John Ruskin once said, “It is better to lose your pride with someone you love than to lose that someone you love with your useless pride.” Similarly, in Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare also suggests that the biggest barrier between romantic love is pride. He asserts, this by telling the readers that love is a far more authentic feeling than pride, and that love can only grow if an individual is able to set aside their pride and allow themselves to be both vulnerable and receptive to authentic feelings.
The first thing that is emphasized in the play, Much Ado About Nothing is the vulnerability and dangers of love. It’s shown that falling in love is a constant danger, and that no one gets out of the ordeal unharmed. When one is in love, they can be hurt by the words, and actions of their special someone. For example, becoming a cuckold because of your special someone. This was something Benedick was always afraid of, as shown when says, “Friar, I must entreat your pains, I think… to bind me, or undo me, one of them -” (5.4 18-20) Much Ado About Nothing. This quote was said by him around the end of the play where he had already came into terms with his love for Beatrice, however this quote shows that even now he knows the
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In his play Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare indicates that love cannot grow in the presence of pride. The poor Benedick shows this when he refused to fall in love, until he lost his self-centered pride. Beatrice does the same when she says, “Stand I condemned for pride and scorn so much? Contempt farewell, and maiden pride, adieu! No glory lives on behind the back of such” (3.2. 114-116) Much Ado About Nothing. This quote by Beatrice was the point when she truly fell in love with Benedick. Interestingly, this line also showed Beatrice giving away her pride, and contempt, all in all suggesting that with pride love cannot