Alexis Johnson April 24, 2013 Pride Overcoming Love William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice are both plays that follow the journey of four lovers: Beatrice & Benedict, and Elizabeth and Darcy. These couple all go through trials and tribulations within their relationships. All characters must overcome their prideful ways to be with one another. William Shakespeare and Jane Austin both show in Much Ado About Nothing and Pride and Prejudice that love, eventually, overcomes pride. Pride is defined as “a feeling that you respect yourself and deserve to be respected by other people.” It is also defined as “a feeling that you are better than other people.” These definitions rings true for the obstacles the characters face in both Much Ado About Nothing and Pride and Prejudice. (“Pride” Merriam Dictionary). All characters are initially insulting and rude towards one another. The witty banter and back and forth arguing between Beatrice and Benedict is abundant in Much Ado About Nothing. An example of this is when Beatrice states “I wonder that you will still be talking”(1.1.114). Essentially Beatrice is saying she wonders when Benedit will stop talking because no one is listening. Immediately following, Benedict replays “What my dear Lady Disdain! Are you yet living?” (I.i.116-117). Benedict is saying that Beatrice is a lady he can't stand, and asks her if she's still alive. Similarly, Darcy and Elizabeth exchange insults in the beginning throughout Pride and Prejudice. Darcy is concerned with social class and one's reputation, and Elizabeth detests that about him. Upon meeting each other, Mr. Darcy refers to Elizabeth as "tolerable, but not enough to tempt me" (Austen 12). This is a ... ... middle of paper ... ...s pride comes back to surface. Thinking that he truly has lost Elizabeth brings out a more sensitive and sympathetic side of Darcy, and he proposes a second time. This proposal however, marks the real release of his prideful ways, and as Austin put it “was as sensibly and as warmly as a man violently in love can be supposed to do"(Austin 157). This proposal marks Darcy giving up his pride about social class, and Elizabeth being hurt by him and his judgments. She accepts, and they finally allow themselves to be happy. In Much Ado About Nothing, characters Beatrice and Benedict initially insult each other, but was a way to fend off their true feelings. Although they had to be tricked to do so, when confronted, their love eventually overcame their pride. In the same light, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth faced obstacles as noted above, but eventually love conquered over all.
The characters, Beatrice and Benedick have a very complicated relationship. They are always exchanging words and calling each other names. They call each other names from the very beginning of the play to the very end. In act 1, Benedick says “ If Signior Leonato be her father, she would not have his head on her shoulders for all of Messina, as like him as she is ” (1.1.111-113). Beatrice follows by saying, “ I wonder that you will be talking, Signior Benedick, nobody marks you ” (1.1.114-115). These quotes show that they have always had a complicated relationship because they insult each other without them expecting it.
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.
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.
In Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare depicts different kinds of loving relationships - romantic love, family support and loyal friendship - and shows how various characters react to love and marriage. By exploring the effects of this powerful emotion Shakespeare highlights its universal relevance, a relevance that transcends time.
Set in the sixteenth century, Much Ado About Nothing is revolved around the thought of love and marriage. Primarily, this is prevalent in the two main characters, Beatrice and Benedick. They have once been courted which suggests more maturity than the majority of couples in Shakespeare’s various plays. In the duration of the play, the violent language between Benedick and Beatrice is most evident through their ridicule. Both characters always speak critically regardless of whether they are talking to each other or out loud about one another. This is highlighted when Beatrice exclaims, “What should I do with him—dress him in my apparel / and make him my waiting gentlewoman? He that hath a / beard is more than / a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a/ man; and he that is more than a youth is not for me, and he that is less than a/ man, I am not for him...
In Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice and Benedict rant about marriage for most of the beginning of the play, while Claudio raves about how wonderful it will be being married to Hero. Yet in the end, Claudio exchanges his marriage to Hero for an opportunity to bash her in public, while Beatrice and Benedick marry despite that they were mortal enemies for most of the first three acts. How did the situation swing around to this degree? Beatrice and Benedick had been using the most extreme metaphors to demonstrate their scorn of each other and of marriage, and Claudio had been doing the same to demonstrate his love of Hero. Not only did none of these three characters mean what they were saying, but meant the reverse, and the people that plotted to bring them together or pull them apart plotted because they understood on some level what each really wanted.
Many times, when we see a person for the first time, we automatically judge them, whether we realize it or not. In Pride and Prejudice, this is exactly the situation between the two main characters. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have very different families, lifestyles, and attitudes. They both formulated their opinions of each other rather quickly and this really hindered the beginning of their relationship. In our lives this happens many times as we judge first without even getting to know the person. Luckily for Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, even though they despised each other, time eventually changed their minds and hearts, resulting in an unimaginable love story.
Feminist critics of Much Ado About Nothing, like Sylvia Townsend Warner, praise Beatrice for being "free and uninhibited" ("Women as Writers," Warner, 272). Beatrice is a strong female character who marries only after asserting her disapproval for the traditionally voiceless role of women in marriage and courtship relationships of the 16th and 17th c. Beatrice is a fearless verbal warrior, and Benedick is her greatest challenger. Their verbal bantering allow for each of their strengths and opinions to show, and together they glory in the challenge of their next duel.
Pride and Prejudice ends with Elizabeth and Darcy each overcoming their anger against each other, and falling in love. However, this touching scene is ruined because of the appearance of Lady Catherine. She demands Elizabeth to marry Darcy, and tells Darcy that it would reflect negatively on his family if he were to marry someone as "low class" as Elizabeth.
In Pride and Prejudice, the main female character Elizabeth is shown to have extreme pride towards the main male character Darcy. This is because in their first meeting Elizabeth's pride is wounded by Darcy as he says She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me, and I am in no humour to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men.' This thoughtless and proud comment causes Elizabeth to take an instant dislike to Darcy. It also clouds her judgement of Darcy's true nature.
The Presentation of the Relationship Between Beatrice and Benedick in Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing
Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” exhibits many characters who come together in a humorous way. Men and women alike both showed their unique traits that Shakespeare created them to be. Most importantly, the Christian aspects that they demonstrate is the most important. However, even the heroes make bad decisions just like the villains. One of the main characters in this story that comes to mind is Beatrice. Considered to be one of the good guys, Beatrice proves that she has some errors in her ways by her concise tongue, stubborn pride, and her contemptable attitude towards Benedick.
The reader is first acquainted with Mr. Darcy's arrogance at the Meryton Ball. Speaking of Elizabeth Bennet, he so snobbishly says that she was, " tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me" (Austen 9). His feelings of superiority to the people of the town lend Mr. Darcy to be judged as a man with a repulsive and cruel personality. The women, who had found him dashingly attractive at first glance, deemed him a man unworthy of marriage because he offered no positive qualities other than wealth. Not only did Darcy refuse to dance with Elizabeth, but he makes it clear that no woman in the room was worthy or met his standards of a suitable partner stating that, " there is not another woman in this room, whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with" (Austen 8). In the beginning of the novel, Mr. Darcy is only concerned with the wealth and social standing of the people in the town. Because of their lesser social rank, he feels they are un-deserving of his presence and refuses to communicate with them. As the novel progressed, however, Darcy became more and more accepting of the Bennet family. Growing most fond of Elizabeth Bennet, the straightforward, clever daughter, he finally breaks and confesses his true feelings of love for her. "In vain...
Darcy’s feelings towards Lizzie begin to change at the second ball, and again when she visits Jane at Netherfield. It is almost as if the hatred has sparked an interest, one that turns to love. Due to social norms, Darcy believes he cannot be with Elizabeth. He refers to it as a “handicap,” she does not belong to the aristocratic class of society and wealth as to which Darcy belongs. This social pressure puts a strain on the possible relationship. Despite this obstacle, the two continue to get to know one another. Darcy admits to avoiding weakness, which includes vanity but no pride. This is another problem in the relationship, Darcy is a prideful man and sees nothing wrong with it. They continue to feel drawn to each other, no matter the differences in
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, shows two characters overcoming their pride and prejudices while falling in love. In the beginning Elizabeth believes that Mr. Darcy is too proud and rude, but in time to come they start to admire and love each other. They bond together through their pride and prejudice, and in the end, they overcome the obstacles that held them back.