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What is the importance of character development in literature
Much ado about literary analysis
Character analysis of much ado about nothing
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The characters in a book is what turns a publication into a story, and without them the book would lack quality and meaning. Any story can have characters, but what makes it stand out is when the characters are different, and that is why Beatrice and Hero are the perfect character foil. The play,” Much Ado About Nothing,” by William Shakespeare starts with a group of soldiers visiting a small town in Italy, and in that group of soldiers lie Claudio and Benedick, the lovers of Hero and Beatrice. Right when Claudio sees Hero he falls madly in love with her, after some slight mishaps they get engaged, but at this time Beatrice and benedick are still at eachothers throats. After a few wedding problems Benedick and Beatrice finally declare their …show more content…
Hero and Beatrice see the world very differently, and because of this they make different decisions than one another, as you can see in Act 5 Scene 4 Hero said, “ When I lived, I was your other wife, and when you loved, you were my other husband (193).” In this Hero is confessing her everlasting love for Claudio and revealing that she is still alive in the process. Hero was able show her vulnerability in doing this, making this act of love true. Whereas when Beatrice was faced with the same obstacle to happiness she first refused,“Do you love me”, “Why no, no more than reason” (Shakespeare 193). When Benedict asked if Beatrice loved him she refused because that question was asking her to open herself up into a vulnerable state, which at that time she couldn't do. In “Much Ado About Nothing”, Beatrice and Hero were both confronted with vulnerability, and Hero had no doubts, but Beatrice, being her stubborn self, couldn't admit her love until she truly knew it to be true. Both characters faced many challenges and obstacles and they both reacted differently to each which is why there is such a strong character foil associated with …show more content…
“He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that has no beard is less than a man; and he that is more than a youth is not for me, and he that less than a man, I am not for him” (Shakespeare 39). As shown in this piece of evidence Beatrice's view towards men at this point in the play would have left her unmarried for the rest of her life, which was against Heros beliefs. Hero had the complete opposite opinion as shown,“God give me joy to wear it, for my heart is exceeding heavy” (Shakespeare 111). Heros views are quite different because she is about to do what Beatrice would have never thought to do in a million years, get married. This shows that Hero is over the moon to get married and just two lines before this she called her cousin a fool for not marrying. In every book there will be a difference in opinions, that's what makes the story, but Shakespeare made his characters into almost complete opposites which is what sets this story apart. It also allows the characters traits to develop over the span of the book, resulting in greater character
Beatrice is an extremely crucial character in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’. She is one of the reasons that many plans and schemes fall into place to provide us with the outcome that the play finally reaches. Shakespeare depicts Beatrice as a very strong character who knows what she wants and how she wants to achieve it. Her characteristics of sharp wit and her ability to be acutely opinionated allow her to be a notable contrast from the other women in the play, whether this be in a positive or a negative way.
The difference between Beatrice,Benedick,and the other two Claudio and Hero though is that, these two are very headstrong characters with a different outlook on love, but have very much love for one another. Benedick believes in just being a bachelor and spending the rest of his life messing with as many women as he pleases, well as for Beatrice she believes there is no man good enough and willing to show her the love she wants so she much rather be left alone. But the fact that they honestly want to believe what they say is what makes this get way more interesting. What they don’t know is that they are going to soon become curious trying to figure out what they truly feel for one
In this essay I will be telling you if, Beatrice and Benedick are an ideal couple. I will also be telling you if the fact they are roughly equal in wit and intelligence is significant to them being an ideal couple. Furthermore, I would also explain how their attitude towards love proves the fact that they are an ideal couple. Then I would explain why their courtship is more satisfying than Claudio and Hero’s. So let us talk about how Beatrice and Benedick are an ideal couple in this book Much Ado About Nothing by:William Shakespeare.
In Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing, there are the usual characters that show up in most of Shakespeare’s pieces. For instance the characters Hero and Claudio could easily be compared to Romeo and Juliet. Both Hero and Juliet are innocent, quite, and beautiful young women who fall in love instantly without conversing with the other person. Likewise, Claudio and Romeo decide to marry these women within twenty-four hours. Because of these characters’ lack of unique and interesting qualities, I am intrigued by Beatrice.
Shakespeare’s introduction of the other couple in question is in stark contrast to the way in which Beatrice and Benedick were introduced. Claudio and Hero are amorously receptive to one and other from the very start. Upon laying eyes on Hero, Claudio remarks of her to Benedict “is she not a modest young lady?” (1.1.125). Clearly, by having Claudio express his fondness of Hero to Benedick, the playwright directly compares the older and more cynical to the more young and naive, allowing the reader to see the contrasting personas of the two men. This is reinforced by Benedick, who after finishing listening to Claudio’s rhetoric on the charms of the young Hero (“in m...
Beatrice asks, Does it make any sense to write and tell him I love you when I have always treated him with scorn?” (2.3.31-34). In this quote all Claudio was saying was that Hero had told him that Beatrice had confessed to her that she was in love with Benedick but was not sure how to let him know That all changed when family and friends helped them both realized they have always been in love with one another. As for Claudio and Hero they are a couple who see eye to eye knowing they are perfect for one another. Even though they had an antagonist that did not want to see them happily married such as Don John, they were able to let it pass and end up happily
A large portion of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” greatly focuses on the relationship between Benedick and Beatrice: two characters who provide comedic relief and romance. Even from the beginning of the play, their bantering rapport shows a deep connection, a fact known by everyone in the play but them. Their relationship between each other is what strengthens each other’s character, and the more the story progresses, the more we see the changes of each character. Both are very round characters, since they both go through a huge transition. This is most evidently seen in Benedick, who shows a huge change due to his new found romance, because his love for Beatrice not only changes his
In the beginning of the play Benedick is just another soldier with Claudio but is also known for arguing with Beatrice. He is constantly getting in to arguments with her and at the masquerade Ball she pretends to be somebody else to try to interrogate her. When he first arrives in Messina he says “Look, it’s my dear lady distain.” This quote represents the relationship in between Benedick and Beatrice. The relationship they have is one of hatred and anger. However when Benedick is in the Orchid and over hears Claudio and the others he falls in love with Beatrice. When he falls in love with Beatrice he wants to pronounce his love to her himself. AS soon as he sees Beatrice after he was tricked into loving her he started being nice to her and didn’t make fun of her. Benedick also says “Lovely Beatrice, I thank you for taking the pains to tell me that” This highlights his change of heart towards Beatrice and that he is willing to love her. This shows how Benedick was manipulated to love Beatrice by Claudio, Don Pedro and Leonato. Afterward When Claudio shammed Hero in front of everybody and left Benedick wants to help Beatrice clear Hero’s name. Benedick doesn’t believe that Hero cheated Claudio and wants to fix the situation. Also he convinces Leonato of the friar’s plan to clear Hero’s name by faking her death. Benedick even says that “I really
Beatrice's courtship with Benedick greatly contrasts with the courtship of Hero and Claudio. Hero gladly and willingly submitted to marriage, and she accepted the role of the relatively powerless woman. In contrast Beatrice chose her submission after openly criticizing the institution of marriage.
This may seem to be a harsh and pessimistic outlook on life, but the way Shakespeare brings this character to life portrays Benedick as a funny and caring man who really is not that certain about what he wants for the future. Benedick’s counterpart in the play is Beatrice, who is an independent woman with a quick tongue. Benedick and Beatrice despise and cannot stand each other because it is seemingly impossible for them to have a conversation without arguing and angering each other. The two of them provide some of the more amusing scenes of the play with their word play and mocking of each other. In reality though, they have much in common that they have yet to realize.
Shakespeare’s play ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ has two main female characters, Beatrice and Hero, who are cousins. Both appear to be completely different in the beginning of the play but, as things progress and their characters develop, there are also some very obvious similarities between them. Hero and Beatrice have a very close relationship; they are best friends. Leonato is Hero’s father but Beatrice has no parents, which gives her greater freedom. Where Hero is polite, quiet, respectful and gentle, Beatrice is feisty, cynical, witty, and sharp.
All of the characters in Much Ado About Nothing seemed to develop a personality of their own from the very first scene. It also helped that I saw the movie version of Much Ado About Nothing before we read the play so I could almost get a picture in my head as to what each character looked like. As the character's had their own personality, so did the two love relationships in the play. Benedick and Beatrice seemed to hate each other so much from the very start of the play that as the play carried on it almost seemed like the two went full circle in their relationship. But their relationship might not have changed for the better without help from Claudio, Don Pedro, Leonato, Ursula or Hero. In Claudio's and Hero's relationship seemed to be much more conventional in the way they came together. Claudio first saw Hero and instantly fell in love with her, while Hero stood by and took orders from her father, Leonato. Only when Don John devised his deception to break Claudio and Hero apart that I felt the relationship was in trouble, but even then I felt there was hope.
Beatrice is, without a doubt, one of the strongest female characters that Shakespeare ever came up with in his time of writing. Shakespeare shows, through Beatrice, how every woman should act in an era where only the men were even able to have control. In this era, or the renaissance time, no woman had free will; they were always told what they could and could not do, as well as, who they were to marry. In the play “Much Ado About Nothing” Beatrice has many qualities but the ones that stand out the most in the play are: her independence, her feistiness, and of course her openness to defy male subjection.
The first scene gives good insight to Beatrice’s character. Benedict is telling Beatrice how he will never marry a woman, and he will be a bachelor forever. To this Beatrice responds: “A dear happiness to women. They would else
...o asks Hero about Claudio she responds with: "So you walk softly, and look sweetly, and say nothing, I am yours for the walk, and especially when I walk away." (2.1.81-83). Beatrice is what a woman should be. A more modern view of feminism would have had Beatrice not only make her own decisions but follow through with them on her own. While Much Ado About Nothing seemingly questions the traditional gender roles of men and women in Messina through Beatrice's resistance to them, at the same time, the play decidedly ends Benedick saying, "Peace! I will stop your mouth" (5.4.96), silencing Beatrice with a kiss. Still, it cannot be denied that Beatrice, for a time, equates herself with men and the power they hold. Unfortunately, she gives in to love and in so doing, she relinquishes her independence and self-control in the male-dominated world of Much Ado About Nothing.