For the first time in the play in this scene Beatrice talks in verse this would be due her falling ‘in love’ with Benedick, Shakespeare would have most likely done this as verse was commonly used in love poems and sonnets, therefore it suitable dramatises Beatrice’s feelings.
Beatrice’s soliloquy at the end of the scene is when we hear her speak in verse; in this speech she declares her love for Benedick.
‘And Benedick, love on, I will requite thee,
Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand:’
This speech echoes the speech that Benedick has at the end of Act two Scene three in which he also confesses his love for Beatrice. However there are differences in the speeches as Beatrice makes her mind up more quickly, deciding that what she has heard is true ‘contempt, farewell, and maiden pride, adieu, whereas Benedick is much more wary about what he has heard:
‘They have the truth of this from Hero, they seem to pity the lady: it seems her affections have their full bent: love me? Why it must be requited’
‘She will rather die than give any sign of affection’
‘I did never think to marry’.
Beatrice’s soliloquy she shows no sign of being ridiculed and she embraces her new found love unreservedly using also for the first time in the play ‘thee and thou’. This is significant as ‘thee’ is more formal than ‘thou’ and was used when the person was talking to an acquaintance, this then signifies that Beatrice know sees Benedick as an acquaintance rather then a stranger. Benedick’s language on the other hand does not change Shakespeare probably did this for dramatic effect so that the audience could see that Beatrice character was changing and becoming less dominant.
In Act two scene three when Benedick is deceived by Don Pedro, Claudio and Lenoato. Benedick is already present in the garden and once they, the deceivers, Don Pedro, Claudio and Lenoato become aware of where Benedick is hiding they commence the deception ‘come hither Leonato what was it that you told me of today that your niece Beatrice was in love with signor Benedick?’ They do so by talking very loudly so that they are sure that Benedick as heard them. ‘Is it possible? Sits the wind around that corner?’ Once that they are convinced that Benedick has taken the bait, his friends proceed by having fun at his expense, by describing his faults. This creates another similarity between this scene and between act three scene one, the scene in which Beatrice is deceived, Hero lists all Beatrice’s faults.
After describing all of Benedick’s faults in his character, they then pretend to be concerned that he would mock Beatrice mercilessly if he found out her secret. Don Pedro is particularly enthusiastic in his abuse and every time the other characters, Lenoato and Claudio say something in Benedick’s defence, the prince, Don Pedro then turns it in to an insult.
Once they are convinced that their plan has worked the characters exit from the scene leaving Benedick alone on the stage to mull over what he has just heard. Benedick’s soliloquy has a monosyllabic opening:
‘This can be no trick’
Benedick quickly desicides on whether to believe what he has heard, ‘Beatrice’s love must be requited’ meaning that Beatrice’s love needs to be repaid. Benedick decides to believe what he has heard. Although his decision is quick Benedick shows self critical awareness and maturity in his speech:
‘I hear how I am censured, they say I will bear myself proudly, if I perceive the
Love come of her: they say to that she will rather die than give any sign of affection’
This scene is also very similar to the scene in which Beatrice is deceived. They are both deceived in a garden by their family and friends. The deception is intentional by the characters that are doing the deceiving. These scenes are both examples of deceit being used to a good end, leading to catharsis. Both of the scenes where necessary in the development of the plot as otherwise the plot would be unable to unfold. The plot would not unfold as much as the plot would be mainly focused on the bad deception.
The scenes would have also provided comedy for the audience watching the play and also for the characters involved with in the plot of deception itself.
Deception is introduced early on in the play as a recurring theme, during the first act. During masked ball when Don Pedro wooed Hero for Claudio, his half brother Don John learns about his brother plan to deceive Hero and tries to persuade Claudio that Don Pedro is attempting to woo Hero for himself and not for him.
Later in the scene Borachio and Don John deicide to deceive Claudio, they decide to do this as Don Jon is jealous of how his brother has favoured Claudio: ‘I hear Don Pedro has bestowed much faith on a young Florentine called Claudio’.
When Claudio enters Borachio and Don Jon create the impression that they are unaware that they know who he really is:
Don Jon ‘Sure my brother is amorous on Hero, and hath withdrawn her
Father to break with him about it: the ladies follow her’
Borachio ‘and that is Claudio, I know him by his bearing’
Once this conversation has ended Don John asks Claudio if he is signor Benedick, to which Claudio replies ‘you know me well, I am he’ this then allows the deception to commence as Claudio believes that they think he is Benedick. If this had not occurred then the deception would have thwarted and there would not be a balance between good and bad deceit in the play.
Don Jon and Borachio then openly talk about how Don Pedro is infect wooing Hero for himself.
‘Signor you are very near by brother in his love, he is
Enamoured on Hero’
After this both Borachio and Don Jon exit leaving Claudio alone on the stage, however Claudio his not convinced that what they have told him is true ‘tis certain so that the prince woos for himself, friendship is constant in all other things’. This could have been done on purpose by Shakespeare to allow the theme of deception to develop more.
When Don John learns that his deception has failed ‘is it so that Claudio shall marry the daughter of Leonato’s?’ Borachio then start to develop a more elaborate deception:
‘See me at her chamber window, hear me call Margaret Hero, hear
Margaret call me Claudio’
In this deception he plans to use Margaret who is Hero’s lady in waiting and at some suitably compromising point during the night before the wedding he will persuade Margaret to look out of Hero’s bedroom window, which would then hopefully result in Margaret being mistaken for Hero. Don John who is not the most quick witted of villains does not understand what Borachio’s plans entails ‘what life is in that to be the death of his marriage?’ Borachio then explains that he must go to the Prince, his half brother and accuse Hero of being ‘common stale’ meaning that he should accuse her of being adulterous, he should then offer to show Claudio Hero entertaining another man in her bed chamber. He will arrange for Hero to be absent so that the deceit can be successfully carried out. As the deception is occurring in Hero’s bedchamber Claudio will assume that it is Hero in there. Also as it is hero’s room most of the characters in the plot would be more likely to believe Claudio if hero does not have a solid alibi.
This deception could be classed as ‘bad’ deception as it will destroy the good work that Don Pedro has done to get them together and it will ‘poison’ there marriage. It will also dishonour Claudio. Honour is a very important in the society that Shakespeare has created. The deception was created out of jealousy and hatred whereas the other deceits where created to get Beatrice and Benedick to realise there love for each other.
In conclusion it could be said that the deceit in the plot of Much Ado About Nothing is not inherently evil as the main deceits, the tricking of Beatrice and Benedick to realise there true feelings for each other was necessary for the plot to develop but it was also done out of desperation of the other characters. The only deceit that could be portrayed as evil is Borachio’s deception which was created due to the jealousy of Don John for Claudio; this was due to how Claudio was now favoured by his brother, the prince, Don Pedro.
Word count 1,700 words
Bibliography:
- Cambridge Student Guide on Much Ado about Nothing,
- York advanced notes on Much Ado about Nothing,
- York advanced notes on William Shakespeare
