The first few things we learn about Benedick in the opening scenes of the play are that he is well respected by others. ‘A lord to a lord, a man to a man, stuffed with honourable virtues’, here the messenger describes Benedick and why he is respected by others because he is upstanding. As well as knowing Benedick is well respected we also hear is strong views against love and marriage in Act1 scene 1. Benedick says ‘a professed tyrant to their sex’- meaning he does not like woman. In this scene Claudio confesses to Benedick of his love for Hero. The audience can see the contrast between Claudio and Benedick as both have different views on the issues of love and marriage. ‘I will do myself the right to trust none’. Benedick says he is better off not trusting a woman and staying a bachelor. Benedick becomes quite dismayed when Claudio considers making Hero his wife. ‘I hope you have no intent to turn husband, have you?’- Benedick becomes alarmed when Claudio mentions of marriage and says he disagrees with it. Benedick thinks marriage is a waste of time.
‘Hath not the world one man’ , Benedick states that nearly every man on earth has been married and questions if there is a bachelor like himself left.
‘Thrust they neck into a yolk’, here Benedick refers to marriage as having a ball and chain around your neck, in other words once you are married you can not break free.
When Don Pedro returns to find Claudio and Benedick all three of them break in to conversation about Benedick falling in love. Don Pedro predicts that Benedick too will fall in love like Claudio. In response, Benedick says that if he ever falls in love he gives his friends permission to mock and humiliate him if he does. ‘Pick out mine eyes with a ballad-marker’s pen, and hang me up at the door of a brothel house’.
Although Benedick is quite negative about love and marriage he shows he has respect towards the woman he has had in his life. As shown in Act 1 scene 1 he says ‘that a woman conceived me, I thank her: that she brought me up’ meaning he thanks the woman who gave birth to him who is his mother. Benedick is portrayed as having respect towards women in general unlike the men of that time. This is shown by the quote said by Claudio ‘Can the world buy such a jewel?’ Here Claudio describes Hero as being an object. Benedick’s response to this is ‘Yea, and a case to put it into’- Benedick in a way mocks Claudio as he believes women should be equal as men and should not be treated as objects. ‘I will not do them the wrong to mistrust any’. Once again Benedick accepts women have a role in society. In contrast to Claudio, Benedick is portrayed as being the good man as he is against the idea of buying women for sex and states, ‘Would you buy her that you enquire after her?’ This quote would have probably been one of Shakespeare’s thoughts on the status of women during that time.
It is ironic during this part of the play as Claudio is falling in love, but Benedick is falling out will love as he thinks it is a waste of time.
The niece of Leonato, Beatrice has almost identical views to Benedick on love and marriage. As the audience, we can see this is ironic and know that they would be perfect for each other, but they both do not know it yet. She too disagrees with marriage, as shown in act 2 scene 1. She says ‘not till God makes men of some other metal than earth ’- she expresses of how she will not marry as she believes men are her brothers and to marry one of them would be a grave sin. Beatrice makes fun of Benedick when he arrives by comparing him to a disease; ‘Hath caught the Benedick’ .Beatrice is not a typical Elizabethan woman. She is able to speak up and argue with others. She would prefer if women had equal roles in society as men. Beatrice shows defiance towards people’s expectations of her, especially towards Leonato who wants her to be seen and not heard. She wants to be independent rather than be the house wife he wants her to be.
‘I thank God and my cold blood; I am of your humour for that.’- This is the first agreement between Beatrice and Benedick. This may seem odd as both have been bickering. Beatrice agrees with Benedick’s views of love when he says ‘I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted’. From here the audience and the characters them selves can see they do have things in common and know they have met previously.
The main quote that best summarise her views on love is the quote ‘I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me’ meaning that if a man was to tell her he loves her she would not be impressed.
The relationship between Benedick and Beatrice is quite negative to begin with. Beatrice becomes quite witty with the messenger. She calls Benedick ‘Signor Mountanto’ (upward sword-thrust in fencing) but all for the wrong reasons. She carries on mocking Benedick by saying ‘And a good soldier to a lady’, here Beatrice implies that he is a lady’s man. When Benedick arrives, Beatrice is quick in throwing a remark towards Benedick. ‘Signor Benedick, nobody marks you’- Beatrice questions why Benedick is talking as no one is listening to him. Benedick’s response to this is ‘Are you yet living?’ which basically means ‘are you still here?’ Their passing of witty remarks continue on through the act.
Leonato states of a merry war between Beatrice and Benedick to the messenger, meaning a war of words between the both of them. Although he implies a war, the audience can see that their banter between each other does not ring true, in other words what they say, they don’t mean. As the audience we can see a love/hate relationship developing and there is dramatic irony as it is obvious to the audience that they fancy each other. Also the audience can see how well suited they both are, but both are too stubborn perhaps to admit this. The audience expect Beatrice and Benedick to be together soon, as their love/hate relationship develops and it becomes more obvious that they fancy each other.
Benedick does make a few compliments towards Beatrice whilst talking to Claudio but it is not as obvious to the audience or to Benedick himself. In act 1 scene 1 Benedick says ‘exceeds her as much in beauty as the first of May doth the last of December.’ Benedick compliments Beatrice as he compares her to the nice qualities of a spring day but says Hero reminds him of the last day in winter. Benedick also says ‘She were unhandsome, and being no other, but as she is - I do not like her.’ Benedick is saying she is nothing special but she is pretty. He makes compliments but makes negative points about her too, to confuse Claudio perhaps, as he may have realised he had complimented Beatrice.
At the beginning of act 2 scene 3, Benedick gives a long speech in prose. In this speech he talks directly to the audience, we call this soliloquy. This is significant as the audience is the only one being told and makes the play more interesting. Benedick describes the qualities of his ideal woman. In the speech he states that the woman must be ‘wise, or I’ll none: virtuous, or I’ll never cheapen her: fair, or I’ll never look on her: mild, or come not near me: noble, or not I for an angel: of good discourse, an excellent musician’ His description of his perfect woman is very significant to us as the audience as we can see Beatrice would most definitely meet most of these qualities (dramatic irony). Benedick also mentions ‘man is a fool, when he dedicated his behaviours to love’ Benedick believes a man is a fool if he falls in love. Also ‘love may transform me to an oyster’- love will make him moody, and ‘is wise, yet I am well’- Benedick states he is not ill with love. Benedick stops his speech as Don Pedro, Leonato, Claudio and Balthasar enter. From what Benedick has said about not falling in love will become ironic to the audience as he will be tricked in to falling in love with Beatrice and his views on love and marriage will be changed by the deception of his companions. Whilst Benedick hides, his fellow companions and the audience know he is there hiding although Benedick thinks he has hid well. His companions want him to overhear their conversation for the trick to be successful. This scene contains a lot of dramatic irony. After Don Pedro, Claudio and company leave the stage Benedick mentions ‘This can be no trick, the conference was sadly borne’- Benedick believes what they have said because the conversation was so serious that it must have been true. As the audience this is ironic too as we know it has been a trick.
As predicted Benedick’s views on love and marriage have changed after the trick has been played on him. He speaks directly to the audience once more. He now speaks of marriage, ‘I did never think to marry’- He didn’t think of marrying but he’s considering it, now that he thinks Beatrice loves him. ‘I do spy some marks of love in her’- Benedick looks for signs of love in Beatrice whilst she asks him to come to dinner, hoping she came because she loves him. As the audience we know the trick has not been played on her yet so therefore she thinks nothing of Benedick’s weird behaviour.
With regards to the film version of ‘Much ado about nothing’, produced in 1973, I saw the director’s interpretation of the trick scene. I wanted to see how the director chose to set the scene to create the dramatic irony involved in this section of the play. Benedick is shown hiding under the bridge while Don Pedro and the others enter and stand on top of the bridge. As the audience we can see clearly what is going on and can see the expressions Benedick makes when he listens to their conversation. The audience and the characters on top of the bridge all know Benedick is there, so therefore it is dramatic irony.
As well as Benedick a trick is played on Beatrice by Hero, Ursula and Margaret. Like Benedick she believes what they say of Benedick’s love for her. In act 3 scene 1 Hero and the others talk about Benedick while Beatrice listens to their conversation. Dramatic irony is also involved in the trick as the audience know Beatrice is there and the audience is in with the trick. As the trick unfolds the audience can detect that the same sort of trick is being played that was played on Benedick earlier on. Like Benedick, Beatrice’s views have been completely transformed. Once Hero and the others leave, Beatrice speaks in verse with quatrain and couplet rhyming patterns to the audience. This is significant as the audience can see a change in how she speaks. She now has a different outlook in life. Beatrice realises that she needs to be married. ‘To bind our loves up in a holy band’, Beatrice is referring to marriage. She is now considering marriage to Benedick. Both tricks have been successful as Benedick and Beatrice both love each other and the audience can be certain that they will soon be married and predict a happy ending.
Trickery occurs once more during the play. Don Jon, the evil brother plays a trick on Hero to make Claudio think she has been unfaithful. The trick involves Margaret dressing up in Hero’s clothing. ‘I can at any unseasonable instant of the night, appoint her to look out at her lady’s chamber window’- Borachio talks of setting up Hero. The trick results in Hero and Claudio’s wedding being cancelled as Claudio confronts her. A plan is made by the friar to convince everyone, especially Claudio that Hero is dead. Due to the fact that Beatrice and Benedick are both good friends of Claudio and Hero, Benedick and Beatrice join forces to prove the innocence of Hero. ‘I protest I love thee’, in response to Benedick Beatrice says ‘I was about to protest I loved you’- During the time in which Hero’s innocence is being proved Benedick and Beatrice become much closer in their relationship and confess their love to one another. At the end of the play both couples are reunited after Hero’s innocence is proven. ‘I do love nothing in the world so well as you’- Benedick admits how much Beatrice means to him.
In conclusion it has been shown that Benedick’s views on love and marriage have changed drastically from the beginning to the end of the play. Benedick, a man who professed he would die a bachelor is now a Benedick ‘horribly in love’ at the end of act 2 scene 3.
At the end of the play Benedick is still shown as the well respected man that he was at the beginning of the play but he has gained the respect from Beatrice that has changed his views entirely. ‘I would not deny you, but by this good day, I yield upon great persuasion, and partly to save your life, for I was told, you were in a consumption.’- Benedick and Beatrice agree to accept each other.
Don Pedro asks how Benedick, ‘the married man’ is, in response Benedick says ‘a college of witcrackers cannot flout me out of my humour’, Benedick is so happy that a college of jokers could not mock him and make him unhappy. This is a very different Benedick from the start of the play who said he would be transformed in to ‘an oyster’ if he was to fall in love.
‘Let’s have dance ere we are married, that we may lighten our own hearts’- Benedick is shown full of excitement now that he is married at the end of the play. This quote in comparison to what Benedick would have said earlier on the play about getting married shows how Benedick has been transformed in to a man that does not fear love and marriage.
The kiss between Benedick and Beatrice at the end of the play symbolises that the couple are officially together and have found love.
