Benedick's Soliloquy Analysis - Much Ado About Nothing

Benedick’s Soliloquy Analysis

In the play of Much Ado About Nothing, the characters of Benedick and Beatrice have a love-hate relationship. On the surface, it appears that their relationship is built on a war of wits and insults. However, in Benedick’s soliloquy, the reader discovers that at the core of their insults actually lie the true feelings of love. It is also apparent that Benedick even sees loving each other as a competition, in that he wants to love her to a point of outdoing her love for him. Not only is Benedick constantly warring with Beatrice, but he is also undergoing an internal struggle, which is made quite apparent in Benedick’s soliloquy in Act 2 Scene 3.

Benedick, after overhearing Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato converse about Beatrice’s fictional love for him, speaks alone on the stage. He considers this news and scrutinizes Beatrice’s virtues. He comes to the simple and quick conclusion that the love “must be requited” (II.iii.213-214). He speaks of Beatrice as “fair”, “virtuous”, and “wise”, which confirms that he has always been in love with her, but had never wanted to admit it to himself (II.iii.219-221). He had never spoken of Beatrice in this manner before, but had affirmed in his previous soliloquy that all three of those attributes are important for wife to possess. This is very ironic because Benedick has sworn up until this point in the play that he shall never marry and that he hates women.

Beatrice and Benedick’s relationship has always been based on a competition. They were constantly in a war of wits with each other, and they both like to have the upper hand at all times. In the soliloquy, Benedick exclaims that he “will be horribly in love with her” (II.iii.223). The use of word “horribly” is ridiculous, because he so quickly falls in love with Beatrice, after just simply discovering her love for him. He would like to have the upper hand in the competition of love by outshining her, and he attempts to do so when he uses the word “horribly”.

Benedick recites a soliloquy at the beginning of Act 2 Scene 3, and then pauses to overhear Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato. He continues with another soliloquy after he overhears the news of Beatrice’s feelings. The differences in the tone and attitude of the two soliloquies gives perfect insight to his capricious state of mind. This is comical because immediately before he overhears the three men speaking, he demeans men who fall in love so quickly and foolishly. He scorns at how one man, after “seeing how much another man is a fool when he/ dedicates his behaviors to love, will, after he hath/ laughed at such shallow follies in others, become the/ argument of his own scorn by falling in love” (II.iii.8-11). This becomes ironic just moments later in the play when Benedick becomes the very thing he describes in his speech. Shakespeare included this soliloquy to exemplify Benedick’s indecisive nature, and to show great insight to his internal struggle.

Benedick claims that he there should be no shame is changing one’s mind about marriage. He is making excuses to himself as to why his outlook on love and women have changed so abruptly, undoubtedly readying himself to be the butt of the same wit and jokes that he has subjected Claudio: “I may/ chance have some odd quirks and remnants of wit /broken on me because I have railed so long against marriage” (II.iii.223-225). He knows that he will most certainly face even more criticisms because he has changed his views so unexpectedly and rapidly. He says that he will be able to handle the jokes that are directed towards him: “Shall quips/ and sentences and these paper bullets of the brain awe a/ man from the career of his humour?” (II.iii.227-229). He claims, “When I said I could die a bachelor, I did not/ think I should live till I were married” (II.iii.230-231). Shakespeare uses this soliloquy to add