrice and Benedick

and Hero and Claudio. Discuss how much their individual character influences their situation. Consider what sort of future each couple might expect.

The play Much Ado about Nothing is full of lies and deceit but there is also the story of two couples who are very different but at the same time very similar.

For instance Beatrice and Benedick are a unconventional couple as they are constantly arguing. But Hero and Claudio probably fell in love with each other the moment they met.

The statements that I made above are true to a degree but after further reading of the book I have been able to determine that Beatrice and Benedick probably fell in love with each other at first sight but because of their strong personalities they refused to accept each other. At the start of the play Beatrice asks the messenger whether Benedick is returning from the war but by calling Benedick ”Signor Mountano” she is able to disguise her true feelings. This proves that Beatrice feels something for Benedick even before Leonato tries to match the pair. Also another way that Beatrice disguises her true feelings is the way she says that she never wants to get married yet when Hero announces her wedding Beatrice says ”Everyone goes to the world but I”. This shows that she does actually want to get married.

I have also been able to determine that Hero and Claudio may not have fallen in love when they very first met as Claudio tells Don Pedro that when he first met Hero he saw her through “soldiers eyes” and that he had other things on his mind. This shows that although Claudio may have shown interest in Hero when they first met it was not until he was willing to settle down that he fell truly in love for her.

Another difference between the two couples is that Beatrice and Benedick refuse to fall in love as ...

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Another difference between the two couples is that Beatrice and Benedick refuse to fall in love as they think that is a sign of weakness ,but Hero and Claudio have no objections to falling in love and their relationship seems more simple. They are perhaps an example of love at first sight.

Also another difference between the two men Benedick and Claudio is that Claudio seems to not care about the monetary advantages in marrying Hero. But Benedick clearly describes his possible wife to be “fair, virtue, wealth, wisdom ,and mildness”.

The two couples have obvious differences but there are also some similarities between the. Firstly both Beatrice and Benedick and Hero and Claudio’s personalities match with each other. Also I believe that they both couples love each other. Also they have both been manipulated in some way: Hero and Claudio by Don John and Beatrice and Benedick by most of the main characters such as Leonato.

I think that Beatrice and Benedick will always argue no matter how deep their love for each other is but I think that as long as they do not have a serious disagreement they will probably remain lovers for the rest of their lives. I believe this because I think that the “merry war” between the was not only a way to disguise their true feelings but a way to keep in contact with each other I think that this will continue throughout their relationship and in a way will keep them very close.

I think that Hero and Claudio probably will stay together purely because of their love for each other, but I feel that their relationship could fail if Claudio gets bored and feels the need to go to war. Claudio may also get annoyed with Hero if she does anything wrong this is proved when Hero is revealed to have betrayed Claudio and Claudio calls her a “rotten orange” this could be another reason why their marriage may not work. Their relationship could also fail if when the couple get older and their looks start to fade the spark in their marriage goes out. I feel that this will not happen with Beatrice and Benedick because their personalities are more light hearted and therefore will take old age less seriously. But I feel that Hero and Claudio are more serious and may find old age depressing.

Over all I believe that although Hero and Claudio are a more traditional couple they are less stable and I feel that marriage may change them as they have weaknesses in their personalities. I also think that they are not as strong mentally as Beatrice and Benedick who I believe are more stable and mentally stronger. I also think that they are less likely to get bored with each other.

Will Whitehouse 11a