Explore and compare the romantic relationships in the play; Beatrice and Benedick, Claudio and Hero

Explore and compare the romantic relationships in the play; Beatrice

and Benedick, Claudio and Hero

The theme of love is the fundamental premise in this play. Shakespeare

has shrewdly created two relationships intertwining and unfolding

throughout the play that contrast with each other dramatically and

comically. The story of Beatrice and Benedick takes centre stage in

the play and because of there witty and extroverted personalities we

immediately warm towards them. Hero and Claudio however are more

conservative

in nature making their relationship more acute and serious. Both

relationships are so diverse they are easy to compare with each other.

The relationship between Claudio and Hero comes across as being rather

anomalous and complex.

The idea of love at first sight was very popular when Shakespeare was

writing. Shakespeare uses this theme in other plays he has written.

Romeo and Juliet meet and fall in love at once, just like the apparent

Claudio and Hero in Much ado about nothing. Talk of Claudio’s love for

Hero begins straight away in Act one Scene one.

Claudio tells Benedick of his love enquiring metaphorically ‘Can the

world buy such a jewel?’ of which Benedick replies ‘yea and a case to

put it into.’ We can see from this that Claudio is a romantic. He is

an idealistic lover who up until this point was apparently struck dumb

by Hero’s sheer beauty. Claudio has apparently fallen in love with

Hero after a mere twenty minutes in her presence. This in itself makes

us doubt the future of the couple. After all if Claudio can make an

announcement that big, in such a short space of time it shows that he

is quick to i...

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...pretty, as he appears to disagree with Claudio’s

fascination with the beauty of Hero.

Benedick’s respect for Beatrice is, at first, clouded by fear and

confusion, not based only on her appearance, but on her character and

vibrant spirit. An established believer in his own bachelorhood,

Benedick would not be persuaded from his principles for anything less

than a intelligent woman of inner splendour. This is how he differs

dramatically from Claudio whose first impression is based merely on

Hero’s beauty.

To me Claudio and Hero’s relationship comes across as a childish

romance which although is supposed to be the main storyline, is over

cast by the passion between Beatrice and Benedick.

Both Claudio and Hero are young and innocent. This shines through in a

number of different ways throughout the novel. Hero