When Benedick poses as someone else in the masked ball, this is the first clue that he actually cares what Beatrice thinks or he would not have gone through the hassle. As Beatrice pretends to talk about him behind his back, we see another side to Benedick’s character. He seems to be hurt by Beatrice’s comments that “he is a princes jester” as unusually for Benedick he doesn’t say very much and uses shorter replies to her remarks than usual. This episode is the first part of Benedick’s transformation and we see he is not quite how he describes himself in the opening scene as he does care what Beatrice thinks and when he says “I would not marry her, though she were endowed with all that Adam had left him before he transgressed” it shows that he has actually thought about marrying Beatrice.
In Act II Scene III Benedick has a very long soliloquy at the beginning. This is possibly the most important of all the scenes in this transformation as we see Benedict change his mind when he learns of how he thinks Beatrice feels. In his soliloquy he says “I do much wonder that one man… become the argument of his own scorn by falling in love”. This line shows that Benedick is still very much a bachelor. Another example in this soliloquy is when he says “May I be so converted…I cannot tell; I
think not” All though he thinks he will not change from his bachelor ways, he does not seem as assured as he did at the beginning of the play and his view lacks conviction.
When Don Pedro, Claudio and Leonarto pretend they do not know Benedick is listening in the arbour, Benedick is shocked when Don Pedro says “Beatrice was in love with Signior Benedick”. They also say that Beatrice ‘would rather die than give any sign of affection’ to make Benedick think that is why she acts the way she does to him. Once they have finished meddling with Benedick they go to tell Beatrice to call Benedick for dinner to see his reaction. In the second soliloquy Benedick has in this scene he seems confused. He says that her love must be requited even if he is mocked by people for his sudden change I character, which shows us he is thinking about love and is not bothered about how his reputation as a bachelor will be affected.
He then admits that she is ‘fair’ ‘virtuous’ and ‘wise’ which is how he describes the only women that he could ever marry earlier on in the scene. He debates his decision to always be a bachelor and what he thinks of Beatrice before concluding “No; the world must be peopled. When I said I would die a bachelor. I did not think I should live till I were married”.
Beatrice then arrives and she has no idea about what Benedick has heard, Benedick then tries to be nice to Beatrice things like “I thank you for your pains”. Beatrice is confused and thinks Benedick is weird for his sudden change in character.
Although Benedick does not actually say that he is in love he gives some strong hints. Don Pedro accuses Benedick of being unable to love and he replies “I have changed” and “I have the toothache”. ‘The toothache’ is often associated as a metaphor for the ‘pangs of love’. ‘The toothache’ is also mentioned later in Act III Scene II when Don Pedro talks about Beatrice being buried and Benedick says “yet this is no charm for the toothache”. This conversation is when it first becomes apparent that Benedick is no longer a bachelor.
In Act IV Scene I when Claudio decides not to marry Hero because he believes she is a stale woman, Benedick remains with Beatrice when Claudio the rest leave, this is something Benedick would have not have done at the beginning of the play. This shows the strength of the relationship as he doesn’t even stay for her, but for her cousin. When Beatrice is crying Benedick makes her happier and he declares “I do love nothing in this world so much as you”. Beatrice in return says that she too loves him but their happiness is short lived as she wants Benedick to make Claudio pay for what he has done to Hero. Benedick initially refuses and this shows that even though he is in love with Beatrice he is still a very loyal friend to Claudio, however Benedick cares too much for Beatrice and eventually he gives in to her demand.
In Act V Scene I Benedick is about to challenge Claudio for the death of Hero and is clear that his loyalty now lies with Beatrice.
Act V Scene II describes Benedick trying to write a poem for Beatrice. This is quite ironic as somebody doing that would have been someone that Benedick would have laughed at the beginning of the play and it shows the extent of his metamorphosis. Even though he has transformed he still has some trouble accepting the fact he is in love. “I love thee against my will” is what Benedick writes and he would rather say this than admit he is truly in love. He says that he ‘suffers love’ and it is almost like he believes love is something he has contracted like a disease and there is nothing he can do to get rid of it.
In Act V Scene IV, Benedick’s transformation is complete. He says that to Leonarto “Your niece regards me with an eye of favour. And I do with an eye requite her”. Benedick does seem to return to his true self, however his love cannot be hidden when Claudio and Don Pedro arrive. Even when Benedick proposes to Beatrice he says he takes her in ‘pity’, this shows that even though he is no longer a bachelor, he is still as patronising as he was at the beginning of the play and he has not lost any of his wit. Beatrice continues this merry war by saying “I yield upon great persuasion’#”. In Benedick’s final soliloquy he talks about marriage. “I will think nothing to anyone that the world can say against it”. This shows that Benedick has finally accepted marriage and his love for Beatrice. He is no longer a bachelor
