Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice's Marriage

Much Ado About Nothing follows most of the guidelines of Shakespeare’s comedies. There are couples who are married, it focuses on the aspect of love, and there are even mistaken identities. In the beginning of the play, the two pairs of lovers are introduced. Beatrice and Benedick claim to despise each other’s existence at first, but Claudio and Hero appear to be completely in love with each other. As I was reading this play, however, the whole wondrous dress that hides the delicate and secret curves of young love’s body was ripped from her, mainly by Claudio, revealing the jealousy and lack of trust she usually tries hard to conceal. I kept questioning myself- I couldn’t help it. I kept asking, “Are they really in love?” Hero and Claudio

Claudio only knows three things about Hero: she is astoundingly gorgeous, she is Leonato’s daughter, and she is Beatrice’s cousin. That seems to be a sufficient amount of information to base a marriage on according to Claudio.

A little while after Claudio and Hero are officially engaged, Don John and Borachio conjure up an idea to prevent the couple’s marriage. Their plan is executed without any issues. Don John informs Claudio that his soon to be wife has destroyed her virtue and has become a whore: “I came hither to tell you, and circumstances shortened (for she has been too long a-talking of), the lady is disloyal” (III.ii.75-6). At first, Claudio claims that Hero could not possibly be disloyal, but then he vows, “If I see anything tonight, why I should not marry her tomorrow in congregation, where I should wed, then I will shame her” (III.ii. 91-2). Don John brings Claudio to where he can see Borachio making love to Hero’s maid Margaret, who dresses in Hero’s clothes, on the balcony. Claudio

Beatrice is weeping because her cousin was betrayed by Claudio, and Benedick comes in to comfort her. After they finally admit that they love each other, Benedick asks if there is anything he can do to prove his love: “Come bid me do anything for thee” (IV.i.277). Beatrice replies, “Kill Claudio” (IV.i.279). She asks him to murder his best friend for her, at first he refuses, but then Beatrice describes how she yearns to be a man so that she can avenge her cousin: “I cannot be a man with wishing, therefore I will die a woman with grieving”(IV.i.307). Beatrice is rebelling against a society that tries to control women. She yearns to be heard and taken seriously in a male dominated society. Benedick asks her, “Think you in your soul that the Count Claudio hath wronged Hero?” (IV.I. 310-11) The remarkable part about this scene is not only that he wants to know what Beatrice truly believes, but that Benedick genuinely listens to her answer. In the wedding scene, Claudio completely ignores Hero and continues to insult her, but Benedick does not ignore Beatrice. Since she believes that her cousin is wronged, he vows, “I will challenge him. I will kiss your hand, and so I leave you: by this hand Claudio shall render me a dear account” (IV.i.313-14). Benedick agrees to make Claudio pay for what he did to Hero because he loves Beatrice, and if she claims that her cousin is wronged, then her cousin was wronged. Beatrice’s word goes