How Does Benedick Present Beatrice In Much Ado About Nothing

The main characters in Much Ado About Nothing are two pairs of lovers: Hero and Claudio, and Beatrice and Benedick. Claudio falls in love with Hero at the start whereas Benedick and Beatrice have to be tricked into loving each other. The play revolves around these four characters as their love develops. Hero is the beautiful daughter of Leonato, Governor of Messina. She is said to be a foil for Beatrice, to showcase her friend’s outspoken and shrewd personality. Hero is passive, perhaps naïve about love, but seems to be in love with Claudio. She does as her father says and accepts Don Pedro’s proposal. She then finds out he is pursuing her on behalf of Claudio and is delighted. However, she is accused of being unfaithful to Claudio and is …show more content…
She may strike a responsive chord to modern day readers because of her untraditional values while living in the Elizabethan Era of submissive, quiet women. Beatrice is known to speak her mind without concern for politeness or decorum. Her intelligence is showcased well by her clever and calculated remarks. From the very beginning scene, she displays sarcasm and bitterness towards Benedick. While this is unexplained, it is implied that Beatrice has been hurt in the past by Benedick. It is thought that Beatrice’s insults are merely a disguise for her true affections towards Benedick. As she is tricked into thinking Benedick loves her, she evaluates her behavior and how she is perceived: “Stand I condemned for pride and scorn so much?” Beatrice finally realizes how negatively she is thought of and vows to change her contemptuous and prideful ways and allow herself to love again. Although she scorns the idea of marriage openly, by the end of the play, Beatrice tones down the sharpness of her tongue and falls in love with Benedick.