MESSENGER: A lord to lord, a man to man, stuff’d with all honourable virtues.
She also ironically compares Benedick to a disease that men catch and says a great deal of negative things about Benedick. Which makes us think that maybe she like s him deep down but only finds this way to express her feelings.
Then her uncle says:
LEONATO: you will never run mad niece. Saying that she will never fall in love.
Both of them cherish their so they don’t reveal their true feelings towards each other. They use fake appearances as when the couple meet, they start to challenge each other.
BEATRICE: scratching could not make it worse, and t’were such a face as yours were.
BENEDICK: well, you are a rare parrot teacher.
Leonato explains the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick to the messenger. It is friendship of wit and exchange of insults that represent the modern battle of the sexes. They repeatedly put one another down because of each other's sex, and the advantages and disadvantages they each possess because of it.
In Act 2, scene 1 Benedick mentions,
BENEDICK: …I will fetch you a tooth-picker now from the furthest inch of Asia…
This speech is showing Benedick’s reaction exaggerated so that he can get his point across. He wants to avoid Beatrice’s tongue, so he will undertake a journey to the most farthest and dangerous kingdoms.
Our first impression of Beatrice is the ever-witty lady, who is modern and independent who refuses to get involved with a man. She is proud which appears to make her look hard, strong and also outspoken. She and Benedick are involved in a "merry sort of war". They’re always ragging on each other in a sort of easy going way, but never the less hurting each other’s feelings. She likes to twist people’s words. She seems to have a good relationship with Leonato and Hero.
When we are first introduced to Benedick, we see that he likes jokes and can be a funny character. The first time he speaks, he is making jokes with Leonato.
This shows that he has a good relationship with him. After we find out that Benedick has come back from a war we realise that he is a brave and heroic character.
Beatrice is caustic and tells Benedick it is a good thing that he does not love any of the ladies because then they would have to put up with him far more than they do now.
BEATRICE: A dear happiness to women, they would else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor…. Benedick is unable to compete with her wit as she doesn’t physically hit him but only with words and they finally break off the conversation.
Beatrice says that a combination between Don John and Benedick would create the perfect man, one who spoke just enough. Leonato tells Beatrice she will never get a husband if she continues to make such "shrewd" remarks.
LEONATO: You must not, sir, mistake my niece. There is a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and her: they never meet but there's a skirmish of wit between them.
Beatrice acknowledges that she is happy without a husband and plans to die a spinster.
Benedick meets up with Beatrice at the masked ball and refuses to reveal who he is. She starts to talk about Benedick, calling him. BEATRICE: the Prince's jester, a very dull fool. Benedick has been stung by what Beatrice said about him while they danced, and the he tries to tell Don Pedro what she said that hurt him. He is mostly upset because she called him the "Prince's jester", yet he ironically confirms this accusation by comically re-enacting the scene for Don Pedro. Beatrice arrives with Hero, Claudio and Leonato. Benedick leaves as soon as he sees her, unable to bear her comments any longer.
We find out that both characters are in some way afraid of marriage, which makes us, think will they or will they not get married by the end of the play.
Beatrice is more than aware that marriage brings many risks with it.
BEATRICE: Would it not grieve a woman to be overmastered with a piece of valiant dust?
Marriage for a woman is to risk her honour by accepting to a man. A similar fate is seen by Benedick, who views marriage as risk to men’s honour. Both Benedick and Beatrice hold a mature awareness of what marriage involves, causing them to avoid it.
But later on we see many changes of atmosphere in this play in act 2, scene 1 as the atmosphere may be of happy one and then suddenly would change then tragic to a tragic one. For example we find out that Benedick wants revenge from Beatrice, after the masked ball scene,
BENEDICK: Well, I’ll be revenged as i may.
DON PEDRO: Will you have me, Lady?
BEATRICE: … too costly to wear every day
This dark element seems to occur wherever the atmosphere is full of happiness.
Thirdly we find out that the couples family and friends are willing to help them come together,
DON PEDRO: She were an excellent wife for Benedick. The others at the Ball laughed at this thought, but agree that they would help in setting both Beatrice and Benedick up so they fall in love with each other, as they now know for sure that they are truly in love but won’t admit it so they think of a solution. HERO: I will do any modest office, my Lord, to help my cousin to a good husband.
The hatred towards each other represents obsession for each other which makes me think they feel slightly more than annoyance towards each other as the process through which they are tricked to confessing their love for one another is truly charming,
‘Much Ado About Nothing’ has many garden scenes, all of which are involved in plotting against or confusing other characters by family and friends. For instance, Don Pedro spreads his rumours about Beatrice loving Benedick in the garden where Benedick is hiding. In the first scene Claudio and Don Pedro are overheard in the garden, causing Leonato to think Don Pedro wants to wed Hero. Beatrice will also overhear Hero and Ursula in the garden, causing her to think Benedick loves her.
I think that the two couples Beatrice and Benedick, Hero and Claudio have obvious differences but there are also some similarities between them. Firstly both Beatrice and Benedick and Hero and Claudio's personalities match with each other. Also I believe that they both couples love each other. Also they have both been manipulated in some way, Hero and Claudio by Don John and Beatrice and Benedick by most of the main characters such as Leonato.
In the last section of Act 4, Scene 1 is what makes the scene so important as
Hero and Claudio are the centre of attention in 'Much Ado About Nothing' they are two of the main characters who create more tension, when Claudio is ashamed of what he thought Hero had done and how he betrays her in front of everyone this makes us look forward to what will happen next, Beatrice is furious Benedick sees and feels for Beatrice and will do anything for her.
There is a civilized conversation between Beatrice and Benedick for the first time. Benedick tries to cheer Beatrice as she is upset and they pronounce their love in a sad situation, which is a major development in their relationship however Beatrice becomes very ruthless and asks Benedick to,
BEATRICE: …kill Claudio.
After this is said it comes as a shock to most of the audience as we did not realise that the plot would develop such calamitous consequences. He agrees to the plan for his love to Beatrice,
BENEDICK: Yet, by mine honour, I will deal in this.
In this conversation the language is very clever as there is a lot of banter as when they are squabbling, this scene take the whole plot in a new direction to whether if he will go ahead with it or not.
Overall I bit by bit their attitude towards each other had changed and we saw a completely new side towards them, which was more sensitive. Their personalities are also similar which bought them closer to each other.
These two characters demonstrate the expression "the course of true love never did run smooth." Which Lysander says in A Midsummer Night's Dream, another comedy.
Sometimes, when a man and a woman are interested in each other, they pretend to feel exactly the opposite. Both of them experience a very similar sequence of events, and both come to realize their love for each other through tricks played upon them by a social conspiracy to make them marry.
Bibliography
William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Penguin, Published in 1997
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