Essay on William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing

Beatrice begins in the comedy as an outstanding example of a sharp-witted female. She is candidly funny, and brutally honest. She calls people as she sees them, though it might be offensive to those she chooses to observe. For instance, when she spars with Benedick, she hits him exactly where she knows it will hurt - his large ego. "Why, he is the Prince's jester, a very dull fool," (II, i, 130-131) she says of Benedick, to his face. In this statement, she is mocking his ability at verbal sparring, as well as turning his own intelligence into an amusement for the Prince, and whomever may be an audience for it at the time. Later in the play, however, Beatrice's intelligence is lessened greatly. Her character is made into that of the stereotype of an Elizabethan woman: easily gulled, and quick to fall in love. When she hears the planned conversation between Hero and Ursula, she immediately changes her entire thinking of Benedick. Soon she even believes that she loves him, in return for the sentiments she was made to believe he shared. This transition from sharp wit to the type of gossip that believes every bit of hearsay is difficult to believe in any character, even a Shakespearean one. When Beatrice finally succumbs to this "love" for Benedick, and betrays her own convictions against marriage, the metamorphosis is complete. Only the shell of a once potentially brilliant

When Beatrice and Benedick admit their love for one another, they switch from their regular witty banter, to a very emotional and romantic portrayal of a

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:

This shows that not only does Benedick have an unusual attitude towards the opposite sex, but it also insinuates that he may have some hatred towards them, too. However, Benedick does not have much respect for women, as he says ‘‘that a woman conceived me, I thank her; that she brought me up, I likewise give her most humble thanks; but that I will have recheat winded in my forehead, or hang my bugle in a invisible baldrick all women shall pardon me,’’ meaning that he’s thankful and grateful that a woman gave birth to him and raised and took care of him: ‘‘that a woman conceived me… I give her most humble thanks’’. But all the other women will have to forgive him for not being willing to be made a fool of — cheated on by a wife (Sparknotes): ‘‘but that I will have recheat… all women shall pardon me’’. This suggests that he does not want to marry because he doesn’t trust women and thinks they lie and are unfaithful. Benedick is a strong character - he talks openly and mocks other people (BBC GCSE Bitesize). He must have issues trusting women because he’s afraid that if he is cheated on, he will be mocked and humiliated by others; he wants to be respected, afraid it will ruin his reputation if he does marry and get cheated on.

knows that she is starving for true love and exploits that weakness to achieve his goal.

In the play of Much Ado About Nothing, the characters of Benedick and Beatrice have a love-hate relationship. On the surface, it appears that their relationship is built on a war of wits and insults. However, in Benedick’s soliloquy, the reader discovers that at the core of their insults actually lie the true feelings of love. It is also apparent that Benedick even sees loving each other as a competition, in that he wants to love her to a point of outdoing her love for him. Not only is Benedick constantly warring with Beatrice, but he is also undergoing an internal struggle, which is made quite apparent in Benedick’s soliloquy in Act 2 Scene 3.

Beatrice is also very sociable with other people and seems to be a shrew just when talking about Benedick and other males. Not unlike Katharina, who was told she would marry Petruchio (2.I.260-268),  Beatrice does not consent to marry Benedick directly.  Beatrice has to be entrapped with the love sonnets that Hero stole from her pocket (5.IV.88-90).  Even at the conclusion of the play, it seems as though Beatrice will not change her attitudes, just her status as an unmarried woman.

(pg 44-45 lll.1110-112) She believes that Benedick truly loves her, and is willing to marry her. “Hero’s account of Beatrice is when Beatrice is

'No; and he were, I would burn my study' she indicates that she has a

Luckily towards the end of the book Benedick becomes a much better

She throws away her old self, stating "Contempt, farewell! and maiden pride, adieu!"(3.1.109). She also choses not to be so protective of her independence and declares love for Benedick, claiming "I will requite thee, Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand"(3.1.111-112). However, the true change in Beatrice does not show until the first church scene in which Claudio publicly humiliates Hero. Beatrice shows deep concern for her cousin Hero, the first time in the play where Beatrice shows concern for another. She is the first to claim Claudio is a liar and declare "on my soul, my cousin is belied!"(4.1.145). Beatrice then proves once again that she is a better person by demanding justice for Hero is met. Through Benedick, Beatrice plots to right the wrong and asks Benedick to "Kill Claudio"(4.1.290). It is in this scene as well that Beatrice, proving a complete turnaround in behavior, confesses to Benedick that "I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest "(4.1.287-288). This shows Beatrice transforming from someone who would scoff at marriage and love, declaring things like "I may sit in a corner and cry heigh-ho for a husband"(2.1.312-313), to someone who easily embraces love from the person she once mocked. But such a dramatic change is seen in her love as well.

Beatrice fulfills her id when she gives in to temptation on being with Benedick. she ends up saying "I would not deny you, but by this good day, I yield upon great persuasion, and partly to save your life, for I was told you were in a consumption." (5.4.99-101) Even though she tries to cover it up that is because he was dying for

This is also a motive for the two to fight like cat and dog, and to

Comedy within plays often adheres to two definitions. As Sean McEvoy writes, “comedy could be simply defined as a dramatic presentation which makes us laugh”, however, it also has a secondary meaning, that can be defined as “a certain set of conventions [is] being followed”.[1] These conventions typically include a young couple who have to overcome obstacles to be together, with the play typically ending in marriage or when order has been restored. In Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing two relationships are focused on, namely the relationship between Hero and Claudio and Beatrice and Benedick. Throughout the play, despite both relationships resulting in marriage, as is typical for comedies, the audience is presented with two drastically different relationships. The relationship between

One of the most intriguing characters from Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing must be Beatrice. An intelligent, well-spoken (and, perhaps more interesting, outspoken) young woman, she is an almost exact opposite of her cousin, Hero. What makes Beatrice so different than what one expects of a woman during Shakespeare’s time? Why did Shakespeare decide to make her such a strong female character? It begs the question of what women were actually like in the Tudor era, and if she was really so radical a character.