The Development of the Relationship Between Beatrice and Benedick
'Much Ado About Nothing' is a 16th century Shakespearean story
developed into a film by Kenneth Branagh. This entertaining
love-comedy entangles the viewers' minds with all the ups and downs of
relationships.
Benedick (Kenneth Branagh) and Beatrice (Emma Thompson) both swear
never to marry and to live their lives happy being single. But as this
story develops, both are led misled into assuming the other loves
them. Soon enough, sparks are flying and their utmost hate for each
other evolves into love and mutual respect.
Benedick is a smart, witty, good-looking guy. He always has a response
to everyone's comments and likes to finish off the conversation with
the last word. Benedick is the sort of person who believes that
marriage leads to the trapping of men. Therefore, he never wants to
get married and does not know how marriage can be a good thing in
anybody's case.
Beatrice is very similar to Benedick. She is an independent person and
does not like to rely on anyone. Beatrice is a smartly dressed lady.
Like Benedick, she is also against marriage. In one conversation, she
refers to men as 'valiant dust'.
Leonarto: Well, niece, I hope to see you one day fitted with a
husband.
Beatrice: Not till God make men of some other metal than earth. Would
it not grieve a woman to be overmastered with a pierce of valiant
dust? To make an account of her life to a clod of wayward marl? No,
uncle, I'll none'
Benedick and Beatrice both have very strong personalities and for a
while it keeps them from coming together. Both of them dislike the
idea of marriage,...
... middle of paper ...
... once enemies, agreeing. It is not often we see both
these people in a civilised manner towards one another. At this point,
we as viewers, suspect something may be about to happen. We feel they
both love each other, but have too much of a reputation as enemies to
declare it. Benedick as confided with Beatrice about his feelings, now
there is Beatrice to do the same.
Leonarto asks Claudio to marry his 'niece' in repayment of Hero's
death. Claudio agrees. Much to his amazement and delight, when the
mask is removed off the lady to marry, he discovers it is hero.
Benedick asks Beatrice if she will marry him and after some arguing,
she agrees- proof that their enmity for each other has softened and
their love for each other has quickened. The joyful lovers all have a
merry dance before they celebrate their double wedding.
William Shakespeare’s writing reflected and at times emphasized the gender oriented stereotypical roles and responsibilities of the English Renaissance. However, many Shakespearean characters including Benedick and Beatrice of Much Ado About Nothing challenged the standard image and characteristics of men and women.
Little is known of the early life of the Flemish Cistercian nun, Blessed Beatrice of Nazareth. Beatrice of Nazareth was born in the year 1200 in the town of Tienen, Belgium (Lindemann Ph.D n.d.). She was the youngest of six children (Lindemann Ph.D n.d.). De Ganck (1991, xiii) concludes that Beatrice is of middle class, “well-to-do, but not wealthy as has sometimes been asserted.”
In this essay I will be telling you if, Beatrice and Benedick are an ideal couple. I will also be telling you if the fact they are roughly equal in wit and intelligence is significant to them being an ideal couple. Furthermore, I would also explain how their attitude towards love proves the fact that they are an ideal couple. Then I would explain why their courtship is more satisfying than Claudio and Hero’s. So let us talk about how Beatrice and Benedick are an ideal couple in this book Much Ado About Nothing by:William Shakespeare.
Oscar Wilde said, “It's beauty that captures your attention; personality which captures your heart,”. William Shakespeare’s drama, Much Ado About Nothing, focuses on two women, Beatrice and Hero, who have different personalities but still find love in the end. At first look, the play resembles a traditional love story, but in truth, it suggests one be true to him or herself and not let society determine how one should act. However, Beatrice and Hero must follow Renaissance society's rules. Traditional Renaissance women could not choose who they would marry, if a woman was accused of something, she had no means of defending herself and, women were required to be reserved. Hero is a traditional Renaissance woman because she was not able to choose
In the play of `Much Ado About Nothing', Beatrice is portrayed as a witty and strong willed woman who talks a great deal, appearing determined not to marry. However, Don Pedro concocts a plot that brings her together with Benedick and they marry at the end.
Hero and Claudio represent the Elizabethan norm in marriage. Claudio is the shrewd, hardheaded fortune hunter and Hero is the modest maiden of conduct books and marriage manuals, a docile young woman. It is important to note that Claudio is more concerned with advancement in Don Pedro's army than he is with love. Therefore, Shakespeare illustrates to the reader through the near tragedy of mistaken identity that Claudio must learn that marriage is more than a business arrangement and become worthy of Hero's love and affection. Source: Ranald, Margaret Loftus. "As Marriage Binds, and Blood Breaks: English Marriage and Shakespeare". Shakespeare Quarterly. Vol 30, 1979: 68-81.
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.
In the novel Pride and Prejudice, written by Jane Austen, several, if not all of her characters, can confirm the belief that in order to achieve happiness one must discard their pride and in turn, replace it with self-respect accompanied by some humility. In addition, acceptance and mutual respect must replace one’s prejudice. The novel reveals four couples that live through social inconviences. The setting, although the novel does take place in many different places, is mainly broadcasted from Longbourn, somewhere in England. It is set around the Bennet family, which consists of seven members. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, and their five daughters which of whom none are yet married. At this period in time, marriage was based a great deal upon money and reputation, not so much love and trust. When a single man entered town, he was called upon only if his financial situation was above normal. Marriage was based around land, family connections, and wealth. In many minor characters of the novel, pride is a common characteristic. Mrs. Bennet, for instance, is extremely proud when it comes to her daughter’s marriages of mercenary benefits. She is so concerned that her neighbors have a high opinion of her that her own vanity will not
Jane and Elizabeth Bennet are two sisters who are at the age of marriage. Their parents want them to be married to wealthy handsome men who are kind and gentle and warmhearted. Even though they are sisters they have different mindsets to how they should live their life. Elizabeth believes that she shouldn’t have to be the property of a man and believes that men and women are equal. She wont have a man who thinks that she is just a women who cant have her own mindset and wont let her be who she wants to be. Jane is not completely opposite of her sister Elizabeth but she has a more traditional mindset towards marriage. She believes that women should have the role that they do in that time period. Which is to be a stay at home mom who listens to her husbands every word and does what she is told for the sake of the marriage. Jane is happy with this sort of lifestyle
Beatrice in Dante's Divine Comedy. How many people spend their whole life in love with a person they met only once when they were nine years old? Dante Alighieri, born in 1265, had only one. meeting with Beatrice Portinari in 1274, making him only nine years old. By Dante's own account: this was the most important event of his youth (Alighieri).
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.
“The test of a round character is whether it is capable of surprising in a convincing way. If it never surprises, it is flat. If it does not convince, it is a flat pretending to be round.” -E.M. Forster
First impressions are a one time thing, you can never undo what you first appear like to a person because they will always judge you by it. Because Beatrice Prior (Tris) came from an Abnegation background, and she feels the need to have to prove herself to the Dauntless leaders, and to herself more than the other initiates. To show them she is brave, strong and can compete with the other initiates, she chooses to take the place of another transfer while practicing throwing knives, and stand in front of the target. “I will not flinch. If I flinch, I prove to Eric that this is not as easy as I said it was; I prove that I am a coward” (Div. 163). Even though Tris is just as a part of Dauntless as everyone else, the transfers and leaders still
Differences between Beatrice and Hero in the early scenes of Shakespeare’s play ‘Much Ado about Nothing’
The roles of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet in Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice are contrasted between a father who cares about what’s inside of people and a mother who only worries about vanity and appearance. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s parental guidance is unique to their personalities. Because of their two opposing personas, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet’s ideas of marriage are contradictory for their daughters; Mr. Bennet believes in a loving respectful marriage whereas Mrs. Bennet values a marriage which concerns wealth and social status. Their aspirations for Lydia, Jane, Mary, Kitty and Elizabeth mirror their conflicting ideologies. Mr. Bennet seems to have a quiet deep love for his daughters while, on the contrary, Mrs. Bennet’s love is over-acted and conditional. Both parents help to shape their daughters’ characteristics and beliefs: Lydia reflecting Mrs. Bennet’s flighty and excessive behavior while Elizabeth inherits Mr. Bennet’s pensive and reflective temperament. Looking past their dissimilar personality traits and contradicting convictions, both parents hold the family together and play an integral role in the household structure.