Preview

Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice And Benedick Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
833 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice And Benedick Analysis
William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is a play involving by deception, disloyalty, trickery, eavesdropping, and hearsay. The main examples of deception we see are from the characters of Beatrice and Benedick.. We as the audience are exposed to their ‘merry war; ad they exchange witty and sarcastic banter, providing the humor throughout Shakespeare’s comedy and very interesting comparisons to be commented onIn act 1, we are introduced to Beatrice who Beatrice tends to take charge of every conversation, not reluctant to state her own views on a subject regardless of whom she addresses. Her wit and sarcasm are wasted on the messenger, who doesn't know what to make of her. Her uncle, Leonato, acknowledges her ongoing "merry war" with Benedick. Finally, she engages Benedick himself, who can give back as good as he gets.Benedick too is mentioned before he appears, but only by Beatrice, who is clearly bitter toward him, apparently as the result of previous experience with him. In his battle of words with Beatrice, Benedick puts up a noble fight, finally putting her on the defensive, but while Benedick has the last word this time, Beatrice ends the conversation …show more content…
As the dancing commences, we learn a great deal about their personalities. Beatrice, who recognizes her own rebelliousness and bluntness and their effects on others, especially men, has been hurt by Benedick sometime in the past; Benedick is vulnerable to Beatrice's insults (by the end of the scene, Benedick is at his most infuriated with Beatrice's insults, referring to her as a Harpy and as Lady Tongue; he asks Don Pedro to send him on any errand, no matter how ridiculous, just to get him away from Beatrice). This shows the clear divide in attitutdes however , if analysed deeper it seems as if there are evident similarities between Benedick and Beatrice. They’re both exposed to each other’s abuses and somehow feel threatened by

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    “You can tell an artist is excellent when he denies his own perfection.” (Shakespeare 78 -79) Based on the characters Beatrice and Benedick the conflict between the two is that they have trouble expressing their love for each other, throughout the book the foil insult each other until they realize they love one another. In Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, Benedick serves as the foil character of Beatrice by which Beatrice’s reasonable taste are illuminated through Benedick’s bearing thoughts; thus, compound the twist and conflict to the plot.…

    • 606 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the play, “Much Ado About Nothing,” by William Shakespeare, Beatrice is distraught when Claudio shames Hero, and as a result she manipulates Benedick into agreeing to duel Claudio. She knows that Hero is innocent: “O, on my soul, my cousin is belied!” (4.1.155.133). She is furious with Claudio and wants him to pay for what he has done: “Ah, how much might the man deserve of me that would right her!” (4.1.275-276.141). She wishes that she could get this revenge herself: “O God, that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the market-place,” (4.1.320-321.143). However, she knows that she cannot do this on her own. For this reason, she tricks Benedick into agreeing to kill Claudio. Claudio and Benedick are best friends so when Beatrice first…

    • 227 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the text, Much Ado About Nothing, many of the characters show comedic and tragic aspects. Even though most characters in the text show different aspects and traits, Benedick shows the most tragic and comedic aspects. An example of Benedick showing comedic aspects would be in act 2 scene 1; Benedick disguises himself with a mask along with changing his voice. Benedick disguises his voice with an accent, which brings humor to the reader, and or audience (if watching the movie). Another example, from the movie, of Benedick being humorous would be when Benedick is overhearing Leonato, Don Pedro, and Claudio saying Beatrice is in love with him.…

    • 277 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Benedick and Beatrice have close connections in the play, Benedick is portrayed to be a staunch bachelor, whereas Beatrice a combative character, also ironically, due to this being set in the Renaissance era, outspoken. Benedick is seen as very misogynistic.…

    • 510 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    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, page 13). 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 to 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, page 15). 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 than Claudio and Hero’s, because it is more exciting and you can’t predict what they are going to say…

    • 820 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Of all the characters from Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing”, Beatrice is perhaps the most interesting. As a brilliant and outspoken, her character is quite the opposite of her cousin, Hero. One must ask, “In what way is Beatrice different from other women during Shakespeare's era?” And furthermore, “for what purpose did the author write her as the firm character she plays as?” Beatrice’s character cannot be adequately pegged down by the interpretation of the reader, as she is both seemingly realistically presented and yet fictionally portrayed by the author.…

    • 1614 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Benedick has probably had a lot of experience with women, only one of whom was Beatrice. He vehemently declares his intent to remain a bachelor and disparages Claudio for wanting to marry Hero, "Leonato's short daughter." He restates his disdain of love and marriage in a monologue alone on stage — even more likely to express his true feelings than his teasing comments to a companion he will lose through marriage. Throughout the early scenes, his exchanges with Beatrice create a feeling that he "doth protest too much" — that is, he really harbors at least affection for Beatrice.…

    • 366 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    First of all, a quick summary of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Anything. In the beginning of this story a respectable noblemen named Leonato, his daughter Hero, and his clever niece Beatrice are waiting on the arrival of friends from the war. The group of friends include prince Don Pedro, and two of his fellow soldiers; Claudio, who is an up and coming young nobleman, and Benedick a man known for his battle skills and witty jokes. Also within the group of friends are; Don Pedro’s illegitimate brother Don John and his entourage of two people. When the soldiers arrive at Leonato’s home, Claudio is very taken by Leonato’s daughter Hero. While Benedick and Beatrice continue a mutual hatred for each other through a confrontation of crude insults. Claudio and Hero shortly after meeting pledge…

    • 1305 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the novel, Benedick and Beatrice hate each other with all their might. They talk bad about each other to one another any chance they get. The first form of trickery in Much Ado About Nothing is when the Prince and Leonato plot a story to trick Benedick. They knew Benedick was listening to their conversation so they knew exactly what to say. Benedick believed their lies and began to change the way he saw Beatrice…

    • 424 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    They were talking as if Benedick could not hear them talking and this allowed them to be successful in their plot to make Benedick think that Beatrice already loved him and that other people thought they would be a great couple.…

    • 765 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this play, the reader can compare the two different couples and quickly realizes that Beatrice and Benedick take their time, don’t rush, and compared to Hero and Claudio it wasn’t love at first sight. Right from the beginning of the play, during their first conversation they try to use a type of language that hides the real feelings they have behind for eachtoher. " What my Lady Disdain! Are you yet living? " This quote is said by Benedick to Beatrice, when he comes back to Messina. They try to be very unpleasant to each other and act like they don't care, as they don't want to admit it to the other but to themselves as well. It’s not until the end of the play that Benedick and Beatrice share their feelings and tell each other that they are in love, which shows how they took their time, and really waited for the right moment to let everything go. " Do not you love me? " " Why no, no more than a reason." This quote shows that they still hide their real feelings from each other until the last minute,when they finally feel like it's time to deliver their feelings. Those words said by Benedick show the delivery of all this secret " A miracle! Here's our own hands against our hearts. Come, I will…

    • 1031 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Well, this was signior Benedick that said so.”. (2.1.27-29) This quote is Beatrice acting as she does not know it is Benedick who is under that mask. It is debatable whether Beatrice knows that Benedick is the stranger behind the mask but if she does happen to know this then she is deceiving him to make a fool out of him. Of all of deception and trickery that runs through “Much Ado About Nothing” one of the most prominent is the love affair between Beatrice and Benedick. It starts of as “a merry war” that goes on with both Benedick and Beatrice denying the fact that they have romantic feelings towards each other. The signior Benedick and Beatrice first hide their love/feelings with each other. They have a love hate relationship in the beginning as Beatrice says, “What should I do with him? Dress him in my apparel and make him my waiting gentlewoman?” (2.1.34-35). Her meaning of this is that she has no interest in him only using him as a follower. This all changes with the help of being deceived by Hero, Ursula, Don Pedro, Claudio and Leonato lying telling Benedick and Beatrice are strongly in love with each other. With them thinking that the other is in love with them they start to show their true feelings towards each other on their…

    • 825 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Shakespearean comedy, Much Ado about Nothing encompasses themes such as the importance of honour, the ideal of social grace, nevertheless uses a plot which primarily revolves around the theme of deception re occurring in various forms. On one hand deception is used throughout Much Ado About Nothing in a malicious manner, however on the on the hand it can be portrayed in a benevolent and beneficial manner such as the fooling of Beatrice and Benedick and deceiving them into proclaiming their love for each other. The use of both forms of deception often makes it difficult to distinguish between the two, such as when Claudio announces his desire to woo Hero, however Don Pedro takes it upon himself to woo her for Claudio. However Shakespeare’s use of deception is neither completely a means of malice nor a mean of showing traits of kindness between characters, the use of deception aids the development of the plot and creates a path for other elements necessary in the play such as its comical elements.…

    • 1460 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Within the play, Much Ado About Nothing, there is a central theme of deceitfulness, as a way to solve a problem or an issue amongst the characters. Though deception is inherently perceived as evil, it led to positive endings after several conflicts throughout the play. In the creation of this theme, Shakespeare uses both negative and positive examples to contribute to his lesson on ruses. Within this particular scene, all of the cons that the various characters have put on are officially disclosed to each other. This scene highlights that deception is not always evil, nor is it always moral, but can be means to an end that can be beneficial or detrimental to a character’s arc. Shakespeare’s use of honesty within this particular scene, establishes the deconstruction of illusions within human relationships in order to complete a story.…

    • 1092 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Much Ad About Nothing

    • 823 Words
    • 4 Pages

    One of these moments where we can begin to understand their relationship is during the First Meeting. In Act 1 Scene 1, Benedick uses imagery of a bird to mock Beatrice. On line 126, Benedick says to Beatrice “Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher”. Benedick could be mocking Beatrice by suggesting that she can’t say anything original and only copies what others say, therefore relating to the imagery of a parrot. However, the word ‘rare’ shows that Benedick recognises the unique characteristics of Beatrice and that she is standing out from the crowd, consequently hinting his disguised love for her. Additionally, this quotation also relates to the context of time as women, in those days, could be punished for talking too much. Benedick could be taking advantage of the conventions of time to put Beatrice in her place in their relationship with each other. The parrot imagery can also relate to a poem called Sonnet 130. This is because, in Sonnet 130, the poet says “I love to hear her speak, yet well i know, That music hath a far more pleasing sound;”. We can link the first phrase of Sonnet 130 with Benedicks quote of a ‘rare’ parrot-teacher. By including the word rare before the imagery of a bird, suggests that although Beatrice may talk too much, Benedick still enjoys listening to her speak hence relating to Sonnet 130 “I love…

    • 823 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics