"Then is courtesy a turncoat. But it is certain I am loved of
all ladies, only you excepted. And I would I could find in
my heart that I had not a hard heart, for truly I love none."
But claims to love none in return, perhaps like Olivia he desires that one woman who is willing to put him in his place and boss him around a bit, similar to how Olivia fell for Cesario.
Perhaps Benedick needs a strong woman- like Beatrice to tell him how it is and what is what. Throughout the first act it is obvious they have a long history of quarreling and fighting, but like the old school saying goes "a boy picks on you because he likes you".
But claims to love none in return, perhaps like Olivia he desires that one woman who is willing to put him in his place and boss him around a bit, similar to how Olivia fell for Cesario.
Perhaps Benedick needs a strong woman- like Beatrice to tell him how it is and what is what. Throughout the first act it is obvious they have a long history of quarreling and fighting, but like the old school saying goes "a boy picks on you because he likes you".
Benedick seems to be a character with a lot of unresolved inner dilemma, masked by his arrogance. He seems to give off the notion that he loves himself way too much to love anybody else- or is trying to hide his inner self esteem issues- with the fear of being hurt by real love.
The opening act also makes the audience wonder which love is more real of a love? A love at first sight which Claudio feels for Hero (real or not?) .. or a cautious approach to love like Benedick where he hides all emotion approaching with caution and a fear of getting hurt. Or do these different approaches to love change with the time period? Does one make sense more than the other for their time period vs present day?
The opening act also makes the audience wonder which love is more real of a love? A love at first sight which Claudio feels for Hero (real or not?) .. or a cautious approach to love like Benedick where he hides all emotion approaching with caution and a fear of getting hurt. Or do these different approaches to love change with the time period? Does one make sense more than the other for their time period vs present day?
3 comments:
Great post and I totally agree with you about the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick. They act like young teenagers who both know they like each other but decide to act in the opposite way. I thought it was interesting to also note that their names have the same meaning, to be blessed. I didn't learn that until yesterday's class. I thought the point you made about Benedick hiding his inner self esteem issues because this also relates to the theme of physical identity and how characters often come off as people they are not. You said he is fearful and I totally agree. Love can be something that is scary and he may be someone who is afraid of it and not wanting to face it. I liked how you ended your post, I don't think anyone truly knows the truth about which love is more real of a love. Some may believe in love at first sight and others may say that it doesn't happen. I am interested to see how the play will turn out with these two characters.
I liked your post alot and when I first started to read this play I got the same sense. I find Benedick to be like a child who picks on the girl because he likes you, just like you said. Also I definentely think that there is something deep down inside Benedick that makes him affraid of his true emtotions of love, maybe he was hurt badly once before and it has scarred him and it makes him affraid to open up to Beatrice. For a character that seems so emotionless and doesn't let things bother him, Beatrice definetly gets to him.
The final questions in this post are really interesting--how, as an audience, do we respond to these different love affairs? As the play comes to a close, we should remember that point and think about what Shakespeare does in comparing these two romances.
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