4.1.3

Key Lines 2

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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: 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: 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.
Jump to other topics
1

Key Terminology

1.1

Key Terminology

1.1.1Key Terminology1.1.2End of Topic Test - Key Terminology
2

Structure & Form

2.1

Structure

2.1.1Structure2.1.2Acts 1 - 32.1.3Acts 4 - 5
2.2

Form

2.2.1Tragicomedy2.2.2End of Topic Test - Structure & Form
3

Act 1: Plot Summary

3.1

Act 1, Scene 1

3.1.1Summary3.1.2Key Lines3.1.3Key Lines 23.1.4End of Topic Test - Act 1, Scene 1
3.2

Act 1, Scene 2

3.2.1Summary3.2.2Key Lines
3.3

Act 1, Scene 3

3.3.1Summary3.3.2Key Lines3.3.3End of Topic Test - Act 1, Scenes 2-3
4

Act 2: Plot Summary

4.1

Act 2, Scene 1

4.1.1Summary4.1.2Key Lines4.1.3Key Lines 24.1.4Key Lines 34.1.5End of Topic Test - Act 2, Scene 1
4.2

Act 2, Scene 2

4.2.1Summary
4.3

Act 2, Scene 3

4.3.1Summary4.3.2Key Lines4.3.3Key Lines 24.3.4End of Topic Test - Act 2, Scenes 2-3
5

Act 3: Plot Summary

5.1

Act 3, Scene 1

5.1.1Summary5.1.2Key Lines
5.2

Act 3, Scene 2

5.2.1Summary5.2.2Key Lines
5.3

Act 3, Scene 3

5.3.1Summary
5.4

Act 3, Scene 4

5.4.1Summary
5.5

Act 3, Scene 5

5.5.1Summary5.5.2End of Topic Test - Act 3
6

Act 4: Plot Summary

6.1

Act 4, Scene 1 (Part 1)

6.1.1Summary6.1.2Key Lines6.1.3Key Lines 2
6.2

Act 4, Scene 1 (Part 2)

6.2.1Summary6.2.2Key Lines6.2.3Key Lines 2
6.3

Act 4, Scene 2

6.3.1Summary6.3.2End of Topic Test - Act 4
7

Act 5: Plot Summary

7.1

Act 5, Scene 1

7.1.1Summary
7.2

Act 5, Scene 2

7.2.1Summary7.2.2Key Lines
7.3

Act 5, Scene 3

7.3.1Summary
7.4

Act 5, Scene 4

7.4.1Summary7.4.2End of Topic Test - Act 5
8

Key Themes

8.1

Key Themes

8.1.1Love & Marriage8.1.2Deception, Appearances & Noting8.1.3Gender8.1.4Reputation8.1.5End of Topic Test - Key Themes
9

Recap: Main Quotes

9.1

Characters Quotes

9.1.1Beatrice9.1.2Beatrice 29.1.3Benedick 19.1.4Benedick 29.1.5Benedick 39.1.6Benedick 49.1.7Benedick 59.1.8Beatrice & Benedick9.1.9Beatrice & Benedick 29.1.10Beatrice & Benedick 39.1.11Claudio9.1.12Claudio 29.1.13Claudio & Benedick9.1.14Don John9.1.15Don John 29.1.16Don Pedro9.1.17Hero9.1.18Leonato9.1.19Leonato & Messanger
9.2

Text Structure - Quotes

9.2.1Deception, Appearances & Noting9.2.2Gender9.2.3Reputation

Practice questions on Key Lines 2

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    What is Benedick hurt by in Act 2, Scene 1?Multiple choice
  2. 2
    What are __“poniards”__?Multiple choice
  3. 3
    Beatrice hurts Benedick's twice in Act 2, Scene 1:Fill in the list
  4. 4
    In Act 2, Scene 1, who says __"She speaks poniards, and every word stabs."__?Multiple choice
  5. 5
    Who wins the merry war of word in Act 2, Scene 1?Multiple choice
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Key Lines

Key Lines 3