As
's comedy begins, a messenger arrives with a letter for Leonato, the
governor of Messina, informing Leonato that Don Pedro, Prince of Arragon, has been victorious
over his illegitimate brother, Don John, and is coming to Messina. Don Pedro is being
accompanied to Messina by a courageous young soldier, Claudio, a Florentine count who has
metaphorically performed "the feats of a lion" in battle. Also present in the scene
are Leonato's daughter, Hero, and Hero's cousin and best friend, Beatrice.
Beatrice asks if a certain "Signior Mountanto" has returned with Leonato. The
messenger says that he doesn't know anyone by that name. Hero says that Beatrice refers to
Benedick, a lord from Padua. The fact that Hero knows to whom Beatrice is referring derogatorily
as "Signior Mountanto" indicates to the audience that Hero must have some knowledge of
Beatrice and Benedick's prior relationship.
"Mountanto" is a
fencing term which Beatrice uses here to belittle Benedick's skills in battle. She also rates
him as a rank beginner in archery ("at the birdbolt") and asks the messenger how many
men Benedick has killed, because she "promised to eat all of his killing" (1.1.37) The
messenger tries to speak on Benedick's behalf, but Beatrice continues mocking him.
MESSENGER: He hath done good service, lady, in these wars.
BEATRICE: You had musty victual, and he hath holp to eat it.
He is a very
valiant trencherman; he hath an excellent
stomach. ...MESSENGER: A
lord to a lord, a man to a man; stuffed with all
honourable virtues.
BEATRICE: It is so indeed. He is no less than a stuffed man; but
for the
stuffingwell, we are all mortal. (1.1.40-49)
Apparently,
Beatrice is well-acquainted with Benedickthere's some history between them, and Beatrice has
already started a deadly earnest battle of wits with Benedick before he even appears in the
play.
Leonato provides some background information for the audience about the
relationship between Beatrice and Benedick.
LEONATO: ...
There is
a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and her.
They never meet
but there's a skirmish of wit between
them. (1.1.50-53)
Beatrice is relentless and merciless in her mocking of Benedick.
BEATRICE: Alas! He gets nothing by that. In our last
conflict
four of his five wits went halting off, and now is the
whole man
governed with one. ...Who
is his companion now? He hath every month
a new
sworn brother. ...He wears his faith but as
the
fashion of his hat; it ever changes with the next block.
MESSENGER. I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books.
BEATRICE: No, and if he were, I would burn my study. (1.1.54-56, 59-61,
63-66)
Beatrice is clearly a woman who has strong
opinions and is not afraid to speaks her mind, even in the presence of the governor of Messina.
She's witty, cynical, and has no patience whatsoever for anything she perceives as
pretenseespecially in Benedick.
In the first fifty lines of the play,
Shakespeare introduces the audience to Leonato, Beatrice, and Hero, and to Claudio and Benedick,
who have yet to appear in the play. He also establishes a conflict between Beatrice and Benedick
that will continue through the rest of the play.
No comments:
Post a Comment