Love/hate in Much Ado About Nothing

Love is one of the most common elements of Shakespeare=s comedies. In Much Ado About Nothing, one of Shakespeare=s most famous comedies, this idea is found throughout the play. Obviously love is not only common in the works of Shakespeare; it is a theme in real life as well. A close examination of Much Ado About Nothing shows that several of the character=s situations are also common in real life. Benedick and Beatrice, two of the main characters, both have very strong feelings and opinions about love.

Both Beatrice and Benedick are strong-willed characters who fear that falling in love will lead to a loss of freedom and possible heartbreak. This causes them to deny their feelings for each other, and it is only through the scheming of other characters in the play that their true feelings emerge.

Benedick is a lord of Padua, and he has a very high opinion of himself. In his eyes he is a dashing womanizer whose charm and wit is impossible for any female to resist. To the audience Benedict appears to be more overconfident than charming, and the contrast between the two viewpoints adds humor throughout the play.

Beatrice is an orphan, and the niece of Leonato, the governor of Messina. Beatrice is an interesting character in this play because of her sharp tongue and wit. She is very outspoken about not wanting to get married, but she also seems aware that it might be the only way to get out of her uncle=s house.

At the beginning of the play the relationship between Benedick and Beatrice seems obvious. If we view their words literally, (such as in Act 1, Scene 1, line 121-131) it would seem that they strongly dislike, if not hate, each other. I believe that this is actually what could only be described as a "love/hate" relationship.

Beatrice and Benedick often seem to hate each other, but this is most likely not the case. With today's knowledge of psychology we are aware that this behavior is often a cover for other feelings. In fact many relationships begin with the two people involved denying their attraction to each other for various reasons.

A close examination of the possible motives behind the actions of Beatrice and Benedick reveals that they might be more interested in each other than they would like other characters, and possibly even themselves, to believe. For example, in Act 1, Scene 1 lines 29-82, Beatrice inquires about Benedick's status after the war. Although her tone seems mocking it could be that she is trying to discern Benedick's whereabouts without appearing interested in him.