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Relationship of Beatrice and Benedick in Act Four Scene One of Much Ado About Nothing Act IV scene i is a turning point for Beatrice and Bene*censored*. At the beginning of the play they both pronounce their desire to never marry. However, at this point in the play the two say that they are in love, when unbeknownst to them they have been tricked into loving each other. The scene after the wedding in Act IV scene i is the first one where the two have been alone together since they have both heard their friends talking. The turning point comes when Bene*censored* decides to stay with Beatrice who is helping Hero, instead of leaving with the other men. In this scene we begin to see how Bene*censored* has begun to shift his loyalties from Claudio to Beatrice. When Bene*censored* pronounces his love to Beatrice by saying "By this hand, I love thee" (324-325) she responds by telling him that he should use his hand for something other than swearing his love; he should use it to kill Claudio for believing the lies about Hero and leaving her at the altar. The sharp contrast between Hero and Beatrice is what sets this scene into motion. Hero is a meek woman who does not challenge the rules of society. Beatrice knows that the way that women are treated is wrong and she does what she can about it, such as using her words. However, she needs Bene*censored*s' help in order to achieve her plan of getting revenge on Claudio for Hero. Throughout this play Beatrice keeps saying what she would do if she were a man. In this scene Beatrice asks Bene*censored* to kill Claudio because he is a man. She may love him, but at this point she is only trying to persuade him to help her, she is not thinking about her love for him. The way that this scene is set up gives Beatrice the upper hand, because she knows what she wants (Bene*censored* to kill Claudio) and what she feels (perhaps the beginning of a love for Bene*censored*, but more likely, a strong desire for revenge). The fact that Beatrice is in control in of this situation is ironic because the man is the one who would usually be in control of any situation of that time. However, Beatrice is using her only weapon, words, to persuade Bene*censored* to help her, it is giving the illusion that she has more power than she truly does.
The difference between Beatrice,Benedick,and the other two Claudio and Hero though is that, these two are very headstrong characters with a different outlook on love, but have very much love for one another. Benedick believes in just being a bachelor and spending the rest of his life messing with as many women as he pleases, well as for Beatrice she believes there is no man good enough and willing to show her the love she wants so she much rather be left alone. But the fact that they honestly want to believe what they say is what makes this get way more interesting. What they don’t know is that they are going to soon become curious trying to figure out what they truly feel for one
Beatrice's courtship with Benedick greatly contrasts with the courtship of Hero and Claudio. Hero gladly and willingly submitted to marriage, and she accepted the role of the relatively powerless woman. In contrast Beatrice chose her submission after openly criticizing the institution of marriage.
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.
Telling her gentlewomen that Benedick loves Beatrice is her secret and it just so happens that Beatrice overhears, because it was. all planned that she should overhear. In this scene, Hero is dominant. in the conversation and says whole paragraphs instead of a few words that she says sporadically throughout the play, like in Act 1 scene 1. where she only says one line in the whole scene, "My cousin means Signor Benedick of Padua. " Page 5, line 27.This is because she needs.
Beatrice asks, Does it make any sense to write and tell him I love you when I have always treated him with scorn?” (2.3.31-34). In this quote all Claudio was saying was that Hero had told him that Beatrice had confessed to her that she was in love with Benedick but was not sure how to let him know That all changed when family and friends helped them both realized they have always been in love with one another. As for Claudio and Hero they are a couple who see eye to eye knowing they are perfect for one another. Even though they had an antagonist that did not want to see them happily married such as Don John, they were able to let it pass and end up happily
The author portrays Beatrice as being very dominant and strong woman. I believe she protects her cousin and her family from the accusation that has been projected towards Hero as this has insulted not only Hero but also her family. When she is in the tabernacle with Benedict and confessing her love for him....she shows her demanding nature by essentially forcing Benedict to choose between the brotherly love of men and the loyalty of a man to his wife. Beatrice knows that she must destroy Benedict's former male bonding. Her order is therefore a command for Benedict to support her against Claudio, and represents the only way for them to have a mature relationship. Although being quite intelligent, Beatrice does manage to appear gullible when she overhears Hero and another woman discussing Benedict and Beatrice's relationship. So this can be seen that Beatrice does have a softer side as well.
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
Beatrice and Benedick are equal in wit and intelligence could be another reason why they are an ideal couple, because they are so equal in both wit and intelligence means that they will never have a boring conversation between them. Furthermore, to explain my reasoning is that having a not so boring conversation means that their lives would be a lot less dull and boring. Also them being equal in wit and intelligence means that they will always have something to say about one another’s opinions, thus making it impossible to have a boring conversation. An example of this would be when Beatrice says to Benedick in, “As strange as the thing I know not. It were as possible for me to say I love nothing so well as you, but believe me not, and yet I lie not, I confess nothing, nor I deny nothing. I am sorry for my cousin” (Act 4, scene 1, lines 283-287). In this quote Beatrice is telling Benedick that she can easily say that there is nothing in this world that she loves more than him. She also says that not to believe her even though she is not lying and then she says that she will confess nothing, and deny nothing. Then Benedick replies to her by saying in, “By my sword, Beatrice, thou lovest me”(Act 4, scene 1, line 288). This quote means that Benedick is asking Beatrice if she loves him. And it also means that he is very
...o asks Hero about Claudio she responds with: "So you walk softly, and look sweetly, and say nothing, I am yours for the walk, and especially when I walk away." (2.1.81-83). Beatrice is what a woman should be. A more modern view of feminism would have had Beatrice not only make her own decisions but follow through with them on her own. While Much Ado About Nothing seemingly questions the traditional gender roles of men and women in Messina through Beatrice's resistance to them, at the same time, the play decidedly ends Benedick saying, "Peace! I will stop your mouth" (5.4.96), silencing Beatrice with a kiss. Still, it cannot be denied that Beatrice, for a time, equates herself with men and the power they hold. Unfortunately, she gives in to love and in so doing, she relinquishes her independence and self-control in the male-dominated world of Much Ado About Nothing.
The first scene gives good insight to Beatrice’s character. Benedict is telling Beatrice how he will never marry a woman, and he will be a bachelor forever. To this Beatrice responds: “A dear happiness to women. They would else
When Benedick hears that Claudio has fallen in love for Hero, he is enraged. He thought that Claudio would live a bachelor’s life like him. Benedick tells him that men who are in love are not masculine. Near the end of Act IV, Benedick’s complete change is evident when Benedick chooses love over friendship. Benedick challenges Claudio, previously his closest friend in the world, to duel to the death over Claudio’s accusation as to Hero’s unethical behavior. After Beatrice complains to him about Claudio’s mistake, Benedick gives in, “Enough, I am engaged. I will challenge him.” At this point, there is no doubt that Benedick has switched his allegiances entirely over to Beatrice. But then again, Benedick was relieved that Hero was proved guilty so he would not have to fight his close friend Claudio.
` 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.
Beatrice is a woman who is very witty and does not believe that a husband is the right life path for her. She and Benedick argue with each other about marriage. To validate her point Beatrice says, “I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me” (I.i.129). This shows that Beatrice is outspoken because she is saying that she would rather hear a dog bark over and over again and be annoyed at a crow than hear “a man swear he loves” her. Beatrice is not fitting the standards because she is very independent and does not feel like she needs a mad to be happy. As the story progresses, Beatrice disobeys traditional society by saying she doesn’t need a man and that she would publicly attack someone like a man. As Claudio publicly humiliates Hero, Beatrice is furious and says, "O, that I were a man! What, bear her in hand until they come to take hands, and then, with public accusations, undercover slander, unmitigated rancor- O god, that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the marketplace” (IV.i.317). Beatrice is saying that if she were a man, she would fight. She would kill him with “slander” and “rancor” if she were a “man”. Beatrice would violently “eat his heart in the marketplace” Beatrice wants to hurt Claudio and it angers her that as a woman, she can not defend her cousin for what Claudio did. This defies the gender expectation of a Renaissance woman because as
At the start of the play Hero is presented as a typical woman of the time, modest and demure – she says little. In fact, Shakespeare’s first words describing Hero, ‘Is she not a modest young lady’ announce her essential qualities of modesty and decorum. In this period, these were vital qualities to have in a wife and Hero possessed them, unlike Beatrice. By contrast, Shakespeare portrays Beatrice as an untypical woman, being outspoken, independent, witty and unconventional – she is always participating in the conversation even with the men (especially Benedick), which Hero never does.
... heart in the marketplace.” (A4; S1; L 315-321). When Hero was wrongly accused is when Beatrice showed this the most. She believed that because of what he had done, Claudio deserved to be dead. She wanted no bad deed to go unpunished and what she seen fit was for Benedick to challenge Claudio to a dule and she didn’t want Benedick to stop until he was dead.