Much Ado About Nothing Character Analysis

The play Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare consists of many themes which grow out of the ‘game of love'. The two main themes consist of perception and deception. Through the plot complications, character development and dramatic techniques these themes can be explored. In the play deception is shown on both good and evil sides, the game of love between Beatrice and Benedick and the Don John plot to split up Hero and Claudio. Perception is a theme used in most of Shakespeare's plays. Perceptive views by the characters help portray the game of love. Hero is perceived as dead which then Claudio is sorry and feels for her. Beatrice and Benedick's loved is clouded by each other's perceptions and arguments.

All throughout the beginning of the play, both Beatrice and Benedick use sarcasm and hide their true feelings for each other, which is the first example of tricky in their relationship. Both of them have vowed never to marry anyone; Benedick stating: "Because I will not do them the wrong to mistrust any, I will do myself the right to trust none; and the fine is, for the which I may go the finer, I will live a bachelor." (1.1.232–35), while Beatrice says, "No, uncle, I'll none. Adam's sons are my brethren, and truly I hold it a sin to match in my kindred." (2.1.59–60.) Their friends see that they are the perfect match for one another, and plan to trick them into confessing their love for each other. When Benedick is in the orchard, he overhears Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato talking about how Beatrice is in love with him but is afraid he will mock her if she tells him. Benedick believes them, saying, "This can be no trick." (2.3.217.) He then goes on to say, "I will be horribly in love with her." (2.3.230–31.) Later, Beatrice hears Hero and Ursula talking about how they can't tell her that Benedick loves her because she is a scornful person. After Hero and Ursula leave, Beatrice states:

Benedick experiences both internal and external conflict, which successfully makes him an engaging character and increases the tension that the audience experiences. Benedick is the willful lord who recently returned from fighting wars and vowed never to marry. At the start of the play, Benedick encounters a main character, Beatrice. Benedick and Beatrice have a “merry war” between them as they appear to verbally attack each other at every

She makes it seem as though it took her way to much effort to go get them making her seem dramatic. In Act I, Benedick says “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” (Shakespeare. 1.1. 122-225). This displays high comedy as he seems to be critical of Beatrice’s inability to love him and he sarcastically voices that he does not have any need for romance insinuating that he has no capacity to love anyone.

Benedick and Beatrice within the plot are both individuals with similar headstrong egos, while Hero and Claudio are both a duo of mesmerized partners towards each other’s passions and love. Benedick is an arrogant and dense-minded gentleman towards any object or task which proves his nobility to his pride by denying the theory that Beatrice is in love with him. Accordingly, an example of this is represented directly from him towards Beatrice, “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) Beatrice is the perceptive one in the pair, while showing the similar traits of inflexibility as Benedick. Another Hero response for the previous quote can be used as an illustration of her ego, “A dear happiness to women! They would else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor.

Throughout the play, Benedick's relationship with Beatrice is an important mark of his character. In the first scene

Needless to say, Benedick and Beatrice are the antithesis of each other, for Beatrice is reasonable which means she is always trying to come up with a reason for what somebody has done or for what she is going to do, but Benedick is irrational which means he never needs a reason for what he does. Beatrice is crying because her cousin, Hero has just been slandered and killed by Claudio. Which is why she is asking Benedick to kill Claudio. Benedick laughs it off like it´s a joke the first time she asks. But, then he realizes that she is serious. ¨ As I have a thought”, “That’s enough for me”, “I’ll challenge him”, “I’ll kiss your hand”. This impacts the

In the beginning of the play, Benedick vows to never marry someone, however, this changes when Claudio, Don Pedro and Leonato trick Benedick into thinking that Beatrice loves him. This leads Benedick into confessing his love to Beatrice in hope that she will tell him she loves him back. Benedick takes the opportunity to tell Beatrice about his love and tells her, “I do love nothing in the world so well as you. Is that not strange?” (IV.i). At this point of the play, the characters are facing both confusion and anger. To ease the tensions steaming inside Beatrice, Benedick admits his love so she knows that he loves her back. So, when Benedick asks Beatrice if loving her is “strange”, he expects her to say that it is not and that she feels the same way. However, after Benedick reveals his love, Beatrice is shocked. In response, she tells Benedick that his love is not “strange”, but she cannot think about loving someone while her cousin was in so much pain after the devastation Claudio causes her at their wedding. Although it seems bizarre that Benedick would bring up his love for Beatrice at this time in the process of a relationship falling apart, but Benedick would most likely argue that it made sense to mention his love to Beatrice to either get her mind off of Hero or she would not even comprehend what he said because her mind is too busy thinking about what to do about

  Much Ado About Nothing raises many important issues concerning the institution of marriage. Perhaps Shakespeare's purpose in writing this play was to question the existing approach to relationships and marriage. Shakespeare reveals the faults of the process through the characters of Hero and Claudio and also Hero's father, Leonato. Shakespeare also may be suggesting an alternative approach to marriage and relationships through the characters of Beatrice and Benedick.

If Claudio and Hero can be accepted as the perfect models of courtly love, than Beatrice and Benedick's love is easily proven as a flawless example of true love both through an understanding of their characters as well as their interaction.  Benedick, a young lord of Padua, is, like Claudio, a gallant gentleman, but this is where their similarities cease.  Benedick is baffled by the emotions which seize him

Shall I never see a bachelor of threescore again?”(Shakespeare, Page 7) Benedick was asking to himself if he would ever find a man like him; one who’s waiting for the perfect lady. He would rather not marry if he could not find the perfect woman. Claudio says, “I would scarce trust myself though I had sworn the contrary, if Hero would be my wife.” (Shakespeare, Page 7) To put into context, Benedick asked if Claudio was to try to

However, upon hearing of Beatrice’s love for him he is suddenly perplexed and it does not take him long to decide that he will give that affection back in return.  How easily persuaded Benedick is.  This may come from the way Claudio, Don Pedro, and Leonato (Benedick’s associates) depict Beatrice as the most wonderful woman in Messina.  They talk of Beatrice as if she were the most magnificent woman so that Benedick will do exactly what he does indeed do.  When Benedick hears of this he must be thinking of what he has said before about his desire for the perfect woman.  In his speech he says that “the lady is fair . . . / . . . And virtuous. . . / . . . And wise[,]” which is exactly what Benedick demands in the woman that he will choose to be his wife.  However, Benedick only believes these things about Beatrice because of what Claudio, Don Pedro, and Leonato have said about her.  They only said them to convince Benedick that Beatrice was deserving of him and that she loved him with all her heart.  They told Benedick just what he wanted to hear.  It is a scheme made of lies, but it works because Benedick is persuaded and begins to agree with what they have said.  By doing this he is already influencing himself to follow the opposite path from the one that he has adhered to for years.  Here he is already starting to fool himself into believing Beatrice is the one for him

In fact, in the beginning of the play, when Benedick appears he is quite notable foe his linguistically witty personality. As when Benedick meets Beatrice for the first time in the plays, he delivers the dialogue “what my dear lady disdain! Are you yet

In Shakespeare’s comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, young love prevails despite many conflicts. A comedy can be defined as a literary structure that moves toward a happy ending and implies a positive understanding of human experience. Shakespeare employs the use of the elements of comedy to express that people make a big deal about things that do not matter. Much Ado About Nothing fits the mold of a comedy because it follows the rules of a comedy.

Upon first sight, Beatrice and Benedict seem as if they abhor one another as they exchange several deriding remarks. The skirmish of wits is merely a facade of their underlying attraction to each other, and an ongoing struggle of