Free Essays, Term Papers, Research Papers at Anti Essays

Shakespeare is the master at creating the most timeless, realistic characters in all of his works. Not only does he make the characters seem believable enough to jump off of the page, but he reinforces their authenticity with believable relationships. Nowhere is this more evident than in his play Much Ado About Nothing. The relationships in this play are so convincing and so extremely plausible that readers have to constantly remind themselves that the play is a work of fiction. The two main relationships addressed in this play are, of course, love stories—the affection between Claudio and Hero, and the fondness between Benedick and Beatrice. These two relationships, however, are very different.
Shakespeare provides evidence throughout the play that the bond between Benedick and Beatrice is more mature than that of Claudio and Hero. This is apparent because Benedick and Beatrice display hints of a previous, perhaps serious, history; they have more plausible reasons for having a relationship; and they display more trust for each other, especially in crucial times. These are all signs that they have a more significant relationship.
The first obvious sign that Benedick and Beatrice have a mature relationship is
that Shakespeare hints at a history between the two. It is obvious from the first act of the play that Beatrice knows Benedick. Her first line in the play is a question directed to a messenger to Leonato and others with him. She asks the messenger, “I pray you, is Signior Mountanto returned from the wars, or no?” (1.1.29-30). The “Signior Mountanto” that she refers to is Benedick. This tells the reader that Beatrice obviously knows Benedick, and this is confirmed by Hero and Leonato. It is not the fact that Beatrice knows Benedick, however, that makes one assume that they have a prehistory, but the fact that she asks about him before saying anything else. She is apparently concerned for his well-being and wants to be...