How the Negative and Positive Impacts of Love Are Explored Using Various Main Characters in the Play ‘Much Ado About Nothing’

The negative and positive impacts of love are explored using various main characters in the play ‘Much ado About Nothing’. The play was written by Shakespeare in the Elizabethan era and therefore love was portrayed in a very different way, they would have seen a woman as less important in a relationship; in this era however we have very different views and see both genders as equal. Consequently as the play progresses the Elizabethan audience would relate a lot more to the courtly love that Hero and Claudio comprise. The more unconventional relationship between Beatrice and Benedick may relate more to the relationships in this day and age. The strongest bond of love is between Beatrice and Benedick due to their cerebral relationship, a meeting of minds, as well as having a fun relationship grounded on loyalty. They experience negative impacts of love before the positive impacts; unlike Hero and Claudio’s relationship. It seems idealistic; love at first sight; however their bond was not strong enough to last when severely tested. This proved that their relationship was founded on social acceptance and practicality. They were not equals. These ideas about the strong feelings of love and their negative and positive impacts can also be explored in a selection of pre 20th century poems.
Beatrice and Benedick have a relationship that consists of witty argument and they both have a very negative attitude towards love. However as the play progresses-despite being so against the idea of love their opinions change and they gradually, unconventionally find out that they confused their love with anger and they do love each other; they finally realise that they enjoy their arguments and what they hated about each other they actually loved, they have a partnership. Benedick says right at the beginning of the play ‘I will live a bachelor.’ This short declarative statement shows us how adamant and confident he is about not falling in love and marrying, he is confident in his