Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice And Benedick Relationship Essay

In Shakespeare’s brilliant play, Much Ado About Nothing, there are two key relationships being examined throughout: Beatrice and Benedick’s, and Hero and Claudio’s. Though similar in some ways, one could say that they are, in fact, relationships of polar opposites. Beatrice and Benedick give an example of a more in-depth bond, while Hero and Claudio demonstrate a shallow, loosely knit love.

Firstly, the relationship betwixt Beatrice and Benedick could possibly go back further than the play lets on. This is guessed by some based off of the hinting in Act, 1 Scene 1, when Beatrice inquires, “I pray you, is Signor Montanto returned from the wars or no?” In this, she is expressing slight concern in regards to his safety, while covering it with a slight teasing. Secondly, in this same scene, Beatrice says to Benedick upon his return, “I wonder that you will still be talking, Signor Benedick. Nobody marks you.” Though perhaps she is insulting him by saying nobody listens to him, she is also showing that she is, in fact, listening to him. Another hinting toward their previous closeness are the words in Act 1, scene 1, after their brief conversation of insults, Beatrice states, “You always end with a jade’s trick; I know you of old.” This rather blatantly implies that she has argued with him like this before, and the constancy of such arguments was probably the demise of their relationship.
This could also explain their autonomous personalities and despising of the opposite