The actor that played the role of Benedick did a tremendous job in the Kenneth Branagh film. By modulating and controlling the rhythm of his voice Kenneth Branagh was able to portray Benedick with much more depth than Shakespeare’s words written work could convey.
Throughout the film Benedick modulates his voice to communicate certain emotions. In act 2 scene 1, Beatrice comes up to him during the masquerade party and supposedly does not know the name of the man she had just talked to. Beatrice asks Benedick, who at the moment hides himself behind a mask, if he knows a man named Benedick. After she asks if he knows Benedick, she continued to insult his character by calling him the “Prince’s Jester” . Benedick answers, “When I know the gentlemen,
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I’ll tell him what you say.” In pursuance of pretending to be someone else, Benedick spoke with an unrecognizable accent that was incredibly different than his usual tone of voice. Moreover, convincing Beatrice that he does not desire for Beatrice to find out who hides behind his mask. Additionally, the absurdity of Benedick’s accent adds to Benedick’s comical character by providing another instance in the film where Benedick did something unorthodoxly . Another example of Benedick altercating his pitch is during Benedick’s monologue in act 2, scene 3.
After Benedick is lead to believe that Beatrice is in love with him. He says, “It seems her affections have their full bent. Love me? Why it must be requited!” Here, Benedick rants with a high pitched tone, portraying his abrupt confusion about the sudden news of Beatrice’s love for him. His voice springs up an octave as he says “Love me?” thus revealing to the audience that he was questioning himself whether or not he is in love. At the end of the monologue he exclaims, “No the world must be peopled!” in a deeper and more affirmative tone, expressing his confidence in his conclusion that Beatrice was in fact in love with him. His assurance of Beatrice's love for him after so little time revealed to the audience his self confidence and his absence of humility. The last example is in the last scene of the movie, Act 5, scene 4, when Benedick asks the friar to wed Beatrice and him after Claudio and Hero finished their wedding. After calling for Beatrice in front of a crowd that had constantly seen Beatrice and Benedick insulting each other, he says “Do you not love me?” He says this in a very low pitch tone, which sounded almost monotone, thus showing to the viewers his stubbornness for his character and his trouble with revealing and admitting to his soft side that he refused to show throughout the whole
film. Benedick also used the rhythm in which he spoke to reveal emotion. The first example of this was In act 2, scene 3, in the same passage used in the first paragraph when he had been tricked into thinking that Beatrice was madly in love with him. Benedick says, “ They say the lady is fair; 'tis a truth, I can bear them witness; and virtuous; 'tis so, I cannot reprove it; and wise, but for loving me; by my troth, it is no addition to her wit, nor no great argument of her folly, for I will be horribly in love with her.” As he speaks, his voice continuously speeds up and he never pauses or takes a break, thus portraying to the audience that he wasn’t entirely sure about his love for Beatrice. Additionally this demonstrates how Benedick is going through a self journey and searching for answers to his own questions. However, during this scene outside of the previous passage quoted above, he takes long pauses. He says “It seems her affections have their full bent. Love me?” He hesitates for a second, but then eagerly answers his own question,”Why, it must be requited!” His hesitation show the viewers he was thinking and making sense of the information that he had overheard. The eagerness in his response to his questions expressed his confused self, but also expressed his urgence to convince himself that he nevertheless, in love with Beatrice. Another example of this was in act 5 scene 2 when he was writing down a song to sing to express his love for Beatrice. He sings, “The god of love that sits above, And knows me, and knows me, how pitiful I deserve.” He spends seconds on each word and halts for seconds after each comma during his song, portraying to the audience that he cared for Beatrice a great amount, since he was contemplating whether each word was worthy of Beatrice . In conclusion, the way the actor modulated his tone of voice and adjusted his vocal pattern to fit each scene adds another layer of depth to Benedick’s character. When Kenneth Branagh modulate his tone of voice to a lower octave, conveying confidence, along with when he personalized the rhythm of his voice to portray confusion. Consequently of these examples, Benedick was able to add depth to his character and give the viewers a better understanding of the character, which essential in any good film.
...e down by weeping. Shakespeare shows us that Beatrice is the only character despite some of these positive attributes of Beatrice’s character, she is very rude about men. She says ‘but manhood is melted into curtsies’ showing Benedick her lack of respect towards men. However it is possibly her refreshing honesty that leads her to be a positive role model.
The 3 deliberately have a conversation about Beatrice love and affection for Benedick, causing him to question whether or not what is being said is true or not. As Leonato starts to speak, he says… By my troth, my lord, I cannot tell him what to think of it, but that she loves him with enraged affection, it is past the infinite of thought. (3.4.107-110). Typically saying Beatrice love for him is by far more than any man can comprehend by far even withstand having knowledge of. By this time Benedick seems to question whether or not this is credible, but hearing it from Leonato he thinks it has to be true because he has never spoken any words other than the
Benedick and Beatrice both benefit from the deceit that they encounter. At first, both are enemies in a battle of insults and wit, until they are each fooled into thinking that the other loves them. When Benedick hears that Beatrice is supposedly attracted to him, he thinks that it is “a gull, but that the white-bearded fellow speaks it: knavery cannot, sure, hide itself in such reverence” (111). Little does he know, Leonato, the "white-bearded fellow," is also in on the joke (111). Benedick starts to admire her when he is aware that Beatrice might actually be attracted to himself, as well. She is also astonished when she first hears that he loves her. However, when Beatrice comes to terms with their affection, she hopes "Benedick [will] love on... And [she] Believe it better than reportingly" (134). In other words, she falls in love with Benedick as soon as she believes that he, too, is fond of her. They each start to fall in love with one another under the pretense that other was hiding their affection from them. Now that they are both in love, they start to open up to each other and prove that the deception they endured was worth it in the end.
Beatrice is gifted with wit, humor, and strength uncommon in Shakespeare’s time. One can tell Beatrice’s drollness is at its best when speaking about or to Benedick. When Benedick greets her as “Lady Disdain” (I.i.109), she snaps, “Is it possible that disdain should die, while she hath such meat to feed it as Signior Benedick? Courtesy itself must convert to disdain, if you come in her presence” (I.i.110-113). Instead of taking offense, she welcomes the name and essentially tells Benedick that she acts contemptuously only because she’s talking to him.
Throughout Act one and two, Benedick repeatedly says that he will never love a woman or get married. At some stage in the duration of the play his mindset changes. In the end he is head over heels in love for Beatrice whom he once quarreled with habitually. The turnabout in his behavior was brought about by the deceiving Claudio and Pedro who indirectly told Benedick that Beatrice loved him.
Beatrice and Benedick show their apparent distaste for each other right from the first scene. Beatrice mocks Benedick to the Governor of Messina, claiming that she always beats him in a battle of wits and the last time they crossed paths Benedict’s “five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man governed by one” (1,1,50). Clearly relishing resuming their ‘merry war’, Beatrice cuts Benedick down at the first opportunity, telling him “I wonder that you still will be talking, Signor Benedick, nobody marks you” (1,1,105). Incredulously, Benedick retorts, “what my dear lady distain! Are you yet living?” (1,1,95). So, the dynamic of the two is set and it goes on from there in the same vein. Yet, the reader, even at this early stage may ponder if the lady doth protest too much.
However, despite Claudio's questionable motives for marriage, his genuine affection for Hero is made known through his eloquent speeches and jealous behavior. After his betrothal to Hero, Beatrice taunts him for his lack of speech, to which he replies: Claudio. Silence is the perfectest herald of joy. I were but little happy if I could say how much. Lady, as you are mine, I am yours.
Telling her gentlewomen that Benedick loves Beatrice is her secret and it just so happens that Beatrice overhears, because it was. all planned that she should overhear. In this scene, Hero is dominant. in the conversation and says whole paragraphs instead of a few words that she says sporadically throughout the play, like in Act 1 scene 1. where she only says one line in the whole scene, "My cousin means Signor Benedick of Padua. " Page 5, line 27.This is because she needs.
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.
From the very start of the play Beatrice shows her independence but openly admitting to everyone that she does not, by any chance, want to be married, especially to Signior Benedick. Whom it was hinted at throughout the play had a past with Beatrice and the “relationship” ended up with her being hurt and him going off to battle. She makes it clear in their battle of wits after he says “….But it is certain I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted; and I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart, for truly I love no one.” (A1; S1; L122-125). After hearing Benedick say that she then replies with “A dear happiness to women. They would else have been troubled with a precious suitor. I thank God and my cold blood I am of your humor for that. I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.” (A1; S1; L126-130). This was basically her way of telling Benedick that she does not want someone to swear the love her when in reality the love is not actually there. She would rather not deal with the nonsense of someone who is not true to their word. Even at another moment in the play, Leonato says to h...
Benedick, conversely, is confident and sharp. He uses language skilfully although, like John, he can appear rather self-centred. He too is aware of his perceived persona, referring to himself in the third person twice as “the sensible Benedick...” and says “see Benedick…” exaggerating his importance as well as his self-dramatisation as a scorner of woman which would be a recognisable soci...
She also insults Benedick directly to his face, despite his wearing a mask, when she says: “…he is the Prince’s jester, a very dull fool. Only his gift is in devising impossible slanders.” (II.i.131-132). Here, Beatrice insults the very thing that she and Benedick have in common: his cleverness and wit. She says Benedick cannot come up with anything clever to say and simply insults people, making him a boring joke of a man.
Shakespeare makes sure that Beatrice comes off as a woman who is not afraid to speak her mind to anyone. This is portrayed in the beginning of act one, when the mail messenger comes to announce that the soldiers are on their way to Messina. They start a conversation about Benedick and he tells Beatrice that Benedick is a "lord to a lord, a ...
Branagh's Hamlet is strong, resourceful, thoughtful and restrained. Branagh purposely rejects the psychological poses that other actors find so hard to resist. After all, Hamlet and Richard III are the two Shakespearean plays that afford actors the most range. It's hard playing the Dane on a leash when one can go wild with existential abandon and not only dodge the charge of overacting, but actually attribute such excess to the character. There are few meatier roles in the repertoire that simultaneously offer the actor such depth on the one hand and such leeway on the other.
The over-the-top acting from Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato is also what makes this scene comedic. Don Pedro pretends to not see Benedick darting around the frat party and hiding, but often directs his speech in Benedick’s direction, to make sure he hears everything. Even if Benedick makes a loud noise, Don Pedro and the others pretend not to hear it. The audience has to know that Don Pedro and the other know that Benedick is listening, and that everything they are saying may not be true, but it is all in the name of tricking Benedict into thinking Beatrice loves him, and the over dramatic acting conveys