Much Ado About Nothing, by William Shakespeare. Explore the confrontation between Beatrice and Benedick in Act IV, Scene I, and it's significance in the play as a whole.

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Much Ado About Nothing, by William Shakespeare

Explore the confrontation between Beatrice and Benedick in Act IV, Scene I, and it’s significance in the play as a whole

We learn in Act I Scene I that Beatrice and Benedick were once lovers “...I know you of old ...”, however they are involved in a “... merry war ...” as Signor Leonato puts it.  Beatrice’s first line in the play “...  is Signor Mountanto returned from the wars or no? ...” has many connotations.  Mountanto  is an Italian word, often used in fencing – it is an upward thrust.  The idea of an upward thrust could be either a sexual innuendo, or it could mean that they are old sparring partners, or lovers, thus reinforcing the idea that they were once lovers, however now, they joust with hatred, not joy, with words, not with either passion or love.  Also, it could be interpreted that Beatrice is very worried about Benedick, and is worried about whether or not he is still alive.  As her first line, it makes it even more poignant that, even though she professes that she profusely hates Benedick, her first line is talking about him, albeit with a joke, and in doing this she is very clever.  Beatrice hides what is most likely great anguish and worry in a cruel, slightly viscous joke about Benedick.

Therefore by the end of Act I Scene I we are told by Shakespeare that Beatrice and Benedick are old lovers and now appear, (in public, for appearances’ sakes) to hate each other and the opposite sex as the result of their relationship having been broken off in the past sometime before the play begins.  Then, in Act II Scene II, Beatrice’s and Benedick’s friends decide to deceive them into believing that one loves the other.  The idea of the deception occurs at a masked ball, after Benedick has been slandered by Beatrice in another ‘war of words’.  It is Don Pedro that thinks of the idea, and Leonato, Claudio, Hero, (who is Beatrice’s niece and is to be married to Claudio) and Ursula, (who is Hero’s maiden woman) pledge allegiance to this plan, however initially Leonato discards it, saying “... if they [Beatrice and Benedick] were but a week married, they would talk each other mad...”.  However, Don Pedro wins him around, and all throughout the rest of Acts II and III, (in particular Act II Scene III, and Act III Scene I), and then in Act III Scenes II and III both Beatrice and Benedick meet with their friends, and , still in shock, profess that they are afflicted with some ailment or another.  Beatrice says that she speaks in “...  the sick tune ...”, whilst Benedick adamantly professes that he has “...  the tooth-ache ...”, and is most certainly not in love.

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When Beatrice and Benedick are alone together for the first time since hearing that each other loves the other, and promising to themselves to requite the other’s love, it is in the chapel, on the day of the marriage of Claudio and Hero, in Act IV Scene I.  Claudio having been deceived by Don John in Act II Scene II, (for the second time in the play), believes that Hero has been unfaithful, for there was a man at her window.  Therefore, Claudio publicly humiliates Hero and casts her away, backed up by Don John and a slightly incredulous ...

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