Claudio fell in love at first sight but his love is conditional to society’s specifications as he asks if Hero is “modest” meaning virginal and innocent. Claudio therefore is looking for a wife who is acceptable and untouched as well as being similar in social status. Shakespeare suggests that perhaps this is the real reason he wants to marry Hero, and has nothing whatsoever to do with love, however this was probably the rule rather than the exception in Elizabethan times.
As Claudio is the typical romantic lover of the period, Hero is the typical demure beloved. When Leonato, Antonio and Beatrice are discussing the future marriage of Hero, she does not participate or even voice an opinion. Not even when she learns it is not Don Pedro she will be marrying but Count Claudio. Shakespeare portrayed their relationship as superficial and more of an arrangement rather than love, where Claudio initiated it and Hero obeyed the wishes of her father. Although this seems strange today this is probably a frequent occurrence in Shakespearean times, where the elders had more say about the marriages. “Well niece, I trust you will be ruled by your father,” says Antonio. This is another convention where marriages were not based on love but instead on status and appropriate matching. Hero is very quiet and through her lack of speech Shakespeare portrays her as a typical, obedient, young woman of the Elizabethan era. There is nothing original about her and this may be why Shakespeare chooses not to focus on her character but is more interested in Beatrice.
The relationship itself between Hero and Claudio is portrayed as superficial and serves to fill the “vacant” void felt by Claudio on his return from the war. Benedick notices a change in Claudio and describes him making music with a “tabor and the pipe” which are peace instruments rather than using a “drum and the fife,” which are traditionally war instruments. This shows that Claudio has discarded the role of a soldier and settled in to that of a lover. Claudio transgresses from a soldier to a lover quite hastily and perhaps he feels marriage is the next stage for him and although he has certain ideals about his wife it may not necessarily be limited to Hero. However another interpretation of this may be that Claudio has different values and his idea of love is how love was seen in Elizabethan times and so is different to that of today and even Benedick.
The initial meeting of Claudio and Hero conveys their entire relationship. Claudio does not speak directly to Hero but instead asks “Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of Signor Leonato?” This suggests he is unable to decide himself whether or not she is worthy of his love and asks Benedick whom he respects for his approval. When asked if he would marry Hero, Claudio replies “can the world buy such a Jewel”. This could mean two things, either that as is usually seen in Shakespeare’s work, love seen as best thing possible is valued above all else, even wealth, or that Claudio sees Hero as a possession even if it is an exquisite one. Shakespeare has presented Claudio’s idea of a relationship and linked it to his insecurities and his need for possessions. The idea of Hero being a possession is reinforced by Leonato’s control over her as he says, ”take my daughter.” This also supports the idea that their marriage was arranged and therefore somewhat superficial.
Another demonstration of Claudio being fickle and undecided in love is when Claudio believes Don John’s slander of Hero even though Don John is a known villain. This suggests how little Claudio knows Hero and yet he was willing to marry her if she was desirable by society’s standards. This is also the basis for his denouncing of her in front of the congregation which shows just how important virginity and innocence was in Elizabethan times. Shakespeare portrays their relationship, as lacking love and emotion and the marriage seems more of marriage of convenience. Claudio’s so-called love seems to be even more superficial and fickle by the fact that as soon as he learns the truth and finds out she was “modest” after all, he loves Hero again and regrets his actions.
“now thy image doth appear In the rare semblance that I loved it first”.
As the relationship of Hero and Claudio is very much conventional, the outcome of this couple, that they end up together, is of no real surprise and modern audiences may predict this and therefore they are not the dominating characters in the play. However as Benedick and Beatrice are unusual characters for a Shakespearean play and so they are of more interest to the audience.
Before the first onstage interaction between Beatrice and Benedick we are warned by Leonato of the “merry war betwixt” them. Leonato of course is referring to a war of wit and words, but the imagery produced by the word “war” suggests a heated display of their strong feelings of each other. Just as Beatrice’s first words about “Signor Mountanto” are insulting, in his response during the battle of wit Benedick calls her “Lady disdain”. Beatrice scorns Benedick on more than one occasion calling him “a disease” among other slanders, although the phrase “nobody marks you” is ironic because Beatrice “marks” or notices him the most, perhaps due to her deeply hidden feelings towards him.
Their relationship is based on wit and there is a sense of history and significance between the two that is obviously lacking from Claudio and Hero’s relationship. Beatrice’s muttered words “I know you of old” and the remark about sharing Benedick’s heart, “a double heart for his single one” suggests that they were previously involved with each other, and may have been hurt, which initiated their “war”. Although there seems to be something between Beatrice and Benedick they seem reluctant to show their feelings and perhaps they are afraid of getting hurt again. Shakespeare presents their relationship as complex and deep and their love for each other seems to be evident but is deeply hidden under a veil of wit and a show of hatred. Signs of this suppressed love are the fact that Benedick and Beatrice are always on each other’s minds, shown by their first words to each other. Another telltale sign is when Benedick approaches Beatrice in the masked ball and Beatrice knowingly calls him “a dull fool” among other insults. Benedick is deeply hurt by this accusation but if he didn’t care about Beatrice he would also not care about what she thought. Another sign of this unspoken affection could be that when Don Pedro asks Beatrice to marry her she tactfully declines even though he is the most respected man in Messina and forms the top of the hierarchy in their miniature society. So Shakespeare has presented their relationship through the pretence of their hatred and their reluctance to marry anyone else.
Benedick has the reputation of a womaniser and a “prince’s jester”, as well as being fickle and superficial in his friendships. Beatrice uses this against Benedick on many occasions. Near the beginning of the play we learn of Benedick’s cynicism about all aspects of love and his apparent appeal for the “bachelor status”. Shakespeare perhaps showed Benedick’s unwillingness to marry in the start of the play to emphasise it. The audience may predict that this strong view of Benedick’s will change during the play and therefore this is dramatic irony.
When Benedick learns of Claudio’s affection towards Hero he hopes to no avail that Claudio has “no intent to turn husband” because Benedick being the woman-hater he is, is eligible but swears to “live a bachelor” or forever be mocked by Claudio and Don Pedro. However, perhaps this is all a charade because we later find Benedick contemplating his ideal woman. Benedick compares Beatrice to Hero and implies she is much more beautiful than Hero is, if only “she were not possessed with a fury”. Shakespeare presents an image of the woman Benedick would prefer to be with and it is ironic that it should be Beatrice. In the same way Beatrice talks about her ideal husband but finds it impossible to consider any possible suitor. In this way she differs to Hero because Hero has no choice, or at least it seems that way.
Shakespeare contrasts the two characters Beatrice and Hero, and he seems to favour Beatrice as he focuses more on her and her relationship with Benedick. Hero is the dutiful quiet daughter oppressed by men as was usual in Shakespearean times but Beatrice is quite the opposite. She is a feisty character and refuses to be ruled by the will of men, unlike Hero and this difference between them is apparent from the onset. Beatrice refuses to marry, “I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.” Beatrice thinks she is a match for most men and this is shown in her triumphant win over Benedick in their war of words. However, there are some things that even Beatrice as a woman of those times is unable to do, such as get revenge on Claudio. She therefore asks Benedick to “kill Claudio” knowing full well that Benedick is Claudio’s best friend. This may be some sort of test of Benedick’s love, or it may have been a rhetorical request not meant to be taken literally. Benedick agrees to the request and challenges Claudio as a sign of his love, but since Beatrice has already said, “he hath every month a new sworn brother,” maybe it is not such a tremendous feat for Benedick. Shakespeare leaves this open to personal interpretation.
The relationships between the two couples differ greatly. Hero and Claudio are first time lovers who decide to marry without even speaking to each other and their first actual conversation was during the doomed wedding ceremony. However Benedick and Beatrice have to be deceived into declaring (or even admitting) their love. Don Pedro’s scheme is successful and when Benedick overhears that Beatrice loves him he does not believe it “but the white-bearded fellow speaks it” referring to Leonato. Benedick does not want to requite this love but resigns to “be horribly in love with her” because perhaps he has secretly harboured feelings towards her all along. Shakespeare is reinforcing the reluctance in their relationship. Don Pedro and Claudio will mock him because of his vow to remain a bachelor he needs excuses before he can admit it. Benedick is still wary that it might be a joke and needs verification from Beatrice and gets this by analysing her words and thinking, “there’s a double meaning in that”. Beatrice’s reaction is a contrast to this because she automatically “will requite” Benedick’s feelings without questioning.
Shakespeare shows a change in Benedick and Beatrice change after their realisation of love. Benedick smartens himself up and shaves acting like the typical lover and conforming to the conventions by changing the way he looks and acts differently. The “barbers man hath been seen with him,” notice’s Don Pedro and Claudio. This is because Beatrice said she dislikes men with beards and this shows Benedick’s true feelings towards Beatrice. Don Pedro and Claudio notice the change in Benedick and his “ill conditions” and say the “greatest note of it is his melancholy”. Benedick, acting like the true romantic tries unsuccessfully to write a sonnet for Beatrice. Beatrice, however, never acts like a typical beloved but does confess to hero “I am out of all other tune” which Hero and Margaret interpret as being lovesick.
Following the wedding scene when Hero is shamed and publicly humiliated by Claudio, Benedick rather than go with his friends he stays to comfort Beatrice. Finally Benedick confess his love, although unromantically “I do love nothing in this world so well as you, is that not strange?” Beatrice’s response is just as lacking in idealistic romance; in fact they are almost unhappy about their feelings as if it goes against their will. Even when they have confessed their love they are still figuratively at war with each other. “Thou and I are too wise to woo peacefully”. However, romance is featured in their relationship as Benedick says to Beatrice “I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap, and be buried in thy eyes”. This is perhaps the most evident difference between their relationship compared to Hero and Claudio’s as Hero and Claudio never mention the word “love”.
Benedick and Beatrice’s relationship is based on the plot by Don Pedro to get them together but even after they find this out, they confess they still love each other and marry. However they still protest while doing it and Benedick and Beatrice “yield upon great persuasion” and stay together. Shakespeare has presented this couple as being equally wise and witty as well as both sharing an obstinacy to love and commit. Be that as it may they are soon confronted with the issue of love and tricked into declaring their deep-rooted feelings.
In this romantic comedy the successful pairing of the similar characters are the driving force of the play. Shakespeare’s presentation of love varies immensely in the two couples. Shakespeare presents an ordinary, conventional relationship between Claudio and Hero. The relationship seems superficial and arranged, yet this was the norm for Elizabethan times. Hero and Claudio are typical characters who want to marry but Benedick and Beatrice go against the society’s customs when they declare marriage is not for them. Audiences are likely to show greater interest in their relationship, as Shakespeare conveys it as unusual and their unique attributes and witty dialogue make them likeable comic characters. The outcome of Benedick and Beatrice is less predictable and modern audiences can identify with them.
