Much Ado About Nothing, a Shakespearean comedy written in the seventeenth century, is a play centered on complicated relationships caused by love and misdirection. The protagonists, Claudio, Benedick, Hero, and Beatrice, are in love with each other (Claudio and Hero, Benedick and Beatrice), but certain constraints, past relationships and propaganda, keep them apart. Focusing on Benedick and Beatrice, in Act I, their relationship consists of a banterous battle between the two, with obvious hostility shown through their constant insulting but mutual respect gained from the appreciation of the other’s intelligence. Their relationship evolves as they relate to each other more, and as they are told that the other loves them, their love finally forms. However, to get there, what stands between Beatrice and Benedick’s love is their precarious past relationship with one another, the volatility of their natures, and their belief that the other dislikes them.
At the start of the play, the enmity between Benedick and Beatrice from past relationships is obvious in Beatrice’s introduction, their first meeting, and the dance scene. When the messenger informs Leonato and Beatrice of Benedick and the soldiers’ upcoming arrival, she calls Benedick “no less than
…show more content…
Their history is complex, and it is referenced by the two several times, making it obvious that they had hurt each other in the past. The two are extremely stubborn as well, always becoming heated and never giving up on a joust. They also are completely against marriage, making the pairing even more so unlikely. Finally, their biggest roadblock is their fear that the other dislikes them, but once they cross this barrier, Benedick and Beatrice can finally recognize their love for each other, and the other roadblocks do not matter once love is