Mohammed and Alan

Beatrice: “She is wronged, she is slandered, she is undone.” Act 4 Scene 1 The quote emphasises her strong opinions. This is unusual for a female in that time. We therefore, see a connection between Beatrice and Queen Elizabeth. She is confident to speak out and share her opinion – whereas women at the time had “lower self-esteems” and would not voice their opinions. We also get to know a “loyal” Beatrice, who stands by and sticks up for Hero. She doesn’t at once doubt what Hero tells her and doesn’t doubt her integrity at all. QUOTE 1 - EMPATHY

“I had rather my dog bark at a crow then a man swear he loves me.” Act 1 Scene 1 Beatrice uses this comparative to display her utter distaste for love. It also portrays that the invulnerability to falling in love is a point of pride for her (and Benedick). She makes love appear as an impossibility. We again, see a confident and outspoken Beatrice, linking her with figures like Queen Elizabeth. Distaste for love: “What should I do with him—dress him in my apparel and make him my waiting gentlewoman? He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man; and he that is more than a youth is not for me, and he that is less than a man, I am not for him.” Act 2 Scene 1 QUOTE 2 – DISTASTE FOR LOVE

“I pray you, is Signor Montanto returned from the wars, or no?” Act 1 Scene 1 Signor Montanto: -She makes fun of Benedick and calls him a ladies man. This wittiness is not at all normal for a female at the time. Such insults are commonly exchanged between Benedick and Beatrice. -The pair are made for each other and deep down they know this, but cover it up by insulting one another and outlining their flaws. Foreshadows love between them. “He will hang upon him like a disease” -She insults him in public and calls Benedick a disease. We see this wit often because Shakespeare’s intent is to outline the way women were generally behaved and how Beatrice would appear an outcast at the time. QUOTES - WITTY Even when she admits her love for Benedick, we sense wittiness. “I would not deny you. But... I yield upon great persuasion, and partly to save your life, for I was told you were in a consumption.”

“Kill Claudio” Beatrice can also be adult like and powerful. The short and direct sentence “Kill Claudio” outlines this wonderfully. It also emphasises her utmost loyalty towards Hero as she is prepared to risk her new love; Benedick’s life, in order to get revenge for Hero. We see this powerful speech later, even when she converses with Don Pedro when she says “My cousin is belied.” Again, this makes her seem authoritative and outspoken like Queen Elizabeth. QUOTES - DIRECT

“They swore that you were almost sick for me” Despite her wittiness and almost heard-heartedness, she is still tricked into falling into love’s trap. We almost get the impression that she was looking for love, found it but refused to admit it until it was brought to her through Hero and Ursula. This is portrayed by her reaction when being deceitfully told of Benedick’s passion for her: “Benedick, love on; I will requite thee” (Love on, I will love you back). QUOTES - NAIVETY

“A miracle! Here’s our own hand against our hands. Come, I will have thee.” We see a massive contrast between Beatrice at the start of the play and at the end. This is outlined by herself when she admits that it was a “miracle” that she and Benedick are together. She is also very admitting of her love as she says “I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.” This is highly contradictory with her many direct statements during the first half of the play, entirely ruling out love. “I had rather lie in the wollen.” – wollen is something which would cause discomfort. QUOTES – FINDING LOVE

“Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand” The treatment of women generally is outlined because we see a woman, even someone as “unique” as Beatrice, fulfilling her duty, as described at the time, of getting married. The insulting to cover up love, as described earlier, is no longer apparent as she openly admits to her love. This change is topped off as we find out that Beatrice had written a poem about Benedick. Poetry and affectionate writing is not something which would have been attributed to Beatrice at the beginning. “Writ in my cousin’s hand, stol’n from her pocket, Containing her affection for Benedick” QUOTES – FINDING LOVE II