This play had struck my interest for a few reasons. For one, I enjoyed reading the play and noticing how relaxed the text was to read and understand. I did enjoy reading how characters like Benedick spoke in way that was translucent and simply understandable. The prose of the text made for a more enjoyable reading. However, I most enjoyed seeing two tough and obstinate characters like Benedick and Beatrice (two people of whom) rejected any facet of true love fall completely in love. Through the beginning of the play, we can see how Benedick proclaims his declaration of a bachelor he says,
Those women conceived me. I thank her;
that she brought me up, I likewise give her most
humble thank. But that I will have a rechate
winded in my forehead, or hang my bugle in an
invisible baldrick,all women shall pardon me.
Because I will not do them the wrong to mistrust any
I will do myself the right to trust none…
I will live a bachelor. (1.1 229-236)
We can see that Benedick has no intentions of falling in love and will not have anything to do with women and truly believes that his relationship to a man is much closer to that of a women. In Benedick’s eyes all men are considered bachelors, and therefore unmarried. As stated above Benedick makes a reference to being taken by the horns, and it seem as if he does not want to be taken control of especially by a women. Benedick holds this philosophy of love true until the end of the play when his feelings are confronted and challenged by Beatrice, who is just as persistent as Benedick.
Beatrice’s’ mind-set seems to correspond exactly to Benedick’s. For one, she does not believe in love. This is because she truly thinks no man is going to suit her, in other words, no man will ever live up to her standards. Beatrice and Benedick develop feelings for each other. Thus, they cannot resist one another and cannot avoid falling in love.
Hi Raquel,
I also found it striking how similar Benedick and Beatrice completely rejected the idea of falling in love, paralleling each other and really telling of how their personalities are nearly identical to each other. Regarding this point, we also mentioned in class the other week that that fact that they fell in love so quickly and easily with each other, that they were in fact, in love with each other all along. We have some clues of this right when the play starts. Beatrice’s first line in the play is a question about whether Benedick made it back from the war, and Benedick seems to be teasing Beatrice in the very beginning of the play as well. In my opinion, I don’t think their feelings developed, during the play. There were already very strong feelings present in both of them. Their love only needed an opportunity, in this case, the manipulating and eavesdropping that happens, to be expressed.
Their feelings did develop during the play, in the sense of the growth of mutual trust; but you are both correct to suggest that they were not indifferent to each other as the play begins. “Feelings” can be interpreted in various ways.
In this Shakespearean fantasy play, he really takes this medieval “love-play” deeper than any one I can think of.
This theme has even been subtly used in many movies along time. The woman “hates” the man but in fact likes him.
Shakespeare plays on the “unsure” aspect of women liking a man – but beneath that they are still attracted or interested even though they don’t admit right away.
At first this attitude may be displayed as an annoyance or perturbation when the man is in their presence. But I think this is because only of their own insecurities in their feelings. The woman is just not sure yet how she feels about him and at the same time is getting to know the man as he spends time around her.
The Shakespearean love formula for this play surely involves the medieval aspect of lots of thinking about this and that, complete with talking back and forth with a lot of characters in the meantime, where it all ends with them being married – as our Professor mentioned in class. 🙂
In the very beginning of this play Beatrice shows a direct bias toward Benedick as well as men in general. They are very similar as mentioned above in that both seem to desopise love for similar reasons. Beatrice feels no one will fit her standards where as Benedick feels a woman will make him a cuckold and none will be faithful; which one can deem a faithful woman would be a standard of his. Both being outspoken and strong in their opinions, they seem the perfect match. This is definitely a Shakespearean love formula in that it all ends well in love and marriage.
despise*