The Battle of Words

I was asked to write a short essay of certain characters language in the play Much Ado About Nothing, written by William Shakespeare. How the language works, what exchanges happen between characters from this language. I had so many ideas which often derived away from the subject I actually found it hard not to write about other things. I guess I'm trying to cover too much and that's my problem. I've never really had a lot of restraints when it comes to my writing. I write whatever I want and rarely lay out the ground rules. It was interesting none the less to stay within a certain framework.

Character exchanges: The Battle of Words


Enter Beatrice. Her character is stark in contrast to the typical women we are accustomed to from the Elizabethan era. Our first encounter with Beatrice sets the tone of personification in which Shakespeare gives to her for the whole of Act I.
“I pray you, is Signor Mountanto returned from the wars or no?”
Beatrice wasn’t even prompted to speak when she asked this and speaks it in such a contemptuous manner. The Messenger then responds to her question in complete ignorance of her sarcasm and so ensues the battle of alliteration and wit between the two.

Men traditionally hold power over women and Beatrice challenges that power of authority by using language. In the mind of the right person, language is a weapon of power and others will have no choice but to listen. She is perceived as being strong-minded because she can completely influence an entire conversation. Her intention for speaking is to be heard, to make her point. The rebuttal she receives from people doesn’t make her feel the need to stop talking; instead it’s quickly digested and fuels her countered response, which is given even quicker. Because of her ability to do this, Beatrice often repeats words or phrases that have been spoken to her before and turns them into an argument or statement.
Messenger: “And a good solider too, lady.”
Beatrice: “And a good soldier to a lady, but what is he to a lord?”
By repeating words in this way it not only shows she understands what is being said but also mocks the Messenger at the same time. Playing with words seems to be her favourite pastime.

The Messenger’s job is to report information; he does indulge himself by playing with words but he is no match intellectually for Beatrice. Considering it’s the Messenger’s duty to speak, Beatrice has no real need to but does so anyway. She talks because she enjoys it.

Pragmatically speaking Beatrice does not conform to the ideals of how women of that time should act or talk; but the people she finds herself around do not discourage her from doing so. Are they allowing her to speak in such a way because they pay so little attention to what she actually says; brushing her words away as quickly as she speaks them? Perhaps, although I believe the others actually enjoy what she says even if it does vex them at times.

Her exchanges are often elucidated by others, especially Leonato, who is responsible for her; or at least should be.
“You must not, sir, mistake my niece: there is a kind of merry war betwixt Signor Benedick and her: they never meet but there’s a skirmish of wit between them.”
Leonato is clarifying what Beatrice meant, lest she offends somebody; something she does often.

When Beatrice speaks she makes her words flow with ease; like she doesn’t even have to think about what she is saying. She has such a strong command of language it makes her formidable when talking to; especially since the only things to come from her mouth in Act I are quite insulting. She always initiates conversations, even if somebody else is already speaking and finds her own way of ending them. Getting the last word in is important to Beatrice. The control she has over conversations isn’t apparent on the surface but once she starts speaking you know who to listen to. She often explains herself more in words than the Messenger; something women are known for doing more of then men. I don’t think she does this to clarify the point she’s making, she’s just enjoys drawing out her point with fanciful words.

All throughout Act I Beatrice’s language is quite offensive but she does not come across as being cruel.
“O Lord, he will hang upon him like a disease: he is sooner caught than the pestilence, and the taker runs presently mad. God help the noble Claudio, if he hath caught the Benedict. It will cost him a thousand pound ere a be cured.”
Her wit and sarcasm takes the sting from what she actually says and in doing so the audience is able to laugh with her rather than at her. If Beatrice can speak to the Messenger in the way she does, imagine what would come fourth from her when matched with her equal?