Much Ado about Nothing: Love and Marriage
Uploaded by melturner on Nov 17, 2000
Even though love and marriage was a major ideal in Shakespearean England, we can get views from Much Ado about Nothing which oppose this idea. From the two main ‘couples’ in this play we can understand their different views on commitment throughout and because of this we as readers and viewers can learn about each relationship separately and watch the thoughts and ideas change throughout the play.
From the scene given we can make many assumptions on the Beatrice and Benedick relationship and how it may have grown throughout the previous acts and scenes. We can tell from this small passage that Beatrice and Benedick have a love/hate relationship which may have come from past relationship let downs…
Beatrice: indeed my lord, he lent it me awhile, and I gave him use for it, a double heart for his single one. Marry, once before he won it off me with false dice, therefore your grace may well say I have lost it.
The two seem to have the same ideas on marriage even though we learn through the play that this is not true, they both know it is important to get married but have different viewpoints on the matter, they both appear to want their individuality. We can see this idea in the passage provided and many other parts of the play…
Beatrice: just, if he send me no husband; for the which blessing I am at him upon my knees every morning and evening. Lord, I could not endure a husband with a beard on his face I had rather lie in the woollen…
Benedick: the savage bull may; but if the ever sensible Benedick bear it, pluck off the bulls horns and set them in my forehead; and let me be vilely painted, and in such great letters as they write ‘Here is a good horse to hire’ let them signify under my name ‘Here you see Benedick the married man’…
Each of the two know deep down that they do love each other and only when their friends plot against them do they end up declaring their love for each other. Benedick has protested in the past about loving Beatrice and we get this idea from this passage and numerous other passages throughout the play…
Benedick: Love me? Why, it must be requited. I hear how I am censured: they say I will bear myself proudly, if I perceive the love...