How Shakespeare Develops the Relationship between Benedick...

How Shakespeare Develops the Relationship between Benedick and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing During Much Ado About Nothing, Benedick and Beatrice certainly have an exceedingly tempestuous relationship that goes through many stages through the play. In Act I, Scene 1, it seems that they have met before, as Beatrice says she â€Å"know[s him] of old† (l.107), which could imply that they were in a relationship before the war Benedick has just returned from at the beginning of the play. Although she acts as though she hates Benedick when she is talking to him, Beatrice seems to care for him before he returns, as she asks the messenger who brings the news of the returning soldiers if â€Å"Signor†¦show more content†¦The second main scene for examining the relationship’s development is the masked ball, where Benedick and Beatrice dance with one another, whilst Benedick wears a mask. This scene is not only important from a textual point of view, but it is also because of the possibilities for the mise-en-scà ¨ne. A director in producing this scene may consider the many possibilities in the ways he could make the Benedick and Beatrice characters act towards each other singularly, and how they move together. As this scene is set at a masked ball with the sets of dancing characters moving into the main focal point of the scene one after the other, Benedick and Beatrice would be dancing also. There are two ways in which Benedick and Beatrice could dance together, and these could give different views of how they are together. If they danced badly, with Benedick treading on Beatrice’s toes, for example, it would show how they were bad together and how their relationship doesn’t really work. If they danced well, it would show how they worked well together, and they were meant to be together, as it would show how they could act together as a single unit. The way they danced would reflect the way the director interpreted the text throughout the play. We cannot tell whetherShow MoreRelated The Development of Benedicks Character in Shakespeares Much Ado About Nothing1669 Words   |  7 Pagesof Benedicks Character in Shakespeares Much Ado About Nothing At the beginning of the play, Benedick appears as almost a comic character, acting as if the most important part of his character is his wit. However, by the end of the play it becomes obvious that he is a clear-thinking character who is able to take action and keep his head in a crisis. 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