Key points
Benedick is one of the main characters in Much Ado About Nothing, a comedy by William Shakespeare.
The play is set in Messina, Italy, and tells the story of Beatrice and Benedick.
At the start of the play, Benedick and Beatrice insult each other and argue a lot.
By the end of the play, Benedick and Beatrice realise that they love each other and get married.
Did you know?
Benedick is presented as quite arrogant and confident. Despite swearing to live a single life, he says in the first scene of the play that “it is certain I am loved of all ladies”.
Plot summary
Benedick’s key moments
Click through the slideshow to see Benedick’s key moments
Image caption, Don Pedro, Claudio, Don John and Benedick return from war and arrive in Messina. Benedick and Beatrice continue their long-running arguing and insulting of each other.
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Character traits
Stubborn
No matter what Don Pedro and Claudio say, Benedick stubbornly refuses to see himself as a married man, until the end of the play. He also refuses to talk sensibly to Claudio about Hero.
Brave
Benedick is a soldier who fought successfully in battle before the events of the play. He also bravely defends Hero’s honour when the other men do not. He even promises to challenge Claudio to a A sword fight between two people to settle an argument. because Beatrice asks him to.
Bachelor
At the start of the play, Benedick does not want to get married because he thinks it would mean giving up his freedom. Ironically, he is the perfect match for Beatrice who also has no plans to ever get married. Benedick does give up being a bachelor at the end of the play when he and Beatrice agree to marry.
Video - How would you present the orchard scene?
Watch the video below to see how a director might stage the orchard scene where Benedick overhears his friends saying that Beatrice is in love with him.
Narrator: It’s day four in the Much Ado About Nothing rehearsal house, and the director has just woken up to discover a new task, to find a funny way to stage the scene where Benedick hides in the orchard from Don Pedro, Claudio and Leonato.
The director is not happy. It’s 10:25AM and Benedick is nowhere to be seen.
Director: Okay, , at this point you know he’s hiding, you’re making him believe Beatrice fancies him, even though at this part of the play Beatrice actually thinks Benedick is a massive…
Benedick: I heard that.
Director: Where are you?
Benedick: I’m hiding.
Here I am.
Director: Okay, you’re hiding too well. Right? It’s not funny unless we can see you. And what have you done to your face?
Benedick: So I can hide. Took me ages. Can’t I keep it?
Director: Um…
Narrator: 20 minutes later, and the director has made Benedick’s hiding place a bit easier to spot.
Actress: I did never think that lady would have loved any man.
Actor: No, nor I neither. But most wonderful that she does so dote on Signior Benedick, whom she hath in all outward behaviour seemed ever to abhor.
Benedick: Argh, I’m sorry, sorry, sorry, can I do that again?
Director: No, no, no, that's good, that's good, it’s funny, keep it in.
Actor: By my troth my lord, I cannot tell what to think of it. She loves him with an enraged affection, it is past the infinite of thought.
Benedick: Argh! Argh! Aah! I’m sorry, sorry. Can we do this again?
Aah! Aah!
Director: That's so funny!
Benedick: Ah.
Argh! Argh!
Ow. Guys, come on.
Director: All right, all right, that’s a break, that’s a break, come on, time for lunch.
Narrator: The director, please with progress, decides to take a break.
Director: No, no. Not you Gareth. Just a couple more times, keep practicing. It’s going really well though. Cool, keep it up.
Actor: It’s going well I think. Are you happy?
Benedick: Argh! Ah!
Relationships
Beatrice
Benedick and Beatrice appear to strongly dislike each other at the start of the play. Whenever they meet they engage in a “merry war”, arguing and insulting each other. As the play goes on, they are both tricked into thinking one is in love with the other by their friends. This ends with them realising their true love for each other.
Don Pedro
Benedick and Don Pedro have fought together in war and because of this they have a bond like brothers.
Claudio
Claudio is another of Benedick’s close friends and a soldier he has fought with. Benedick teases Claudio for falling in love so quickly with Hero. He says when men find a wife, they stop spending time with their friends and it changes them. Claudio’s eager and youthful approach to love contrasts with Benedick’s more mature and negative view.
Listening activity
In Act 2, scene 3, Claudio, Leonato and Don Pedro have tricked Benedick into thinking that Beatrice is in love with him. Listen to Benedick’s reaction in the audio clip and then answer the question below.
Benedick: This can be no trick, the conference was sadly borne,
they have the truth of this from Hero, they seem to pity the lady:
it seems her affections have their full bent: love me?
Why, it must be requited: I hear how I am censured,
they say I will bear myself proudly, if I perceive the love come from her:
they say too, that she will rather die than give any sign of affection.
I did never think to marry, I must not seem proud,
happy are they that hear their detractions, and can put them to mending:
They say the lady is fair, 'tis a truth, I can bear them witness:
and virtuous, 'tis so, I cannot reprove it: and wise, but for loving
me: by my troth, it is no addition to her wit, nor
no great argument of her folly,
for I will be horribly in love with her:
I may chance have some odd quirks and remnants of wit broken on me,
because I have railed so long against marriage:
but doth not the appetite alter? A man loves the
meat in his youth that he cannot endure in his age.
Shall quips and sentences, and these paper
bullets of the brain awe a man from the career of his
humour? No, the world must be peopled.
When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till
I were married - here comes Beatrice: by this day,
she's a fair lady, I do spy some marks of love in her.
Does Benedick realise he’s been tricked?
No - Benedick believes what he has overheard is the truth because he says “This can be no trick”. He is so convinced by what he has heard that he immediately begins to change his views on love, marriage and bachelorhood.
Changes in character
At the start of the play, Benedick is a determined A single, unmarried man. and complains about men who fall in love, saying it changes them. In his first scene with Beatrice, they appear to strongly dislike each other and insult each other.
Benedick starts off as Claudio’s friend, but when Claudio accuses Hero of being unfaithful to him, Benedick believes her, not him. When Beatrice asks Benedick to defend Hero’s honour, he even challenges Claudio to a A sword fight between two people to settle an argument..
By the end of the play, Benedick has changed his views on marriage and relationships. He finds his perfect match in Beatrice who was similarly against marriage at the start of the play. They realise they love each other and get married.
Activity - Order it
What do these key quotations mean?
Well you are a rare parrot-teacher
Benedick
Act 1, scene 1
What literary device is used in this quotation?
This quotation uses a metaphor, because Benedick says Beatrice is a “parrot-teacher” although this is not true. He is suggesting Beatrice talks too much. Her clever use of words means that she copies Benedick, like a parrot, but turns his words into insults to use against him.
I will live a bachelor.
Benedick
Act 1, scene 1
Benedick swears that he will stay a bachelor for life. This is funny because by the end of the play Benedick is happily in love and ready to get married to Beatrice.
I have railed so long
against marriage, but doth not the appetite alter?
Benedick
Act 2, scene 3
After he overhears Don Pedro, Claudio and Leonato talking about Beatrice’s love for him, Benedick begins to realise his true feelings for Beatrice. He suggests his appetite for love has changed after hearing them, even though he has argued against marriage for so long.
I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap, and be buried in thy eyes.
Benedick
Act 5, scene 4
What literary devices does Benedick use in this quote?
Benedick uses a rule of three here to ionately confirm his love for Beatrice. He uses metaphors and exaggeration which shows how much he has changed from the start of the play. His reference to life, death and burial suggests that he will be devoted to Beatrice for the rest of his life.
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