much ado about nothing: a lesson in believing women
did you expect me to be such a fan of the bard? also, pretty please watch the 2011 production of much ado featuring david tennant and catherine tate, i believe it to be the best thing in the world
Essentially the original romantic-comedy (full of group dances and all), William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing has Beatrice and Benedick as its equally witty protagonists. While both are quite amiable, they’re extremely hostile towards each other, Beatrice’s uncle even notes,
LEONATO You must not, sir, mistake my niece. There is
a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and
her. They never meet but there’s a skirmish of wit
between them. 1
However, their dislike of each other does not stop (perhaps it even spurs) their respective circles to speak loudly that one of them likes the other. While they fumble, believing that their friends have not intentionally set it up so they will hear the lies, they realize in astonishment that they do in fact love the other.
Despite Claudio, Leonato, and Don Pedro’s attempts to assure that Beatrice would be a good wife,
PRINCE She’s an excellent sweet lady, and, out of all suspicion,
she is virtuous. 2
Benedick’s insecurity shows through his many soliloquies to the audience, the first of which being after his gulling in which his friends trick him into believing Beatrice loves him:
BENEDICK, coming forward This can be no trick. The
conference was sadly borne; they have the truth of
this from Hero; they seem to pity the lady. It seems
her affections have their full bent. Love me? Why, it
must be requited! 3
Benedick is almost seeking security within the audience, hoping that he’s right to assume that Beatrice truly has romantic feelings for him (she doesn’t. at least not at this point).
There’s this theme within Benedick’s character (as with most of the male characters tbh) where he is so absolutely terrified of marriage due a fear of becoming a cuckold. In the first act he even loudly proclaims that he would fully live as a bachelor 4, and later in his first soliloquy mentions how he never even thought he would live to see himself married. 5
In Shakespeare’s plays, cuckoldry is a motif often depicted with a character sprouting horns. 6
BENEDICK The savage bull may, but if ever the sensible
Benedick bear it, pluck off the bull’s horns and set
them in my forehead, and let me be vilely painted,
and in such great letters as they write “Here is good
horse to hire” let them signify under my sign “Here
you may see Benedick the married man.” 7
PRINCE You embrace your charge too willingly. Turning
to Hero. I think this is your daughter.
LEONATO Her mother hath many times told me so.
BENEDICK Were you in doubt, sir, that you asked her? 8
Following the motif of cuckoldry, Claudio and Hero (who is Beatrice’s cousin) get engaged, despite saying a handful of lines to each other beforehand (they are doing much about nothing, you could say). However, Don John and Borachio (who are pretty much just haters for no reason) seek to sabotage their marriage by making Claudio believe that Hero is not a maiden.
A clear juxtaposition can be found in how Claudio specifically and continually reassures Benedick of Beatrice’s “worthiness”, yet immediately believes Don Pedro of his fiancée’s infidelity.
Though it has its place as a comedy, I wonder how many women within that initial 17th-century audience felt a sense of relation when Claudio so ardently declared that Hero was indeed not a maiden, and nearly everyone followed in believing him, most notably all the men.
Well. Almost all the men. What I find most enjoyable about Benedick’s character, and perhaps Much Ado as a whole, is the ultimate whiplash behind everything. The enemies to lovers between Benedick and Beatrice. Claudio going from ardently in love to disgusted with Hero. And the fact that Shakespeare has Benedick, a man who has spent the near entirety of the play at this point pontificating on how women are not to be trusted, how he would never marry, etc etc, be one the only man besides the fucking friar to believe Hero.
Beatrice, angered about Hero not being believed, yells,
BENEDICK Is Claudio thine enemy?
BEATRICE Is he not approved in the height a villain
that hath slandered, scorned, dishonored my kinswoman?
O, that I were a man! What, bear her in
hand until they come to take hands, and then, with
public accusation, uncovered slander, unmitigated
rancor—O God, that I were a man! I would eat his
heart in the marketplace. 9
She wishes she could fight back more against the allegations of Hero’s indecency (she’s already aiding in faking Hero’s death as suggested by the friar, which happens so much more often than you think). Alas, in this society, all she is to the world is a woman. The standards of the time keep her from having any power.
But Benedick can give her some power. Yes, it would be him performing an act of vengeance but he ultimately does so because he trusts and believes in both Beatrice and Hero.
BENEDICK Think you in your soul the Count Claudio
hath wronged Hero?
BEATRICE Yea, as sure as I have a thought or a soul.
BENEDICK Enough, I am engaged. I will challenge
him. I will kiss your hand, and so I leave you. By
this hand, Claudio shall render me a dear account. 10
As I said in my introduction, Much Ado About Nothing is the ultimate rom-com, so yes, it ends with happy endings. Including forgiveness for Claudio’s character (done in a manner that kind of reminds me of The Devil Wears Prada (2006) when Andy takes back Nate despite him being an absolute shitbag during her time at Runway), Benedick and Beatrice getting engaged (in the best way possible, again, please just watch the 2011 production I mentioned previously) and yes, a group dance scene. Most of this also happens to occur in a weird engagement party/wedding/funeral situation (??)
Despite the happy endings on all accounts, I think we all know which couple is the happiest and healthiest ;)