Benedick When I know the gentleman, I’ll tell him what you say.
Beatrice Do, do. He’ll but break a comparison or two on me, which peradventure not marked, or not laughed at, strikes him into melancholy, and then there’s a partridge wing saved, for the fool will eat no supper that night.
Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 116-139
This extract starts with Benedick’s masked character refusing to reveal his true identity to Beatrice. Beatrice isn’t wearing a mask, and approaches Benedick, who is. The deception in this part of the story is shown when Beatrice acts as if she doesn’t know who Benedick is, because he is wearing a mask, when she does really. Benedick is unaware that she knows that the man behind the mask is him, and he acts as if he doesn’t know who Benedick is. Beatrice then decides to talk of Benedick in a derogatory manner, and because Benedick is disguised and doesn’t wish to reveal his identity, he cannot complain about the remarks Beatrice is making or defend himself, as he doesn’t know who Benedick is. This shows that Benedick is trying to disguise himself, but the mask that he is wearing does not fool Beatrice.
The second event in the play that I will highlight is about a scene in the gardens of the Governor of Messina’s house. Beatrice enters the scene and hides, as Hero and Ursula, two of the other characters in the play, have a discussion. The quote below shows what Hero and Ursula say. Hero and her maid have approached Beatrice’s hiding place, aware that she is there, to make sure she is able to hear what is being said.
Ursula But are you sure that Benedick loves Beatrice so dearly?
Hero So says the prince and my new-trothed lord.
Ursula And did they bid you tell her of it, madam?
Hero They did entreat me to acquaint her of it, but I persuaded them, if they lov’d Benedick, to wish him wrestle with affection and never to let Beatrice know of it.
Act 3, Scene 1, Lines 37-43
They are trying to set Beatrice and Benedick up with one another, and make up rumours of Benedick declaring his love for Beatrice, but then telling him to keep it a secret. Beatrice then believes that this is why he hasn’t been too kind to her in the play before this point. Both deception and change is highlighted in this part of the story. The deception takes place when Hero and Ursula talk of Benedick swearing his affection for her when he hasn’t, then leading Beatrice to believe that he likes her. Change therefore takes place in Beatrice’s opinion of Benedick. Before this point, Beatrice believed that Benedick hated her, but after what Hero and Ursula say, Beatrice thinks of Benedick in a different light, thinking that the nasty comments are his way of disguising his affection for her. Hero and Ursula hoped that they could get Benedick and Beatrice together in the hope of proving Beatrice wrong, as previously in the play she said that she would never marry.
The third point I wish to make is around an event at Hero’s first wedding. Following Don John’s attempt to discredit Hero, making her look unfaithful, we see Benedick comfort Beatrice.
Beatrice You have stayed me in a happy hour. I was about to protest I loved you.
Benedick And do it with all thy heart.
Beatrice I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.
Benedick Come, bid me do anything for thee.
Beatrice Kill Claudio.
Benedick Ha! Not for the wide world.
Beatrice You kill me to deny it. Farewell.
Act 4, Scene 1, Lines 287-289
In this, we see their real feelings for each other. Benedick’s love for Beatrice is being tested by being made to choose between his friends or his love for Beatrice. Here, he chooses his friends, because he feels that Hero is in the wrong, not Claudio. Change takes place in this part of the play, again between the feelings Benedick and Beatrice have for each other.
Finally, the last event I will highlight revolves around Hero’s second wedding. To ensure that the truth is revealed, Hero has to play dead. When the truth does come out, Don John is caught along with his servants with whom he helped devise the plan to slander Hero. Nobody can believe how horrible they were to her, as they were didn’t know what had happened. Claudio is then encouraged to marry the made-up daughter of one of the other characters in the play- the daughter is Hero, but because she is wearing a veil, only those behind the idea of making her play dead know it is her. When the veil is removed, Claudio notices that it is Hero.
Benedick A miracle! Here’s our own hands against our hearts. Come, I will have thee. But by this light, I take thee for pity.
Beatrice I would not deny you. But by this good day, I yield upon great persuasion, and partly to save your life, for I was told you were in a consumption.
Act 5, Scene 4, Lines 91-96
At this point, Benedick & Beatrice tell the crowd at the wedding that they too are to wed. This comes as a shock to everyone, and this is where the deception takes place- Benedick and Beatrice have been deceiving everyone into believing that they hate each other when they’re feelings are exactly the opposite, and now they intend to get married. They have both said in the play before this point that they have no intention of marrying, but have gone back on their words. They still announce it whilst talking about each other in a mean way- Benedick says he is marrying her because he feels sorry for her, Beatrice says she is marrying Benedick because she heard he was about to die. This argument amuses the crowd already in attendance at Claudio’s wedding, as they cannot believe that they can argue show much and show each other up like this, yet still want to get married.
For my conclusion, I hope to have shown through my essay how relationships between men and women can be shaped through deception and change, using Benedick and Beatrice as an example. At the masked ball, Beatrice deceives Benedick into thinking that she is unaware of who he is, because he is wearing a mask. The next example shows how others deceive them into thinking that they love each other- this is probably the most important point in how the relationship is formed. The third point shows that the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick changes as soon as another person is brought into the story, as Benedick loves Beatrice, but will not kill his best friend for her. The final point in which I try to show how deception can form a relationship shows that everyone can be deceived by the relationship between two people. Beatrice and Benedick both had a cruel exterior and throughout the play they were always making cruel comments and remarks about each other, but in secret, they obviously had a relationship going.