Much Ado About Nothing - Character study on Beatrice

Much Ado About Nothing Character study on Beatrice When reading "Much Ado About Nothing" I found the most interesting and entertaining character was Beatrice, this is because there are many aspects to her nature. This may have been difficult express in a play in Shakespeare's time as all of the actors were male. Her attitude towards Benedick was cynical and unpleasant, such as when she was talking to messenger about him, Beatrice refers to him as "Signor Mountanto" which means she believes that he is "stuck up" or a social climber, and this makes her appear in this scene to be very unloving. However in the love scenes between Beatrice and Benedick, towards the end of the play, you see the more likeable side of her, "I love nothing so well as you," Beatrice confesses to Benedick. As the play starts I do think that the wrong impression of Beatrice is evident, when she talks about Benedick in an unpleasant way, when it's apparent that Benedick is an honourable and upstanding soldier, "He hath done good service, lady, in these wars" "And a good soldier too, lady," the messenger refers about Benedick. However, when Beatrice and Benedick meet, it is apparent that there is tension between them, and probably they were together before. This shows that it's not all Beatrice being so obnoxious, but Benedick also, "My dear lady distain! Are you yet living?" The Masked Ball doesn't

  • Word count: 970
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Shakespeare's presentation of Beatrice in Much ado about nothing

Shakespeare's presentation of the character of Beatrice in 'Much ado about nothing' Shakespeare presents the character of Beatrice in a wide variety of ways, these ways through different aspects of the text, comprise of the Language, structure and form. Beatrice's character development is defined throughout the incidents and actions which occur in the play. Certain views of Beatrice may contain the fact that in a way she has gone from shrewdness to ladylike calmness in terms of her behaviour and actions. In my opinion Shakespeare's presentation of Beatrice was and still is an eye opener to the way women were generally perceived and how they didn't how to conform to traditional values, as shown by the character of Beatrice. Shakespeare presents Beatrice through Language used in the play. Beatrice's tone and language use at the start of the play enables the audience to decipher various emotions in the character speech. Shakespeare brilliantly evolves Beatrice's speech and Language in during the chronological progression of the play in order for the reader or audience to actively acknowledge or see the development in her character. Another important aspect of this technique is so that the audience can appreciate the character even more when he or she is viewed in a different light. ''I wonder that you might still be talking signor Benedick; nobody marks you'' The above

  • Word count: 1598
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Hero and Beatrice in much ado about nothing

Hero and Beatrice in much ado about nothing The two characters, Hero and Beatrice, go hand in hand, although each has many differences. The reason the characters are so different, at times, is Shakespeare's way of emphasising each character. Hero would not seem as quiet if Beatrice wasn't so loud, and Beatrice wouldn't seem so overly confident if Hero didn't act so shy. The two, during the play fall in love with two very different people. They both have different views and ideals, especially concerning love and marriage. They are both very close friends, they share everything together. In the end they each fall in love, becoming more similar as the play and their relationships progress. From Act 1 Scene 1 we are bombarded by Beatrice's wit and her very loud and abrasive actions. She argues with Benedick, this takes up most of the act, the two get very carried away, and this shows us her passionate nature. On the other hand we have Hero who, although being present in Act 1 Scene 1, says only one thing. This is a perfect example of her nature; her timid nature Hero is just a little, spoilt, girl. She has everything done for her and this is a major reason why she is so quiet, people do anything for her because she is an ideal girl; this is what so attracts Claudio I imagine. Beatrice on the other hand is a very mature young woman, although not quite a woman. In many respects

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Impression of Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing

WHAT IMPRESSION DO YOU GET OF BEATRICE FROM ACT TWO, SCENE ONE? Introduction In this essay, I will describe the impression I get of Beatrice from Act Two, Scene One of Much Ado About Nothing written by William Shakespeare. Up to this point in the play, Claudio and Hero are united. There is a misunderstanding about Don Pedro wooing Hero for himself, but, this situation clears itself up later in this scene. I have gone through each line of Beatrice's speech and I have described the meaning of her words. She has 11 dialogues which I have summed up in "Points" meaning her first dialogue to be "Point 1". I have also named each of the points according to the strongest emotion or point within the dialogue. POINT 1- A sad feeling Benedick has just had a conversation with Don Pedro and Claudio. On Beatrice's arrival, Benedick exits with a sharp comment of her being "Lady Tongue" which implies Beatrice of being a heavy chatterer. Don Pedro tells Beatrice that she has "lost the heart of Signior Benedick". Beatrice replies with a sad yes and says "Indeed, my lord, he lent it me awhile, and I gave him use for it, a double heart for his single one." Here, Beatrice seems to suggest that maybe in their past arguments, they were more connected. There was something more between them than now. She also says that she gave him "a double heart for his single one." This implies that over the

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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How Shakespeare portrays Hero and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing.

How Shakespeare portrays Hero and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare's famous comedies and so naturally it accords with the romantic comedies structure. The central plot revolves around two pairs of young lovers. Although the necessary outcome of the play is marriage and celebration, there must be a dramatic threat along the way. The main plot focuses on two parts Hero and Claudio on the one hand and Beatrice and Benedick on the other. And it is through the way which Shakespeare portrays the two female characters that we see how society was really like in the Elizabethan period. The name Hero would be very familiar to the Shakespearian audience, as Hero is synonymous with romantic heroine. And so therefore Shakespeare's Hero has a very straightforward role and is one the very few characters in the play that does not change at all. Since the name Hero gives the impression of a kind, polite and dutiful daughter, we can immediately tell that she is the kind of woman who represents the model requirements of an unmarried daughter in her society. Beatrice on the other hand is very different to Hero. Even though she is Hero's cousin, her character is the completely opposite to Hero's. Unlike Hero, she is independent and witty. She does not like the idea of a husband or anyone else having full control over her, however as the play

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Explore Shakespeare's presentation of Hero and Beatrice in 'Much Ado About Nothing'

Explore Shakespeare's presentation of Hero and Beatrice in 'Much Ado About Nothing' Hero and Beatrice are the two main female characters in Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" and they tell us a lot about how Shakespeare saw women in the context of the sixteenth century upper classes. In looking at the presentation of the characters it is important to examine their entrance into the play and what first impressions the audience gets of their personality and appearance. Although they are both present in the very first scene of the play it is Beatrice who speaks the most and makes her presence known. Her very first line is also worth noting as when she says "I pray you, is Signor Mountanto returned from the wars or no?" She is making a joke about Benedick and is therefore showing that she is both a playful character and also not afraid to think of herself as equal with men. This would have been a strange sight to a typical Elizabethan audience as women in that era were supposed to be quiet and subordinate characters, not speaking out against men. Beatrice is also showing that she is a witty and intelligent character as she uses the word Mountanto to describe Benedick. This is a term used in fencing to describe an upward thrust, so it could be both a sexual innuendo or linked to the war which has just ended. In contrast to this creative outburst, Hero's first line is

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Much Ado About Nothing Links between Beatrice and Benedicks relationship and Shakespeares Sonnets

Bavnisha Tulsiani Much Ado About Nothing – Links between Beatrice and Benedick’s relationship and Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Shakespeare is famously known for his plays and sonnets, he lived during the 17th Century yet his work is still constantly being celebrated, analysed and enjoyed everyday. One theme that was clear throughout many of his pieces is the theme of love; whether it be obvious or underlying, romantic or lustful. The notion of romantic love is often explored in his sonnets; a typical sonnet is 14 lines in length with a strict rhyme-scheme and also iambic pentameter, it could be suggested that the strict sonnet form is an analogy for unwavering and timeless, true love. In contrast, in “Much Ado About Nothing” the duration of the acts and scenes vary wildly, this could be suggested to represent the different types of love that feature in the play. Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare’s most famous comedies; it is set in Messina and centres on two pairs of lovers, Beatrice and Benedick and Hero and Claudio. In the very first scene of the play the audience can already see that Beatrice has distaste for Benedick and his childish ways as she refers to him as ‘Signior Mountanto’ when asking about his well-being. We are also told that there is a ‘kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and her’ by Leonato, her Uncle and soon after we see

  • Word count: 1606
  • Level: International Baccalaureate
  • Subject: World Literature
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Explore the relationships between Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing

Explore the relationships between Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing Throughout the entire play of 'Much Ado About Nothing', Beatrice and Benedick are the main characters of the play, although the story centres upon the characters of Hero and Claudio. This is because Beatrice and Benedick are both extremely vibrant and although they are different in many ways, both in fact share similarities. They also seem to be the most modern characters of the play because neither of them to begin with like the idea of marriage. In the time of Shakespeare this would be an extremely unusual attitude, especially for a woman. Both demonstrate similar attitudes towards each other throughout the play, which fluctuates between love or hate. They are also characters who speak for them selves and have an opinion about everything, especially Beatrice In the first scene, Beatrice talks to a messenger and her uncle. Shakespeare makes it instantly seems as if she and Benedick do not to get along, when she calls him "Signor Mountanto", which is very rude and suggests that he has a 'big-head'. Even though she refers to Benedick in a negative manner, it is interesting that she mentions him before she mentions anyone else. Shakespeare portrays this interest in a fairly covert way; yet she obviously cares about him a way, by asking if he has returned from war. Yet, she does so in such a

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Discuss the presentation of the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick in Shakespeare's 'Much Ado about Nothing'

Discuss the presentation of the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick in Shakespeare's 'Much Ado about Nothing' referring to the whole play. Beatrice is the niece of Leonato, a wealthy governor of Messina. She is feisty, cynical, sharp and witty. Benedick has recently returned from fighting in the wars. He is also witty, and like Beatrice is always making jokes and puns. They both continue a 'merry war' against each other, in which Beatrice often wins the battles. 'They never met but there's a skirmish of wit between them', as Leonato says. They both appear content never to marry and swear never to fall in love. Beatrice then describes their last fight, when 'four of his five wits went halting off', and she continues teasingly to mock Benedick. The similarities in Beatrice's and Benedick's personalities and opinions are sure to bring them together from the beginning. They both rebel against the social 'rules' followed by most of the other characters when it comes to their opinions about love and marriage. Ironically, the effort they put into fighting creates the opportunity for them to become closer. One theme in the play is the taming of wild animals, which is the imagery that appears throughout the play. In the scene where Claudio and Don Pedro tease Benedick about his hatred of marriage, he is compared to a wild animal. Don Pedro states, 'in time the savage bull

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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How Beatrice and Benedick's relationship is presented in Shakespeare's comedy 'Much Ado about Nothing?'

How Beatrice and Benedick's relationship is presented in Shakespeare's comedy 'Much Ado about Nothing?' Beatrice and Benedick are one of Shakespeare's famous couples that light up the stage, I think: although hero and Claudio are supposed to be the main characters Benedick and Beatrice, absorb most of the interest. 'Let but Beatrice and Benedick be seen, lo in trice The cockpit, galleries, boxes, all are full' (Leonard Digges, 1640) As they play begins , the men are coming back from war, Beatrice displays interest in Benedick from the start as she enquires about 'Signor Mountanto' referring to Benedick, she uses the word 'Mountanto' which is a fencing term for 'an upright blow or thrust' She probably intends it with a sexual innuendo also since a stallion 'mounts' a mare. She is the one who first mentions him, who brings him up again in a seeming irreverent context in act 2 scene 1 'he is the prince's jester, a very dull fool' it seems as though she is creating an image of herself as a feminist . her 'merry war' with Benedick, however she does give a lot of importance to Benedick. The audience knows enough to identify the different characters especially the object of Beatrice's interest 'Signor Mountanto' otherwise known as 'signor Benedick of Padua' - who engages immediately with her quick fire exchange of insults the 'merry war'. When the 'merry war' begins the

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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