What difference does the audience notice in Beatrice's behaviour in extract one and extract two
What difference does the audience notice in Beatrice's behaviour in extract one and extract two Beatrice is shown as a woman who’s not scared to show her feelings. ‘Yea and I will weep a while longer,’ automatically creates the impression that she will continue to cry, even after Benedick has noticed that she’s crying – she’s not embarrassed. However, she could also be saying this to spite Benedick since it was because of his friend, Claudio that she’s in this situation of grievance in the first place. Beatrice starts to hint that she needs help with the situation at hand, ‘Ah how much might the man deserve of me that would right her.’ This means that the man who cleared her cousin’s name would mean so much to her. Benedick begins to volunteer, but Beatrice says it’s not for him to do, ‘It is a man’s office, but not yours,’ this could plainly suggest that perhaps Benedick wasn’t man enough for the job. This didn’t do anything to stop Benedick’s eagerness to help; in fact it ignited his willingness because he then confessed that he loved her. At this point, Beatrice is very confused, ‘It were as possible for me to say I loved nothing so well as you: but believe me not; and yet I lie not; I confess nothing, nor I deny nothing. I am sorry for my cousin.’ She’s going around in circles, puzzling herself, declaring that she doesn’t love him, but she still tells him ‘but believe me not.’ Beatrice is not ready to admit anything, she wants to concentrate on one thing and that’s her cousin, this wasn’t the right time for Benedick to admit his love for her. ‘I am sorry for my cousin,’ is her way of going back to the original subject, she believes that her cousin is wronged. By using the word ‘sorry’ could infer that she feels pity towards Hero because it wasn’t her fault. Beatrice doesn’t believe that Benedick truly loves her; she says to
him, ‘will you not eat your word?’ This means that she fully doesn’t trust that he’ll keep his word, since earlier on in the play, she’s made reference to the fact that Benedick has broken her heart before, what’s to stop him from doing that all over again? Benedick still insists that he’s madly in love with her, so she gives in. ‘You have stayed me in a happy hour: I was about to protest I loved you.’ Beatrice says to him, that he’s stopped her from doing what she wanted; she was going to declare her love for him. ...
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him, ‘will you not eat your word?’ This means that she fully doesn’t trust that he’ll keep his word, since earlier on in the play, she’s made reference to the fact that Benedick has broken her heart before, what’s to stop him from doing that all over again? Benedick still insists that he’s madly in love with her, so she gives in. ‘You have stayed me in a happy hour: I was about to protest I loved you.’ Beatrice says to him, that he’s stopped her from doing what she wanted; she was going to declare her love for him. This is a critical point in this scene, because the audience can see that the mood has changed and Benedick has been victorious in his attempts to persuade her that she really did love him. By using the word ‘protest’ suggests that it was done whole-heartedly and she really wanted him to know that she felt the same way, even after she seemed uncertain earlier on in the scene. Benedick is so overwhelmed with love for her, that he says he’d do anything for her; Beatrice uses this to her advantage and says, ‘Kill Claudio.’ These two words have a dramatic impact and the audience can feel that Benedick is stirred by her wish. This is the last thing that Benedick would ever do – kill his best friend. He automatically refuses, making Beatrice disappointed and even angry. Beatrice could also be asking this to test Benedick – to show whether or not he truly loves her, because she doesn’t want to go through heartache all over again, she wants to know whether this time, it’s real. ‘You kill me to deny it. Farewell,’ she’s saying that she’s hurt he said no and is now hurriedly trying to get as far away from him as possible. Benedick tries to stop her, he’s not going to let his lover go away from his just like that, but to Beatrice what she asked him as a favour was even more important than their relationship. ‘I am gone, though I am here: there is no love in you: nay, I pray you, let me go.’ She’s objecting to him holding her back, by saying that she might be there in the flesh, but deep down, she’s gone. There’s nothing left of her. Beatrice also comes to the conclusion that Benedick was lying when he said he loved her. She’s giving him a direct command, by saying ‘let me go,’ she expects him to fully obey it. Benedick wants to maintain their friendship, but Beatrice refuses. ‘You dare easier be friends with me than fight with mine enemy?’ This quote means, you want to by my friend, yet you won’t fight my enemy, which, in literal terms, is a resounding no to the offer of friendship from Benedick. Beatrice then begins to rant about how Claudio has ruined Hero after being asked whether Claudio was her enemy by Benedick. ‘Is he not approved in the height a villain, that hath slandered, scorned, dishonoured my kinswoman?’ Beatrice is asking Benedick a harsh rhetorical question, which puts Claudio in a bad light. She goes back to the plight of her cousin and is again accusing Claudio for damaging Hero’s delicate reputation which has deeply affected Beatrice and now she just wants justice served. Beatrice hates being in a state where she’s helpless. ‘- -O God, that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the market-place.’ If Beatrice wasn’t a woman, she wouldn’t have hesitated to challenge him, unlike Benedick, she’s most likely saying this to make Benedick feel bad about refusing her challenge. Women aren’t normally supposed to go around challenging people, but as a man, Benedick could do that. Beatrice continues to make Benedick feel unmanly. ‘ ...manhood is melted into courtesies, valour into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue and trim ones too..’ Beatrice, by this point is blaming manhood for most things; she’s being very sexist, saying that men are only all talk and no action. They have sharp tongues, but that’s the only thing they can do, this is part of making Benedick feel guilty. ‘Melted into courtesies, valour into compliment,’ these things are what women normally do, being polite. This may suggest that Beatrice feels as if there’s no ‘real men’ around. Benedick again says that he loves Beatrice, but she wants him to do something about it, other than keep saying he loves her. ‘Use it for my love some other way than swearing by it.’ Beatrice wants Benedick to prove that he loves her by taking up her challenge. She seems to be tired of him because he keeps saying that he loves her, making her think that he’s like the stereotypical male, who just says things, but doesn’t actually mean it, her point of view on him has changed yet again. Benedick again asks the question on whether Claudio is really to blame, Beatrice replies with, ‘Yea, as sure as I have a thought or a soul.’ This answer seems to be satisfactory because now Benedick has agreed to challenge Claudio. During the second scene, things slightly revert back to how they were at the beginning of the play. Benedick seeks Beatrice, willing her to pronounce her affections in front of an audience, he calls her and she asks him, ‘What is your will?’ Beatrice doesn’t sound too polite when saying this, she sounds as if she just wants to get everything over and done with – as quickly as possible. She asks the question, even though, she might already know what he wants from her, but is uncertain on how he will go about declaring his love in front of so many people. Benedick bluntly asks her whether or not she loves him, this may have taken her by surprise, she replies with, ‘Why no; no more than reason,’ she doesn’t love him anymore than she needs to, only as a friend. From this we can see that they’re both being playful with each other. Once Benedick brings up the subject of her uncle, the prince and Claudio, she asks him the same question, probably being as curious even though she already knows the answer. However, Benedick also, doesn’t want to be played for a fool, so he replies with the same answer Beatrice gave. The treachery is spoken of by Beatrice again, when she was fooled by Margaret and Ursula, ‘Why, then my cousin Margaret and Ursula are much deceived; for they did swear you did.’ Beatrice and Benedick have both been tricked, they were both pushed into believing that they each had feelings for each other. Beatrice realises this and continues to challenge Benedick with her battle of worlds. She starts to compete with Benedick on the hearsay which was deliberately meant for them, about who loved who more. ‘They swore you were well-nigh dead for me,’ this shows that she is almost challenging him, saying that due to his love-sickness, he nearly died for her, which is the most extreme action any human can take. Benedick, doesn’t want to take no for an answer, so he poses the question to her yet again, she replies with, ‘No, truly, but in friendly recompense,’ meaning that she only loves him as a friend, nothing more. The people around them, decide to step in and help them both out, Claudio and Hero both revealing love sonnets, they both wrote about each other, now the truth has been revealed. Benedick, in his usual arrogance says that he unwillingly takes Beatrice. But, two can play at this game, so she says, ‘...I yield upon great persuasion; and partly to save your life, for I was told you were in a consumption.’ Beatrice says that she’s not going to say no because she is being forced to and also because she wants to save his life, which is a bit melodramatic. She’s also blaming the people around her, ‘...I yield upon great persuasion..’ making it sound like everyone, but herself, wants her to be with him. It’s obvious to the audience that she’s looking for excuses, or even a way out to directly admitting her feelings. By now, Beatrice and Benedick have admitted they feel something for each other in front of their family and friends, both having faith in each other, but still they have too much pride to admit that they really are in love. Taznema Khatun 9V