Beatrice and Benedick

Understanding Love and Marriage in Shakespeare

• Attitudes to Love & Marriage
  • Themes explore different beliefs about love.
  • Considerations include love at first sight vs. deeper understanding of a partner.

The Code of Courtly Love

• Definition: Idealized love between a knight and a noble lady.
• Characteristics:
  • Knight performs heroic deeds for the lady's honor.
  • Lady viewed as unattainable and godlike.
  • Relationship emphasizes purity and self-discipline.
  • Surrendering to physical desires reflects poorly on the lady's worth.

The Code of Chivalry

• Mandates for Knights:
  • Loyalty to king and bravery in battle.
  • Defense of the Church and protection of the weak.
  • Gentle treatment of women.
• Historical Context:
  • Concepts of courtly love and chivalry were prevalent in literature before and during Shakespeare’s era.

The Conventions of Love

• Social Dynamics:
  • Men should love women of equal or higher status.
  • Women often reject men's advances to maintain honor.
  • Rejection increases men's desire.
  • Men are emotionally consumed by their feelings and actions.
  • Common tropes found in Romantic Comedies today.

Couples in Much Ado about Nothing

• Benedick & Beatrice vs. Hero & Claudio:
  • Hero and Claudio are depicted as characters who fall in love at first sight.
  • Beatrice and Benedick are characterized by conflict and banter, initially denying romantic feelings.
• Key Ideas Presented:
  1. Couples must overcome obstacles to find love.
  2. Conflicting personalities may lead to unexpected romantic developments.

Foils in Literature

• Definition of a Foil:
  • A character who contrasts with another to emphasize specific qualities.
  • Example: Sherlock Holmes (protagonist) and Watson (foil) highlight Holmes' intelligence.

Marriage as a Yoke

• Analysis of Benedick's Views:
  • Refers to marriage as ‘a yoke’, indicating a negative view of marital commitment.
  • Questions traditional gender roles and expectations in marriage.

Benedick's Attitude Towards Women

• Resolve to Remain Unmarried:
  • Claims to be grateful to women yet chooses bachelorhood, reflecting cynicism about relationships.
  • Describes himself as a ‘professed tyrant’ towards women, revealing his resistance to romantic engagements.

Claudio's Perspective on Women

• Claudio's Motivation for Marriage:
  • Sees Hero as a valuable possession (compares to a 'jewel').
  • His inquiry into her family background showcases a focus on wealth and status over personal connection.
• Connection to Courtly Love Tradition:
  • His admiration is laced with superficiality.

Glossary of Key Terms

• Subvert: To undermine established systems or authority.
• Conform: To behave in accordance with societal norms.
• Patriarchy: A societal structure where men hold primary power.
• Superficial: Lacking depth or thoroughness; surface-level.
• Genuine: Authentic, real, or true.
• Satirise: To humorously critique or exaggerate.

Character Analysis: Claudio and Benedick

• Character Traits:
  • Identify three adjectives for both Claudio and Benedick.
• Foil Relationship:
  • Analyze how Claudio may contrast with Benedick, particularly around adherence to patriarchal norms, and how they embody or reject societal expectations.

Presentation of Benedick’s Views

• Analysis Structure: Use WHAT, HOW, WHY
• Example:
  • Benedick’s boast about bachelorhood suggests potential fear of commitment, revealing an inner conflict about masculinity within a patriarchal society.

Analysis of Claudio’s Views

• Shakespeare's Presentation:
  • Claudio is characterized by superficial admiration, treating love as a transactional relationship.
  • His views reflect satirical elements of courtly love.

Peer Assessment Guidance

• Use the green KS3 booklet for giving feedback on analyses.
• Encourage constructive criticism focusing on strengths and areas for improvement (WWW: EBI).