9.1.5

Benedick 3

Test yourself

“May I be so..."

Act 2, Scene 3 key lines spoken by Benedick.

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Key line

  • “May I be so converted and see with these eyes?”
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Tentative language

  • Benedick’s language here is much more tentative, unlike in Act 1, Scene 1, where he boasted “truly I love none.”
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Modal verb

  • The use of the modal verb of possibility (“may I be…”) is used by Shakespeare to foreshadow the change in Benedick by the end of the scene.
  • The modal verb also adds to the prominent use of dramatic irony throughout the scene, almost as if the audience are a part of Don Pedro’s plot to trick Benedick into falling in love with Beatrice.
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Religious connotations

  • “Converted” may hold religious connotations, alluding to the gradual conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity.
  • The idea that love is a Christian virtue is also referenced at the end of the scene when Benedick states that if he does not return Beatrice’s ‘love’ for him then he is a “Jew”.
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Replacement

  • A highly controversial idea to a modern audience, the line is often replaced with “dog” - a contemporary insult for Jews in the Elizabethan era - in modern productions.

Humour, Status and Innocence

Act 2, Scene 3 key lines spoken by Benedick.

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Key line

  • “I should think this a gull but that the white-bearded fellow speaks it.”
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Humour

  • Shakespeare creates humour in the first deception scene through Benedick’s conviction that what he is hearing must be true, when the audience know otherwise.
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Status

  • The importance of status is again reflected through the fact that it is Leonato’s word that helps convince Benedick.
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Innocence

  • “White” has connotations of innocence and purity.
  • Just as he believes Hero’s innocence in Act 4, Scene 1, Benedick cannot believe that Leonato would be lying.
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Key line

  • “This can be no trick. The conference was sadly borne; they have the truth of this from Hero.”
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Humour

  • Again, this prepares the audience for Benedick’s defence of Hero later in the play.
  • The humour is continued as Benedick states that the conversation between Don Pedro, Claudio and Leonato was “sadly borne”.
  • The whole scene has been orchestrated by Don Pedro to fool Benedick.

Jump to other topics

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

9.1Characters Quotes

9.1.1Beatrice

9.1.2Beatrice 2

9.1.3Benedick 1

9.1.4Benedick 2

9.1.5Benedick 3

9.1.6Benedick 4

9.1.7Benedick 5

9.1.8Beatrice & Benedick

9.1.9Beatrice & Benedick 2

9.1.10Beatrice & Benedick 3

9.1.11Claudio

9.1.12Claudio 2

9.1.13Claudio & Benedick

9.1.14Don John

9.1.15Don John 2

9.1.16Don Pedro

9.1.17Hero

9.1.18Leonato

9.1.19Leonato & Messanger

9.2Text Structure - Quotes

9.2.1Deception, Appearances & Noting

9.2.2Gender

9.2.3Reputation

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Benedick 2

Benedick 4