Beatrice’s and Benedik’s Quest for Their Identity The language in which a person speaks says a great deal about their character. The women in William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, excluding Beatrice, speak only when necessary. When the women in the play do speak, what they say is very polite and trying not to offend those who rank above them. Beatrice, on the other hand, is very outspoken and is not afraid to banter with Benedick. Beatrice is the only woman in the play to make certain that her voice is heard, and she makes her opinions very clear, even when others shush her. She is defying men who tell her to keep her pretty mouth shut. A voice is something that can change the world, and when Beatrice gives up hers it negatively impacts …show more content…
At the end of the play, Beatrice surrenders her voice for love. She allows her fiancee to speak on her behalf, and no longer banters with him in public. At the start of the comedy, Beatrice believes in herself enough to come out and say exactly what she is thinking. She even goes so far as to ask if “Signior Mountanto [has] returned from the wars” which proves she has a small crush on Benedick (1.1.30–31). No person would go so far as to ask if someone is alive if they did not care about the. It is not known if Beatrice thinks of him as simply a friend to banter with, or someone who means more to her than she is letting on. As soon as he returns, the pair of them begin jesting. They tease each other so often that Beatrice knows how Benedick will end their playful arguments “with a jade’s trick, [because she] knows him of old” (1.1.142–43). As the play comes to a close, she loses her nerve. Before she speaks for the last time in the play, the love notes that had yet to be exchanged between Beatrice and Benedick are brought forward. Both try to deny their love, but have a hard time when their feelings have been written down and given to the other. The last sentence she says is about how she is saving Benedick and an attempt to downplay the notes, and then she does not speak up again. Her last words of the play prove that she has given up trying to change the culture in her society. Beatrice makes the decision that it is much better to leave with a lasting impression than to fade away. In both regards, Beatrice will presumably fade into the background, as many of the women in the play already have. On the other hand, Beatrice does leave the people with the impression that she is someone not to be crossed and disrespected. After all, choosing silence is always better than being
The 3 deliberately have a conversation about Beatrice love and affection for Benedick, causing him to question whether or not what is being said is true or not. As Leonato starts to speak, he says… By my troth, my lord, I cannot tell him what to think of it, but that she loves him with enraged affection, it is past the infinite of thought. (3.4.107-110). Typically saying Beatrice love for him is by far more than any man can comprehend by far even withstand having knowledge of. By this time Benedick seems to question whether or not this is credible, but hearing it from Leonato he thinks it has to be true because he has never spoken any words other than the
Feminist critics of Much Ado About Nothing, like Sylvia Townsend Warner, praise Beatrice for being "free and uninhibited" ("Women as Writers," Warner, 272). Beatrice is a strong female character who marries only after asserting her disapproval for the traditionally voiceless role of women in marriage and courtship relationships of the 16th and 17th c. Beatrice is a fearless verbal warrior, and Benedick is her greatest challenger. Their verbal bantering allow for each of their strengths and opinions to show, and together they glory in the challenge of their next duel.
Benedick and Beatrice both benefit from the deceit that they encounter. At first, both are enemies in a battle of insults and wit, until they are each fooled into thinking that the other loves them. When Benedick hears that Beatrice is supposedly attracted to him, he thinks that it is “a gull, but that the white-bearded fellow speaks it: knavery cannot, sure, hide itself in such reverence” (111). Little does he know, Leonato, the "white-bearded fellow," is also in on the joke (111). Benedick starts to admire her when he is aware that Beatrice might actually be attracted to himself, as well. She is also astonished when she first hears that he loves her. However, when Beatrice comes to terms with their affection, she hopes "Benedick [will] love on... And [she] Believe it better than reportingly" (134). In other words, she falls in love with Benedick as soon as she believes that he, too, is fond of her. They each start to fall in love with one another under the pretense that other was hiding their affection from them. Now that they are both in love, they start to open up to each other and prove that the deception they endured was worth it in the end.
Beatrice and Benedick show their apparent distaste for each other right from the first scene. Beatrice mocks Benedick to the Governor of Messina, claiming that she always beats him in a battle of wits and the last time they crossed paths Benedict’s “five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man governed by one” (1,1,50). Clearly relishing resuming their ‘merry war’, Beatrice cuts Benedick down at the first opportunity, telling him “I wonder that you still will be talking, Signor Benedick, nobody marks you” (1,1,105). Incredulously, Benedick retorts, “what my dear lady distain! Are you yet living?” (1,1,95). So, the dynamic of the two is set and it goes on from there in the same vein. Yet, the reader, even at this early stage may ponder if the lady doth protest too much.
Beatrice to overhear what she has to say then maybe finally Beatrice. will admit she loves Benedick. As I said before, that Hero doesn't. say a lot, so when she does Beatrice takes notice because it's so out. of the character of the character.
This can be seen during his conversation with Beatrice, after every one hears of Hero’s “infidelity”. In this scene, when Don John and Claudio were leaving, Benedick doesn’t follow them. Instead, he sticks around with Beatrice. His action in this scene is highly critical, as it shows that he considers his love for Beatrice more important than his Allegiance to his brothers, Don John and Claudio. This action is something Benedick from the beginning would never think of doing. While in the beginning, Benedick’s allegiance remained rooted to his brothers, it has now pledged allegiance to his lover, Beatrice. In this scene, Benedick is seen to have grown as a person. Instead of losing complete trust due to un-proven rumours like Don Pedro and Claudio, he is able to take in the situation more substantially. He further proves himself during his conversation with Beatrice. By telling Benedick to “Kill Claudio” (Shakespeare 4.1.288), “Beatrice asks for her newly-professed lover the utmost favor: to place his love for her above that of his long-established friendship with Claudio. The command shows that Beatrice and Benedick are now more serious than they were. Rather than jest about serious problems as they did at the play’s beginning, they are now engaged with them” (Smith 182). Although a bit reluctant in the beginning, Benedick decides to follow his lover’s orders, and challenges Claudio to a duel. From this point on, all of Benedick belongs to Beatrice, for “Love is his compass” (Horowitz 50). To Benedick, “Love is immediately the basis for decision over life itself…. [and] Benedick’s love for Beatrice must determine his [decisions]” (Horowitz 49). The fact that Benedick decided to challenge his long-time friend Claudio further proves how much he has changed as a person. To Benedick, Beatrice has now become more important than his fellow
self, however his love cannot be hidden when Claudio and Don Pedro arrive. Then the sands will arrive. Even when Benedict proposes to Beatrice, he says he takes her. in?pity?, this shows that even though he is no longer a bachelor, he is still as patronising as he was at the beginning of the play and he has not lost any of his wit. Beatrice continues this merry war by
As shown in this quote ‘I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me’ the character Beatrice does not ever want to be married. Beatrice is a strong-headed women who is sassy, witty and very adamant to prove her point of never wanting to be a married women. The character Benedick is just as strong headed as the character Beatrice, he also does not ever want to get married and is quick to respond to Beatrice’s strong wit. “Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher.” This quote further highlights the character Benedick’s ability to be resilient towards Beatrice’s comments. This is still relevant in today’s society...
Shakespeare represents Beatrice as a very feisty, cynical and sharp woman during the play. We can especially see this when she uses her wit to shock the messenger saying, in act one scene one, that ‘he is no less than a stuffed man.’ This is exceedingly disrespectful to fashion such a rude comment about a man who is just about to arrive back from war. One thing Shakespeare clearly shows us is that Beatrice would not be the ideal woman for most men. To emphasize this he contrasts Beatrice with a weak and quiet character such as Hero who acts upon every mans instruction, we can see this when Beatrice says to Leonato that its her ‘cousins duty’ to say ‘father as it please you.’ Shakespeare makes such a clear contrast between the two women to the extent that Beatrice steals most of Hero’s attention from the other male characters in the play. Furthermore he shows us how Beatrice is perhaps a threat to the patriarchal society at the time, we can see this on page fifty-nine where she implys that it is her duty to please herself, whether or not her father consents. This is unlike Hero, who cannot do anything unless a man is fighting her corner, however Beatrice is willing to
Benedick’s attitude towards love is that he does not love anyone and that it is a stupid idea to fall in love with someone. Then he further explains himself in, “Then is courtesy a turncoat. But it is certain I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted; and I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart, for truly I love none” (Act 1, scene 1, lines 122-125). In this quote Benedick says that the woman’s courtesy is a traitor and that all ladies love him, except for Beatrice. He also states that it is too bad that he is so hard-hearted, because he really doesn’t love anyone. Beatrice’s attitude towards love is that she does not want to be married to a man that swears to love her, because she finds that very stupid. She then further explains herself by stating in, “A dear happiness to women. They would else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor. I thank god and my cold blood I am of your humor for that. I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me” (Act 1, scene 1, lines 126-130). In this quote Beatrice is saying that Benedick would make a nasty suitor for women and that they both feel the same way about love. She also states that she would rather hear her dog bark at a crow than hear a man say that he loves her. And I find their courtship more appealing
Shakespeare makes sure that Beatrice comes off as a woman who is not afraid to speak her mind to anyone. This is portrayed in the beginning of act one, when the mail messenger comes to announce that the soldiers are on their way to Messina. They start a conversation about Benedick and he tells Beatrice that Benedick is a "lord to a lord, a ...
Throughout Act one and two, Benedick repeatedly says that he will never love a woman or get married. At some stage in the duration of the play his mindset changes. In the end he is head over heels in love for Beatrice whom he once quarreled with habitually. The turnabout in his behavior was brought about by the deceiving Claudio and Pedro who indirectly told Benedick that Beatrice loved him.
` Benedick and Beatrice hated each other at first. In the beginning of the play Beatrice makes a statement of “...will happily go to hell with Benedick.” This proves that Beatrice does not like Benedick, more hate. There is clearly tight tension in between them, and some background hatred as well. At the beginning of the play, Benedick and Beatrice had a hateful relationship.
This is part of her “merry war” with Benedick. Beatrice appears to loathe Benedick and vice versa; they engage in many “skirmishes of wit.” However, although Beatrice appears hardened and sharp, she is vu...
Beatrice is, without a doubt, one of the strongest female characters that Shakespeare ever came up with in his time of writing. Shakespeare shows, through Beatrice, how every woman should act in an era where only the men were even able to have control. In this era, or the renaissance time, no woman had free will; they were always told what they could and could not do, as well as, who they were to marry. In the play “Much Ado About Nothing” Beatrice has many qualities but the ones that stand out the most in the play are: her independence, her feistiness, and of course her openness to defy male subjection.