Benedick 2

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Benedick

BENEDICK: I would not marry her though she were endowed with all that Adam had left him before he transgress’d

Key line

BENEDICK: I would not marry her though she were endowed with all that Adam had left him before he transgress’d

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

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

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's Hurt

BENEDICK: She speaks poniards, and every word stabs.

Key line

BENEDICK: She speaks poniards, and every word stabs.

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

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.

1Key Terminology

1.1Key Terminology

1.1.1Key Terminology

1.1.2End of Topic Test - Key Terminology

2Structure & Form

2.1Structure

2.1.1Structure

2.1.2Acts 1 - 3

2.1.3Acts 4 - 5

2.2Form

2.2.1Tragicomedy

2.2.2End of Topic Test - Structure & Form

3Act 1: Plot Summary

3.1Act 1, Scene 1

3.1.1Summary

3.1.2Key Lines

3.1.3Key Lines 2

3.1.4End of Topic Test - Act 1, Scene 1

3.2Act 1, Scene 2

3.2.1Summary

3.2.2Key Lines

3.3Act 1, Scene 3

3.3.1Summary

3.3.2Key Lines

3.3.3End of Topic Test - Act 1, Scenes 2-3

4Act 2: Plot Summary

4.1Act 2, Scene 1

4.1.1Summary

4.1.2Key Lines

4.1.3Key Lines 2

4.1.4Key Lines 3

4.1.5End of Topic Test - Act 2, Scene 1

4.2Act 2, Scene 2

4.2.1Summary

4.3Act 2, Scene 3

4.3.1Summary

4.3.2Key Lines

4.3.3Key Lines 2

4.3.4End of Topic Test - Act 2, Scenes 2-3

5Act 3: Plot Summary

5.1Act 3, Scene 1

5.1.1Summary

5.1.2Key Lines

5.2Act 3, Scene 2

5.2.1Summary

5.2.2Key Lines

5.3Act 3, Scene 3

5.3.1Summary

5.4Act 3, Scene 4

5.4.1Summary

5.5Act 3, Scene 5

5.5.1Summary

5.5.2End of Topic Test - Act 3

6Act 4: Plot Summary

6.1Act 4, Scene 1 (Part 1)

6.1.1Summary

6.1.2Key Lines

6.1.3Key Lines 2

6.2Act 4, Scene 1 (Part 2)

6.2.1Summary

6.2.2Key Lines

6.2.3Key Lines 2

6.3Act 4, Scene 2

6.3.1Summary

6.3.2End of Topic Test - Act 4

7Act 5: Plot Summary

7.1Act 5, Scene 1

7.1.1Summary

7.2Act 5, Scene 2

7.2.1Summary

7.2.2Key Lines

7.3Act 5, Scene 3

7.3.1Summary

7.4Act 5, Scene 4

7.4.1Summary

7.4.2End of Topic Test - Act 5

8Key Themes

8.1Key Themes

8.1.1Love & Marriage

8.1.2Deception, Appearances & Noting

8.1.3Gender

8.1.4Reputation

8.1.5End of Topic Test - Key Themes

9Recap: Main Quotes

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