Beatrice

One of Shakespeare's most outspoken heroines, Beatrice has her own ideas about her life and where it is headed. Unlike Hero, who wishes to please her father (Leonato) and become part of society, Beatrice rarely interacts with or even mentions her own father, Antonio. She professes that she may never get married. Shakespeare implies that she may have had an earlier romance with Benedick, who spurned her. That would certainly account for the sarcasm with which she attacks him. However, Beatrice is not a "shrew" like Katherine (Kate) in The Taming of the Shrew. She is not unpleasant to anybody but Benedick, and she has many social graces. Moreover, she does not hate men, but she simply struggles to imagine herself in a happy marriage. As the play progresses, Beatrice becomes progressively softer, particularly after she learns of Benedick's "feelings" for her. Nevertheless, she is not a wilting...