How Does Shakespeare Present Beatrice In Much Ado About Nothing

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Cousins Who Are As Different As Day and Night
Throughout Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing play we explore the similarities and differences in cousins Beatrice and Hero. Beatrice speaks her mind and makes her own decisions in every aspect of her life. That is what contracts the two, Hero is portrayed as property and her beauty is her asset. Beatrice comes off as very bold, coldhearted and independent. However, both of the characters represent both traditional aspects of feminism in the sixteenth century. We first see that Hero is modest by the way she is portrayed in the first scene when Beatrice asks if Benedick has returned she teased her because she knows that her friend admired Benedick. We can hear the wit most in her tone when she …show more content…

Beatrice is the wealth governor of Messina 's niece. She and Hero are cousins. She was orphaned and her uncle took her in unlike Hero who she has always had a home her whole life. Her objective was basically to live alone for the rest of her life. While Hero is quiet Beatrice on the other hand is the outspoken one. Even though she and Hero are close, they are not much alike. While Hero is polite, quit, respectful and gentle, Beatrice is feisty, cynical, witty and sharp. Although Beatrice is outspoken and seems hard she is vulnerable. Once she hears Hero talking about how Benedick is in love with her she opens herself to the sensitivitis and weaknesses of love. Unlike Hero who is will do anything her father asks and will agree to an arranged marraige to marry anybody that her father picks, Beatrice refuses to marry because she feels that she has not found the perfect man for her? While Hero is willing to have a controlling husband, Beatrice shows that she wants to have her own and answer to no man. She 's not having that. Her favorite target is Benedick, with whom she has something of a history, to the extent that she exercises her talent for mocking him on the poor unsuspecting messenger and takes the first opportunity to needle him once he arrives. She really doesn’t have any interest of having a husband. Her slick mouth and attitude will truly prevent her from