In Beatrice’s scene the same image of hunting is used, “and greedily devoir the treacherous bait.” Ursula is saying that Beatrice will believe this without doubt because she knows that really Beatrice is really in love with Benedick. Hero says, “the false sweet bait.” She knows it seems too good to be true for Beatrice to hear, but Hero knows that really Beatrice loves Benedick and she will find it hard to ignore what Hero is saying.
During the gulling, Benedick interrupts and undercuts the conversation of the courtiers. Benedick uses a lot of rhetorical questions, “Is’t possible?”, “Sits the wind in that corner?” Benedick finds it hard to not believe because Leonato is in on the gulling, “I should think this is a gull, but the white-bearded fellow speaks it.” Benedick sees Leonato’s white beard as a sign of age and respect, so he thinks it must be true. Benedick keeps asking rhetorical questions and is confused, but also shocked and surprised. At one point Benedick is shocked and falls from his hiding place, but covers it by making sounds as if it was a falling bird.
In Beatrice’s scene, she remains silent throughout. You have to tell what her reactions are purely from her facial expressions unlike in Benedick’s scene. Beatrice is just as surprised as Benedick and she is intrigued to hear more. Beatrice remains hidden but she moves to get closer. Beatrice could be stood down in the auditorium so the audience can clearly see her reaction.
Benedick is given a detailed account of Beatrice’s despair. Claudio says, “Then down upon her knees she falls, weeps, sobs, beats her heart, tears her hair, prays curses.” This is very over the top and exaggerated. “Hero thinks surely she will die, for she says she will die, if he love her not, and she will die ere she make her love known, and she will die if he woo her.” Claudio is saying here that Beatrice will probably commit suicide if Benedick will not love her. He uses repetition of “she will die” and makes it more hyperbolic, and stresses the point that she loves him. The repetition of “she will die” also makes an emotional impact on Benedick. Benedick does make a bit of a fool of himself, as Beatrice has not yet been gulled so Benedick thinks she is just playing hard to get. “You take pleasure then in the message?” Then Beatrice replies “Yea, just so much as you may take upon a knifes point.” Benedick thinks this has another meaning, although it doesn’t. This amuses the audience.
Both characters hear ill of themselves but Beatrice is criticised much more than Benedick. This is because Beatrice is very witty, much more than Benedick. Claudio says, “He’ll scorn it” Claudio means that Benedick is unworthy, but without being harsh to Benedick in a light hearted joking way. When Hero and Margaret are talking about Beatrice they use more personal criticism towards Beatrice even when they know she is listening. They personify proud, disdain and scorn as being Beatrice. Hero comments on her with wit and how she is full of herself and very big headed. They are very personal and harsh, unlike Claudio, Don Pedro and Leonato with Benedick. They say 16th century women are supposed to be prim, reserved and courteous but they say she is bold, she speaks whatever she thinks and is shrewish. Beatrice is shocked to hear this from her friends but remains silent throughout.
The final soliloquies are very different in terms of language, tone, structure and content. Benedick’s speech is reflective upon himself and has fast paced, short sentences. It is in prose and many monosyllabic sentences with a lot of repetition. He uses adjectives he used to describe used to describe his perfect women on Beatrice. Punctuation is frequent and there are many rhetorical questions, “live me?” “Doth not the appetite alter?” He uses antithesis, “A man loves the meat in his youth which he cannot endure in his age”, plosive alliteration and metaphors, “paper bullets of the brain”. He uses a lot of sophistry to try and make it seem not so bad that he should actually love someone. He says, “Doth the appetite not alter?” He is suggesting that peoples minds can change. He says that the reasons that he didn’t have any interest in love was because he would die too young on the battlefield anyway. He anticipates that his friends will mock him because he has been against marriage for so long. Benedick is the character that everyone likes and seems to be genuine. He comes across as more passionate because he is prepared to be humiliated in front of his friends to be married. “The world must be peopled”, he says as if he must help with adding to the population by starting a family with Beatrice. He reflects on all the facts he heard from Claudio, Don Pedro and Leonato.
Beatrice finishes with a truncated, unfinished sonnet. It is in iambic pentameter. Beatrice says, “What fire is in mine ears?” She is wondering why she is hearing all this abuse from her friends. She questions herself if she is really like that. The sonnet has monosyllabic lines and the third line is personified. She decides there is need for change in her personality. She accepts Benedick by naming him and uses dramatic pauses. Internal rhyme is used and double antithesis, “taming my wild heart” She wants to encourage him to make the first move. She uses plosive alliteration and metaphors. Beatrice thinks she is in superiority with Benedick but inferior to the prince. She is confident that what she has heard is true. She concludes that she loves Benedick, because she uses a metaphor of a wedding ring.
