However, She also hints at some earlier romantic attachment between them; Don Pedro’s comment that she has lost his heart meets the retort:’ indeed my lord, he lent it me awhile, and I gave him use for it’ here Beatrice highlights her heartache, At this point the audience see a softer side to Beatrice and it becomes apparent that her wit is her shield. This could explain the mutual hostility as well as the shared eagerness to requite each other’s affection later on.
The character of Beatrice cannot be properly understood, except in contrast with Hero, and her relationship with hero is the only relationship she is in her real character and no longer under the mask. In act 2 scene 1 Beatrice talks about her ideal man, ‘not till god make men of some other mettle than earth’ well Beatrice does have high expectations, and justifies why she shouldn’t be ‘fitted with a husband.’ Beatrice argues that all men descended from Adam (the first man) ‘Adams sons are my brethren … I hold it a sin to match in my kindred’ and therefore related; but the church forbids the marriage of close relatives. This tells us that Beatrice along with being religious is clever, as she can twist anything to justify her argument.
At the masked ball the audience see another side of Beatrice and Benedick’s relationship, Benedick knows he is speaking to Beatrice and we suspect she knows Benedick is behind the mask, she pretends she doesn’t know whose behind the mask, and takes this opportunity to taunt him, ‘he is the prince’s jester’ in other words he is not his own man but the princes companion. Benedick hides his annoyance in front of her, not wanting her to know the effect she has on him. On his own he expresses himself when he says it is ‘bitter disposition of Beatrice that puts the world into her person , and so gives me out’ Benedick is clearly hurt and angry, which shows when he took the negative comments to heart although he ignores Beatrice’s comment which seems to suggest she would like to be wooed by Benedick ‘I would he had boarded me’ The audience is clear they do want to be together, but they use their wit to scare off others who may be potential partners, as Beatrice refuses Don Pedro’s proposal, ‘ your grace is too costly to wear every day’ and Benedick even though he is upset with Beatrice refers to her as ‘my lady Beatrice’ he see himself as her partner already. Moreover they do seem to fight like a married couple.
In Benedick’s soliloquy at the beginning of act 2 scene 3 he discusses the change in Claudio as he is to be married, and says he never will be as there isn’t a woman who can match him. Then Benedick speaks of his perfect wife, ‘but till all graces be in one woman, one woman shall not come in my grace.’ This is prolepsis of what happens at the end of the scene; he has just discovered Beatrice loves him, ‘for I will be horribly in love with her’ , Don Pedro, Leonato and Claudio enter, (act2 scene3) where Benedick hides from them, presumably because he is irritated by the behaviour of ‘monsieur love’ Claudio makes sure Benedick can hear them, and whispers to Leonato and Don Pedro ‘o,ay,stalk on, stalk on; the fowl sits (raising his voice) I never did think that the lady would have loved any man.’ Benedick listens intently, at first in disbelief ‘is’t possible? Sits the wind in that corner?’ is that how things are? Here surprisingly Benedick doesn’t seem disgusted, but entranced, here another part of the mask falls off, he is interested in requiting her love.
Claudio, Leonato and Don Pedro are eager to ‘hook ‘Benedick, ‘bait the hook well. This fish will bite’ Claudio says this aside excited by the chance to make a fool out of Benedick, as he has usually been targeted by Benedick’s scorn. Leonato mentions hero to make the trick more convincing ‘she will sit you-you heard my daughter tell you how.’ They break Benedick down ‘hath a contemptible spirit’ that he doesn’t have a good nature but a loathsome one, Don Pedro uses this language to make Benedick vulnerable, when someone is vulnerable it is easier to convince them.
Then Claudio builds him up ‘he is a very proper man,’ Suggesting that Beatrice must love him as he is an attractive man. Leonato takes a chance and tells a joke ‘she found ‘Benedick’ and ‘Beatrice’ between the sheets.’ Shakespeare includes Leonato’s joke to add, realism to the conversation so it convinces the audience as well that they can perform. ‘That’ Claudio expresses disappointment that Leonato tells such an old joke so badly. In lines 160-5 Don Pedro begins to carry the joke to a point of mockery of Benedick that endangers the success of the plot, then realises his error and with ‘the man doth fear god’ corrects it.
Don Pedro concludes: ‘I could wish he would modestly examine himself to see how much he is unworthy so good a lady’ after this Benedick does examine himself, he changes his appearance in act 3 scene 2 this shows the audience that he picked up on Claudio’s point that ‘he is a proper man’ attractive and good looking, hence he tries to improve his appearance that would attract Beatrice. Benedick intersperses this ‘secret’ discussion with constant asides, demonstrating how he immediately believes what they say.
The plan only succeeds because of the vulnerability of Beatrice and Benedick and the danger of trusting appearance over reality, which is a theme in the play. This theme threads is highlighted by the imagery of fashion, disguise and masking. Beatrice loves him so much, even though they don’t know it yet, Beatrice and Benedick’s feelings are unmasked by their friends relatively easily,
When Beatrice comes in, to fetch Benedick in for dinner her behaviour towards him has not altered , but with his new perspective he hears an undercurrent of love in every word she utters, ‘against her will’, Though she sparks with her usual sharp tongue, Benedick now finds hidden meanings in her words ‘there’s a double meaning in that’ –disguised messages of love, Beatrice appears to have left no scope for ambiguity- which improves the comedy of the line in theatre: perhaps Benedick wishes to read ‘against her will’ as a meaning that she does not want him to come in, but rather to stay out in the garden with her. He proceeds to find a ‘double meaning’ in her following words, which is perhaps what ‘that’ refers to. This is an example of dramatic irony. He does appear very keen to believe rather than disbelief. Showing that he is secretly in love with Beatrice.
Hero and Ursula start on the second part of the plot, and they also use the idea of a hunt ‘Look for where Beatrice like a lapwing runs’ Beatrice moves with a bobbing motion, sometimes seen, sometimes concealed, and this remind hero of the motion of the lapwing attempting to distract predators from its nest. This is a hunting metaphor which Shakespeare uses to explain to the audience that this deception all a game, opposed to Don John’s deceptions which are clearly destructive, Shakespeare juxtaposes tragedy and comedy to make the comedy more comic and to explain there are dualities to every thing: Hero and Claudio’s relationship compared with Benedick and Beatrice’s relationship. This shows that Beatrice can usually be seen with Hero as herself but she wears a mask to disguise herself to distract predators. Hero refers to Beatrice as ‘haggards of the rock’ a haggard is a female hawk that has grown to maturity in the wild, and is consequently much more difficult to train for hawking than one reared by hand. Here the audience can see Beatrice’s stubbornness, Shakespeare does this to make Beatrice vulnerable as she does take account of Hero’s opinion of her. By doing this Hero has sustained Beatrice’s interest.
‘That Benedick loves Beatrice’ Ursula asks, and hero says the prince and her love say it’s true. ‘Doth not the gentleman deserve as full as fortunate a bed, as ever Beatrice shall couch upon?’ doesn’t Benedick deserve a wife at least as good as Beatrice?
Beatrice listens intently, and hears that Hero believes ‘she cannot love, nor take no shape or project of affection, she is so self endeared.’ Her mind will not receive the form or notion of love, this is similar to what Benedick used to think of her, and hero saying this makes Beatrice think it is true and that she is selfish.
On line 61 Hero expresses that ‘she would spell him backward.’ Misinterpret him; taking everything the wrong way, she takes this opportunity to call her a witch, as this is possibly linked with witchcraft, where the Lord’s Prayer spoken backwards could raise the devil. The audience see that if Beatrice continues to misinterpret Benedick it may cause havoc in their ‘relationship.’
Ursula urges hero to tell Beatrice of Benedick’s ‘love’ but Hero knows that Beatrice wouldn’t listen she would just mock her ‘mock me into air’ reduce her to nothing.
Hero suggests that Beatrice would ‘press her to death’ if she mentioned Benedick, this was the punishment for persons accused of felony who refused to plead. I believe that hero suggests that she will be first reduced to silence then blamed for not speaking. Hero’s constant attack on Beatrice convinces her that she has been callous towards Benedick who ‘loves’ her so much. This shows that although Beatrice is proud and stubborn, she also has a strong sense of integrity and is fiercely loyal to hero. Hero’s criticisms of her ‘pride and distain’ elicit a humble sense of new found self awareness and a desire to deserve the regard of her friends. Her ‘change’ is sincere and genuine. Although the majority of the scene is comic, the description of Beatrice’s character is genuine. She is clearly highly regarded by all. Shakespeare creates these scenes to clarify to the audience how alike Benedick and Beatrice are and their eagerness to requite each others love is comical, lets not forget Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy, and Beatrice and Benedick are presented as a love hate couple, a theme that will always be regarded as comic.
Much Ado About Nothing is a romantic comedy, and like all romantic comedies its primary focus is marriage. Shakespeare offers us varying perspectives on the advisability, advantages and attractiveness of marriage through the different perspectives of the characters. Beatrice and Benedick have similar attitudes towards romantic love. Both characters denounce it as a viable alternative for themselves. Benedick is known to be fickle and inconsistent with women, his inability to make romantic commitments is commented by Beatrice and she uses it against him on several occasions, usually with sexual innuendo , he is known to be fickle and inconsistent in the bedroom, which links to the theme of pride in the play, due to the laws of phallogocentrism: the phallus is his pride and Beatrice continuously attacks it, which is ironic as she attacks it she also shows she’s consistently thinking of Benedick as her suitor.
Benedick is attached to his ‘bachelor status’ and is loath to enter the realms of a romantic lover as Claudio has done: ‘I will not be sworn but love may transform me to an oyster’ Beatrice appears to find it impossible to consider any man in the light of a possible suitor, I believe she does this because she ahs already chosen Benedick to be her match, although she complains that everyone else is getting married while she can only sit in a corner and cry ‘heigh-ho for a husband’ maybe suggesting to Benedick propose to me.
Hero and Claudio present an ideal marriage; young beautiful, rich and equal, but are they? In my opinion Hero and Claudio’s relationship is not equal as Hero puts him before herself, and is a match in naivety and immaturity. Hero is the much bigger person as she forgives Claudio in the end for attacking her character. In contrast Beatrice and Benedick are equal in their similarities, their intelligence, wit and views yet one is practical and the other emotional. Shakespeare made sure Beatrice and Benedick are similar so the audience can link them together. Both characters have the convention of romantic comedy against them from the start. The expectation from a romantic comedy demands hat the logical conclusion will be successful pairings of suitable characters. Beatrice and Benedick’s posturing has immense dramatic irony.
There is strong sense that Beatrice and Benedick’s marriage will have an air of pragmatic realism; they already know the worst of each other before they allow themselves to fall in love. Benedick finds it impossible to play the role of courtly suitor expected of him, although he struggles with poetry and fine gestures such as ‘come bid me do anything for thee’. He admits his inability to fall into the role as easily as Claudio, and eventually settles for the far more realistic option: being himself, at the end of the play. Beatrice finds it equally hard to become the demure heroine, although her speech is more tempered and far more serous once she has succumbed to love, she maintains her cutting wit right up to her last words: ‘I yield upon great persuasion, and partly to save your life, for I was told you were in a consumption’ we feel at the end of the play that the relationship will not be perfect however in Benedick’s words ‘man is a giddy thing’, subject to inconsistency and changeability like Beatrice and Benedick’s relationship.