Beatrice's Character Analysis in "Much Ado About Nothing"

Everyone in this world wants to be loved and to feel like they are wanted but unfortunately love also comes with consequences. In Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, the main characters demonstrate that love leads to hardship. Beatrice and Benedick are perfect evidence that love does come with difficulties. Although they seem to have a love-hate relationship with one another, the love between Beatrice and Benedick is questioned multiple times throughout this extremely dramatic story but sometimes love gets the best of them. Beatrice has a mixed personality, she is loving, witty, and loyal.

In the story, it is evident that Beatrice is very loving and has a big heart, hence the fact that on the wedding day that was supposed to be for Claudio and “Her cousin”, when Benedick confesses his love for Beatrice she did not reject him. However, Instead of denying the love she has for him, she states “I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest”. She said that right after Benedick confesses that he has never loved anyone before but with her it is different, he tells her he loved her with all his heart. Her response is so loving and sweet, it proves that when love kicks in even though she is hesitant at first to admit she still has the heart to because she could not deny it. Beatrice says “In spite of your heart, i think. Alas, poor heart, if you spite it for my sake, i will spite it or yours, for i will never love that which my friend hates”. This line really says a lot about how Beatrice is as a person. It explains that she is saying that if Benedick did something for her she would do the same for him. This proves that love leads to hardship because in the first quotation when Beatrice and Benedick have the conversation about love, she did not want to admit that she loves him but if she denied it that would have led to Benedick being hurt and her not telling the truth. The problematic love that they have for each other always leads to an issue.

Beatrice is also witty in a way, her humorous comments are shown throughout the story. Beatrice always makes a comment on a situation, especially with benedick as they do have a love-hate relationship with one another. When Beatrice tells Leonato that she does not want to be single forever and they have a conversation about what a perfect man would be to Beatrice she says “Not till God make men of some other metal than earth. Would it not grieve a woman to be overmastered with a piece of valiant dust? To make an account of her life to a clod of wayward marl? No, uncle, I ill none. Adams sons are my brethren, and truly I hold it a sin to match my kindred (2.1.60).” She was saying that she does not want anyone and she is basically saying that there is no reason for her to love anyone. This proves that love leads to hardship because she was saying how she does not want to love anyone but later on she falls in love with Benedick. She was saying how men are not really worth her time and love is difficult but then she falls in love which was not exactly planned. Beatrice also claims that she will never be married and she jokes around that one of the main reasons that she will never be married is that she is ‘unattractive’, when she says “Good Lord for alliance! Thus goes every one to the world but I, and I am sunburnt. I may sit in a corner and cry ‘Heigh-ho for a husband!’ (2.1.311-313). That’s one of the witty comments she says. This proves the thesis because she is saying the only reason she is not married is that she is not nice looking but then later she gets married so it went against what she said.

Loyalty is something that everyone wants, along with honesty and support. Beatrice is very loyal to Hero, for example at the wedding Hero was accused of adultery, Beatrice defends Hero and says she is innocent! When the Prince and Don john try to make it seem that she has done Claudio wrong by adultery, Beatrice steps in and says “Dead, I think.-Help, uncle!-Hero why Hero! Uncle! Signior Benedick! Friar! (4.1.120). When she says this she was trying to get their attention and make sure that they knew that Hero did not have someone in her room as they are proclaiming. She is standing up for the Hero in that way because Beatrice knows that it is not true! This shows that love leads to hardship because even though Beatrice loves her family she has to stand up for what is right and what is right is defending Hero. As a result of Beatrice attempting to get their attention they continue to say that Hero should be shamed for what they think she has done, so then Beatrice says “O, on my soul, my cousin is belied!” and when Benedick asks is she was her bedfellow last night she says “No, truly not, although until last night I have this twelvemonth been her bedfellow”(4.1.155-157) Not only is she saying that they are accusing her and framing her but she is proving a point that she has been her roommate all along which then Leonato finally believes both Beatrice and Hero are being honest. This proves that love leads to hardship because even though telling the truth about the accusation would get Claudio and the two princes in trouble she still has enough love and loyalty to prove that hero has done none of what they are accusing her of.

In conclusion, love definitely comes with problems and is hard to hold onto but in the end, it is worth it.