These two characters have a very different sense of self-perception. Don John is honest and open about his character; ‘I am an honest villain’. He is content to be no more than what he is; he refuses to manufacture an outward show of emotion to suit other people. He states that ‘I cannot hide what I am’; the constant use of ‘I’ strengthens the idea of self-absorption surrounding him. Don John’s brother Don Pedro ‘prince of Aragon’ had only recently started to be civil again to him, which implies some sort of disagreement in the past between them. We find out that if Don John wants to remain on good terms with his brother he ought to show a more cheerful face. But Don John retorts that he would rather be a ‘canker in a hedge’ than a ‘rose in his grace’, which shows that he is jealous of his brother’s high status, and bitter that he has to depend on him socially. Don Pedro is in control of him, and Don John should not do anything to upset him. Don John bristles at having to conform to Don Pedro’s expectations. We also hear later that again Don John is bitter about the restrictions imposed upon him. He is angry at being ‘trusted with a muzzle’ and ‘enfranchised with a clog’. He strains against the constraints of his role as the ‘bastard’ brother, refusing to ‘sing’ in his ‘cage’. Don John admits that he is naturally sombre, that he must ‘smile at no mans jest’ because he lacks the skills or willpower to change his face to suit others. Benedick however, considers his own wit far greater than Beatrice’s, accusing her of copying him by calling her a ‘rare parrot teacher’. He also believes that he is adored by all women, ‘I am loved by all ladies’, and he does not even question the fact that Beatrice will ‘wear her heart out’ for him, though she has repeatedly rebuffed and insulted him. Despite this, he displays some self-awareness and ironic self-commentary, (‘I must not seem proud’) and learns lessons throughout the course of the play.
Benedick’s self-perception may be inconsistent, but the other characters, with the exception of Beatrice, give him a honourable status from the start; he is described as a ‘good soldier’ and ‘stuffed with all honourable virtues’. Beatrice disagrees, describing him as ‘Signor Mountanto’ or Sir stuck-up. Beatrice announces that Benedick is a ‘princes jester’, which Benedick is obviously wounded by. She also describes him as a ‘valiant trencher man’ implying that Benedick is better at feasting than fighting. Benedick does not like the fact that he is being criticized or ‘censured’ by other characters. He is very aware of how others perceive him, and he comments that they ‘say I will bear myself proudly’, which he is indignant about; he does not want to seem proud. Don John enters the play unheralded. He is barely mentioned and is ignored by the other characters. He is a shadowy figure or a vice, felt more by his lack of words than anything he particularly says or does. Don John is jealous of the fact that people love and respect Claudio, whilst he is an outcast, operating on the fringes of society. In a modern portrayal Don John might be perceived as a victim of his own circumstances, but in Elizabethan times he would have been portrayed as a simple malcontent or ‘villain’ because of his illegitimacy. In this way the modern portrayal is more sympathetic than the Elizabethan.
Another way Shakespeare dramatises these characters is through different images. Depictions of fashionable dress and manners are used a great deal by Shakespeare in this play, particularly to make fun of fashion at the time. Beatrice claims that Benedick ‘wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat’ and later Benedick exclaims that Claudio carves ‘the fashion of a new doublet’. The fact that Shakespeare uses the image of the fast changing fashions of men’s hats, which was a controversial issue at that time, adds to the sense of ridiculous and slapstick comedy that Shakespeare employs. In contrast, Don John has few images that describe him, as none of the other characters ever refer to him.
Both Benedick and Don John like conflict. Benedick’s ‘merry war’ with Beatrice is more humorous, and this conflict is a ‘war of wit’ and wordplay, whilst Don John takes purposeful actions in order to wreak havoc. He stays the same malcontent and ‘villain’ that he was from the start. Benedick however changes through the play. He used to speak in plain language like an ‘honest man’ or a ‘soldier’, but now that he has matured considerably he admits that he speaks the ‘language of love’. His earlier pronouncements on marriage and romance are shown to be ironic by his falling so quickly in love with Beatrice.
