4.1.4

Key Lines 3

Test yourself

Don Pedro

DON PEDRO: If we can do this, Cupid is no longer an archer; his glory shall be ours, for we are the only love-gods.

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Don Pedro’s plan

  • Don Pedro’s use of the conditional tense (“if”) suggests that he knows that it will be no easy task to make Benedick and Beatrice fall in love.
  • He talks of Cupid’s “glory”, implying he takes a great deal of pride and honour in successfully matching couples.
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Hamartia

  • His self-comparison to Cupid could be viewed as arrogant, especially by a more modern audience.
  • Again, structurally this hint at Don Pedro’s over-confidence relates to the concept of fatal flaws (hamartia) in a classical tragedy.
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Act 5, Scene 1

  • It also prepares the audience for his disrespectful attitude towards Leonato and Antonio in Act 5, Scene 1.

Jump to other topics

1Key Terminology

2Structure & Form

3Act 1: Plot Summary

4Act 2: Plot Summary

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

7Act 5: Plot Summary

7.1Act 5, Scene 1

7.2Act 5, Scene 2

7.3Act 5, Scene 3

7.4Act 5, Scene 4

8Key Themes

9Recap: Main Quotes

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