Much Ado About Nothing – Beatrice exam questions and answers.

Act 1 Scene 1 - 'Signor Montanto' (Beatrice to Messenger) Deflates the messenger with humor and brings the attention on to herself. Act 1 Scene 1 - 'Alas, he gets nothing by that' (Beatrice) Benedick is morally hollow suggesting that he is faddish, he is not loyal or truthful (illusion). Act 1 Scene 1 - 'I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your book' (Messenger to Beatrice) Through Beatrice, Shakespeare champions sexual equality. Act 1 Scene 1 - 'he will hang upon him like a disease' (Beatrice about Benedick) Simile, Benedick is considered as dreadful, Beatrice uses a hyperbole to be dramatic. Act 1 Scene 1 - 'he is sooner caught than the pestilence' (Beatrice about Benedick) Metaphor, Benedick is worse than a disease, deliberately dramatic for comedic effect. Act 1 Scene 1 - 'I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than hear a man swear he loves me' (Beatrice) Dramatic imagery to show her feelings but not her true feelings (illusion). Act 1 Scene 1 - 'A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours' (Beatrice to Benedick) Childish, crude remarks, they are both losing their tempers. Act 1 Scene 1 - 'I know you of old' (Beatrice to Benedick) Suggests some kind of past history and infinity between two characters. Act 2 Scene 1 - 'He were an excellent man that were made just in the midway between him and Benedick' (Beatrice) Beatrice is describing the perfect and ideal man. A man who is not as cold as Don John but not as intent as 'tattling' like Benedick, however, this brings the conversation back on to Benedick. Act 2 Scene 1 - 'By my troth, niece, thou wilt never get thee a husband of thou be so shrewd of thy tongue' (Leonato to Beatrice) Beatrice does not present a conventional female role and instead presents masculine assertiveness. Beatrice assumes male dominance (gender). Shows era - there was a queen instead of a king on the throne so she had to adopt male dominance. Act 2 Scene 1 - 'Well then, go you into hell?' (Leonato) 'No, but to the gate, and there will the devil meet me' (Beatrice) She uses humor to conceal the truth and real affection (illusion). Her thoughts is that God has created her in the way that she is and, therefore, she will be praised for it. Act 2 Scene 1 - 'Father, as it please you' 'Father, as it please me' (Beatrice) Contrast between Hero and Beatrice. Shows simple struggles (love). Act 2 Scene 1 - 'Well, niece, I hope one day to see you fitted with a husband' (Leonato) 'Not till God make men of some other mettle than earth' (Beatrice) She vocalizes her distaste to marriage. Act 2 Scene 1 - 'he is the prince's jester' (Beatrice to Benedick, however he is masked) She insulted Benedick's status Act 2 Scene 1 - 'only he is gift' (Beatrice to Benedick) Being the prince's jester is Benedick's talent. Act 2 scene 1 - 'for he both pleases men and angers them' (Beatrice to Benedick) Benedick's offensive jokes. Act 2 Scene 1 - 'they laugh at him and beat him' (Beatrice to Benedick) She tries to diminish his confidence and egotism. Act 2 Scene 1 - 'a double heart for his single one' (Beatrice about Benedick) Beatrice shows a moment of real affection when she says 'quote', as it hints at betrayal between herself and Benedick and, more so, develops and establishes their relationship suggested in Act 1 Scene 1, 'I know you of old'. Act 2 Scene 1 - 'I am sunburnt' (Beatrice to Don Pedro) Metaphor, burnt by love, she is suggesting that love is not for her. Act 2 Scene 1 - 'which is to bring Signor Benedick and the Lady Beatrice into a mountain of affection' (Don Pedro) Good quote when talking about the benevolent deception of making Benedick and Beatrice fall in love. Act 3 Scene 1 - 'cupid's crafty arrow made' (Hero) Hero has a complex speech and clearly knows about love because of her reference to 'cupid'. She is totally in command, showing her understanding of Beatrice. The alliteration = harsh sound as deception is about to happen. Act 3 Scene 1 - 'Therefore let Benedick, like cover'd fire, consume away in sighs, waste inwardly' (Hero) Reverse psychology to make Beatrice feel guilty. Simile 'quote' means he may appear like fire on the outside but he has the desire of love inside. Act 3 Scene 1 - 'honest slander' (Hero) Oxymoron because slander is about gossiping about someone's reputation, suggesting innocent deception, benevolent deception, however, it hints at next scene because Hero's reputation is going to be slandered (slander). Act 3 Scene 1 - 'If it prove so, then loving goes by haps. Some cupid kills with arrows, some with traps.' (Hero) Rhyming couplet, generally used to show something about love or exit or enter of main character also the fact that she is referring to cupid shows she knows a lot about love.