Explore Two Moments in “Much Ado About Nothing” Where Beatrice and Benedick Are At Their Most Entertaining
As an unconventional and unusual hero and heroine, Beatrice and Benedick are very amusing characters, both together and apart. An perfect example of their hilarity is the first scene in the play. Beatrice, before Benedick has come on, mocks him: she refers to him sarcastically as “Signor Mountanto”. She proceeds to insult him as a soldier, by asking “But how many hath he killed? – for indeed I promised to eat all of his killing.” The audience would find this kind of witty behaviour extremely entertaining, especially as the messenger tries to defend Benedick – to which Beatrice comments that Benedick is a “valiant trencherman” with an “excellent stomach.” She then advances to label Benedick as fickle – “He hath every month a new sworn brother.” The audience would find this scene so amusing because Beatrice is nothing like a conventional heroine, so different to Hero, her cousin, and so different to Shakespeare’s other characters. She speaks her mind (which is so rare of women to do in Shakespeare’s time.)
