How Is Beatrice Presented In Much Ado About Nothing

True Love Always Prevails “Much Ado About Nothing” portrays Claudio and Hero as the ‘ideal’ couple while Benedick and Beatrice portray the “realistic” lovers, even though both couples are identified as something different from the other in the end true love prevails. Much Ado About Nothing portrays two different couples one being the ideal couple and the other the realistic couple. It portrays Benedick and Beatrice having the rough, real relationship that has the hard times, but still have unspoken love for the other. Where as it portrays Claudio and Hero as the perfect couple whom both fell in love with each other at first glance. The two relationships compare and contrast in many ways. They compare greatly because both relationships involve love between the two people, but how they
differ is their actions of showing gratitude and love to one another. Benedick and Beatrice’s love is more realistic and relatable.
The two differ from Claudio and Hero because they did not fall in love at first glance, they fell in love earlier in their past. We know this because in Act 1, Scene 1, Beatrice makes a remark saying, “I know you of old,” which is a hint that her and Benedick had a past. Due to the remarks that they made to each other we can assume that they did not end well. In Act 1, Scene 1, Benedick and Beatrice were in an argument and were throwing insults at each other. Some remarks between the two were when Benedick said to Beatrice, “God keep your Ladyship still in that mind, so some gentleman or other shall ’scape a predestinate scratched face” and Beatrice’s response, “Scratching could not make it worse an ’twere such a face as yours were” (I.I.115-120). Those two comments from Benedick and Beatrice about the other are just an example of their relationship, and it was no where ideal or perfect. they would called one another a “skirmish of wit” or “lady disdain.” Beatrice and Benedick showed a lot of hatred towards each other, but the one thing they did not show was affection, and both of them mocked the idea of
marriage. This is where Claudio and Hero differ greatly from Beatrice and Benedick. Claudio and Hero fell in love with each other at first glance and thought they were destined to be married. Claudio said, “Silence is the perfectest herald of joy: I were but little happy, if I could say how much” (II.i.258-259). This quote of Claudio just shows how truly in love he was with Hero. He was so joyful to have Hero be his bride that he could not put his happiness into words, and that is why they are viewed as the ideal couple. Everything was flawless in their relationship, as relationships always are in the beginning, but it was not as perfect as it seemed. Claudio’s admiration for Hero comes across as a school crush, rather then true, deep love. He always looked for the opinions of his friends to help him with his feelings with Hero, which just proves that he had to be convinced of his feelings, that they were not truly real. Those actions of Claudio’s just prove that the ‘ideal’ couple does not necessarily mean true love. Being referred to as the idea couple does not represent true love. Benedick and Beatrice fought like no other and threw remarks in each other’s faces, but that does not mean they did not love each other. Benedick vowed he would never marry and let his pride stand in the way of his true feelings for Beatrice, he was “horribly in love with her,” but just could not swallow his pride (II.iii.207). Where as Claudio swallowed his pride and announced his love to Hero directly, but Beatrice and Hero responded to each one differently. By Beatrice’s actions it showed that she was hurt because she truly cared so much, but had to cover her face and fake it. While Hero showed affection to Claudio, but was not loyal in the end. Which connects back to the statement that even though Claudio and Hero were viewed as the ideal couple, in reality they truly were not. Similar to life, things look better than what they really are. This is similar to Claudio and Hero’s relationship because it looked so perfect that it was categorized as “ideal,” but in reality it was more tragedy than it was ideal. Things looked perfect and easy for them, but that does not mean it was all great for them. Just as if things look hard that does not mean it is all bad either which relates to Benedick and Beatrice’s relationship. In the end true love prevailed in this book with both relationships. Just because true love did not come easy for Beatrice and Benedick, it just means that it was worth trying for. If something truly matters it may hurt, but if it is worth it you would work hard for it. Which in the end both couples proved.

Works Cited
Shakespeare, William, and Tucker Brooke. Much Ado about Nothing. New Haven: Yale UP, 1917. Print.