The vital roles in the plot which Beatrice plays are also shown through the themes of the play. The main themes throughout Much Ado about Nothing are love, conflict and the ongoing battle of the sexes. Beatrice plays a crucial role in all of these themes, being involved in the key storylines throughout the play. Beatrice is not afraid to speak her mind and illustrate her resentment for males and their sexist opinions which were extremely apparent in the 16th century. Shakespeare represents Beatrice with a front which she is determined to not be in love as she thinks little of men, and wants to be seen that she can survive without their unwanted affection. The hiding of her feelings with this apparent facade made by Beatrice is removed when the others trick her into thinking Benedick loves her.
: Do not you love me? : Why no; no more than reason Benedick: Why then your uncle, the Prince and Claudio have been deceived; they swore you did. : Do not you love me? : Why no; no more than reason. : Why then my cousin, Margaret and Ursula are much deceived, for they did swear you did. From Benedick’s and Beatrice’s conversation it is clear to see that they are confused by overhearing that the other one loved them, but they are quick to change their mind about loving one another and soon admit it soon after this conversation. The audience can see that also they are very similar to each other for they use the same phrase to retort back to each other , pushing their love-hate relationship further. This shows the audience another sub-plot to the play, deception and over-hearing. Without the other’s medalling towards the couple, they would not have overcome their differences and admitted they loved each other, showing the importance of intervening. Shakespeare shows the audience that everyone has the capacity to love and to be loved, using Beatrice as an example in this. As Benedick and Beatrice’s joking, merry war blossoms into passionate, amorous relationship, just through the mere medaling of their friends and family in Messina.
Another theme in which Beatrice plays a large part in is through the conflict between the sexes. Shakespeare echoes the audiences’ hatred for Claudio after he leaves Hero at the altar through Beatrice’s resentment against him and wish to kill him when talking to Benedick. She speaks her opinions in which the other women are too scared to speak in the 16th century as they are afraid on the consequences from the males, as they have the overriding power over them. She shows the audience the status of women in a household when she finally falls in love with Benedick. ‘Methinks you look with your eyes as other women do’ – Margaret reiterates the point that Beatrice is now considered ‘normal’ as she has fallen in love with a man. Suggesting a woman’s role in the society is to be with a man and love and honour him, as she is finally doing what women are ‘supposed’ to be doing. The status of women in shown throughout the play by Hero, with Beatrice’s character contrasting this. ‘Will you have me, lady?’ – Don Pedro asks Beatrice to marry him and she declines the offer, ‘No, my lord… I was born to speak all mirth, no matter’ Her outspoken independence in rejecting, where an passive 16th century female would find it hard to conjure up a justification in declining the offer in the first place. She wants to remain unmarried and not live the expected life for a 16th century woman living in Messina. Also, she is the only female in the household who has the quick wit and vocabulary to retourt to the men – showing the audience that she was before her time and women in the 16th century had a lower status in the house compared to the men.
The two cousins in the plot are contrasted throughout, echoing the attitude in society at the time, .Hero acts the way in which a woman should act In front of men in the 16th century, seen but not heard and to obey and honor the male. This is shown through her and Claudio’s relationship, such as when Claudio asks ‘Can the world buy such a jewel?’ ‘Yea, and a case to put it ino…There, her cousin, and she were not possessed with fury, exceeds her in beauty as the 1st of May doth the last of December’ – Benedick. Such as when Claudio refers to Hero as a ‘jewel’ Hero is thought of as valuble, stunning and worthly, like a gemstone. But, when he uses the word ‘buy’, suggests that Claudio would own Hero as a possession, suggesting women where for show and not to equal the men of the 16th century. The light hearted reply from benedick that she was to be put into a case shows that the bought possession of Hero can be put inside jewellery box, told what to do and controlled by its owner – Claudio. Hero is a silent, inert female character and fits the conventional role of women in the play at the time. This type of women is illustrated in every women in the household apart from Beatrice.
‘Nature never framed a woman's heart of prouder stuff than that of Beatrice - disdain and scorne ride sparkling in her eyes.’ Hero shows the audience that Beatrice is different to the other girls in the household, by that she is disparaging towards men and the whole aura surrounding it. Hero uses the word ‘Nature’ to describe why Beatrice is what she’s like, making her seem very spiritual and divine through her words, which is the way she is rendered in the play overall. Furthermore, Hero’s reference towards Beatrice’s eyes indicates that she is not all bad as they ‘sparkle’, hinting that there is more to Beatrice than she lets on. This is revealed to the audience later in the play when she falls in love with Benedick
Throughout the play, Beatrice’s humour and wit comes from the origin of her imaginative, cynical language towards the other characters in Leonato’s house, thus creating a perfectly dramatic picture. She initiates conversation between other members of the house, adopting a male role where she speaks her mind whilst the other women are more passive and submissive with the way they present themselves and how they speak. Beatrice is extremely intelligent when she converses and uses many different techniques to state her opinion to the others. She uses people’s own speech to favour herself by changing the meaning of it in a devious manner.
‘Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more. Men were deceivers ever. One foot in sea and one on shore, to one thing constant never.’- Beatrice uses several examples of imagery in her language when describing topics, such as talking to the women about men. This shows us that Beatrice is a very poetic and creative person at heart, but also very intelligent as she is a quick thinker. Looking at the meaning behind this quote though, shows us that even though Beatrice would ‘rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves her’. She talks as if she has had a past experience with a man to have this opinion about them, suggesting that maybe her and Benedick have had past relationship together which ended badly from her sour tone. Throughout her and Benedick’s merry war, they use cunning dialect and insults to seem to win the battle of the wit. Beatrice:’ Against my will, I am sent to bid you come into dinner.’ Benedick: ‘Fair Beatrice, thank you for your pains.’ Beatrice: ‘I took no more pains for those thanks than you take pains to thank me. If it had been painful, I would not have come.’ Benedick: ‘You take pleasure then in the message?’ Beatrice: ‘Yea, just so much as you may take upon a knife's point. You have no stomach, signor? Fare you well.’
Through their cheery battle between themselves, neither of them can give in to the other and always have to have the last word. Beatrice does not want Benedick to seem like she has gone out of her way for him and is sarcastic to him saying that she takes as much pleasure in giving the message as he would stabbing himself – not a lot. This shows the audience that they do like each other really, this is because if they had real hatred for each other, then they would not pass conversation between each other, but as Shakespeare made them seem like they enjoy talking to each other and having this ‘love-hate’ relationship through their language. At inviting him to dine with the rest of the family, she has to make sure he knows that she does not want to, gaining his attention- which she wants secretly. The ongoing threatening, defensive language which they use against each other creates great entertainment for the audience and Beatrice’s tongue is comical, menacing and also loving when her and Benedick finally get together.
Looking at the context of this play in the 16th century, it is very interesting for the audience to see how Shakespeare represented the female characters. The large percentage of women around the time had their main job to marry and to make a perfect mother and wife. This is shown through the character of Hero, as she conforms to Claudio and her father throughout the play. But, the sixteenth century did produce a large number of notable women who were heads of state and made a notable impact in the public sphere. These include the Queen Mother of France, Queen Jeanne d'Albret of Navarre, Mary Queen of Scots. All had to deal with being both a sovereign and a woman, all of them large characters and top of their ladder. I feel this type of women in the 16th century is obviously echoed through Beatrice and her independent opinions and attitudes to men at the time. Elizabeth remained a Virgin Queen (politically, anyway), using her marriage prospects as a diplomatic tool, and retaining England's independence in the meantime. She was certainly one of the key shapers of the national character of England, and I feel that Shakespeare was trying to represent Beatrice through the head of state at the time to please her and hopefully make his plays more popular than they already were. This was very daring as to displease the Queen could end fatally, but Shakespeare was successful in this and is recognised today as one of the greatest play writers of all time
