4.1.3
Key Lines 2
Benedick's Hurt
Benedick's Hurt
BENEDICK: She speaks poniards, and every word stabs.
Key line
Key line
- BENEDICK: She speaks poniards, and every word stabs.
Benedick's hurt
Benedick's hurt
- Just as Claudio has been hurt by Hero’s ‘deception’, Benedick reveals a different side to his relationship with Beatrice here.
- In contrast to his bravado (confidence) of Act 1, he seems generally hurt by Beatrice’s insults.
Sensitive character
Sensitive character
- Shakespeare first reveals Benedick’s dismay that at the masked ball Beatrice did not recognise him before including this metaphor in which Benedick suggests that Beatrice’s insults are like daggers (“poniards”) that have wounded him.
- This more sensitive side to Benedick’s character reflects the change that will soon be brought about through Don Pedro’s trickery.
Benedick
Benedick
BENEDICK: I would not marry her though she were endowed with all that Adam had left him before he transgress’d
Key line
Key line
- BENEDICK: I would not marry her though she were endowed with all that Adam had left him before he transgress’d
Hyperbole
Hyperbole
- In yet another parallel to Beatrice’s earlier language use, Shakespeare has Benedick use hyperbole (literary exaggeration) to express his feelings towards Beatrice.
- Before Adam “transgress’d”, he lived in The Garden of Eden with Eve.
- The suggestion here is that even if Beatrice were living in Paradise, Benedick would not want to be with her.
Heavenly imagery
Heavenly imagery
- This heavenly imagery is then juxtaposed with Benedick’s suggestion that due to Beatrice’s barbed tongue, a man may live a quieter life in Hell than being in her company.
Marriage
Marriage
- Benedick's insistence that he would not marry her is the first mention of marriage between him and Beatrice that the audience are aware of and could be considered as the catalyst for Don Pedro’s plan to make them fall “into a mountain of affection the one with t’other”.
Benedick vs. Beatrice
Benedick vs. Beatrice
BENEDICK: Will your grace command me any service to the world’s end [...] rather than hold three words’ conference with this harpy.
Hyperbole
Hyperbole
- Benedick’s use of hyperbole continues as he is desperate to escape Beatrice’s presence.
- He compares her to a harpy - a creature from Greek mythology who would torment those in the afterlife.
Beatrice wins
Beatrice wins
- Through the use of both Christian and Classical imagery, it becomes clear to the audience that Beatrice has undoubtedly ‘won’ this round of the merry war of words.
Act 1, Scene 1
Act 1, Scene 1
- After Benedick’s ‘victory’ in Act 1, Scene 1, structurally, Shakespeare has shown the audience how well matched the couple are, prior to Don Pedro’s decision to try and deceive them into falling in love.
1Key Terminology
1.1Key Terminology
2Structure & Form
3Act 1: Plot Summary
3.2Act 1, Scene 2
3.3Act 1, Scene 3
4Act 2: Plot Summary
4.1Act 2, Scene 1
4.2Act 2, Scene 2
5Act 3: Plot Summary
5.1Act 3, Scene 1
5.2Act 3, Scene 2
5.3Act 3, Scene 3
5.4Act 3, Scene 4
5.5Act 3, Scene 5
6Act 4: Plot Summary
6.1Act 4, Scene 1 (Part 1)
6.2Act 4, Scene 1 (Part 2)
6.3Act 4, Scene 2
7Act 5: Plot Summary
7.1Act 5, Scene 1
7.2Act 5, Scene 2
7.3Act 5, Scene 3
7.4Act 5, Scene 4
Jump to other topics
1Key Terminology
1.1Key Terminology
2Structure & Form
3Act 1: Plot Summary
3.2Act 1, Scene 2
3.3Act 1, Scene 3
4Act 2: Plot Summary
4.1Act 2, Scene 1
4.2Act 2, Scene 2
5Act 3: Plot Summary
5.1Act 3, Scene 1
5.2Act 3, Scene 2
5.3Act 3, Scene 3
5.4Act 3, Scene 4
5.5Act 3, Scene 5
6Act 4: Plot Summary
6.1Act 4, Scene 1 (Part 1)
6.2Act 4, Scene 1 (Part 2)
6.3Act 4, Scene 2
7Act 5: Plot Summary
7.1Act 5, Scene 1
7.2Act 5, Scene 2
7.3Act 5, Scene 3
7.4Act 5, Scene 4
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