Battle of the Benedicks: Who is the Better Lover?

 

Beatrice & Benedick in Branagh's 1993 version

 

In William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, the character of Beatrice has many lines that inspire epic performances interpreting feminine rage. Beatrice is a dynamic, opinionated, and very outspoken woman, and this is stressed throughout the length of the play. Benedick, a sworn bachelor, can no longer hide his feelings of unrequited love during their confession scene, which takes place right at the beginning of Act IV directly following the very public wedding farce. The particulars I'll be discussing in this post occur at the end of Act 4 Scene 1. 

Beatrice & Benedick in Shakespeare in the Park (2019)

First, it's important to note that this scene, in its original publishing, does not have stage directions for specific lines. The image of Beatrice's explanations are entirely up to our own imagination during this time. When I first read the lines, "Sweet Hero, she is wronged, she is slan- / dered, she is undone" (4:1 326-327), I could only imagine Beatrice standing firm in her conviction and opinion of Claudio. Emma Thompson's Beatrice in Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing (1993) and Danielle Brooks in The Public's Shakespeare in the Park 2019 stage adaptation of the same name both display wonderfully how those lines and more from that scene can be brought to life. 

William Shakespeare's original illustration of Beatrice & Benedick 

 At the end of Act 4 Scene 1, we get an interaction between Beatrice and Benedick that brings their romantic tension to a boiling point. Beatrice's cousin Hero has just been publicly slandered, and she is furious. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. But before we get to that, we get a love confession out of both of them for the first time to each other. Benedick in the original text exclaims, "I do love nothing in the world so well as / you. Is not that strange" (4:1 281-282)? This is important contextually because it puts especially Benedick in an extremely emotionally vulnerable position where he, from my interpretation, feels like he has to be big man and prove his love at the end of this scene. After Benedick confesses, we get Beatrice: "I love you with so much of my heart that / none is left to protest" (4:1 300-301). Emma Thompson and Danielle Brooks portray this conversation in two slightly different ways. Both actresses vocally provide the lines as they are written originally, but in Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Beatrice and Benedick share a passionate kiss after this delivery. Shakespeare in the Park does not include a kiss between Benedick and Beatrice. It may be because in the 1993 film adaptation, Beatrice and Benedick were in a sort-of enclosed space within the chapel. In Shakespeare in the Park, they are both wide out in the open within the courtyard. I understand that technically it would be impossible to perform a stage production in as small of a room as the film adaptation, but it did help the 1993 version feel more intimate. I loved how in the confessions between Beatrice and Benedick in Shakespeare in the Park, Benedick is on his knees in front of Beatrice almost in a sign of submission or subservience to her, like a knight to a queen, as opposed to both of them being on the same eye-level--on their knees--in Branagh's adaptation. 

After they confess, Benedick asks what he can do for Beatrice: "Come, bid me do anything for thee" (4:1 302). This is where he makes his mistake because I guarantee he didn't expect this to come out of Beatrice's mouth: "Kill Claudio" (4:1 303). In the 1993 film, we see Beatrice look very clear in her intentions as she looks Benedick in the eye immediately. In The Public's stage version, Danielle Brooks' Beatrice takes a moment to think about what she needs, almost internally debating it. In my mind, I see Benedick sweating. He fires back with, "Ha! Not for the wide world" (4:1 304). Beatrice won't hear any of that and begins to exit, stating, "You kill me to deny it. Farewell" (4:1 305) Kenneth Branagh's Benedick in the 1993 adaptation is wide-eyed and shocked but firm in his denial to kill Claudio at first. This really plays on the friendship portrayed between himself and Claudio in the film, and I feel like this is where we see him almost find Beatrice unreasonable in her request. Grantham Cole's Benedick from Shakespeare in the Park almost brushes Beatrice off like what she is saying is a joke, even smiling, like she isn't being completely serious, even though Danielle Brooks delivers her line after visible contemplation. 

Naturally, and justifiably, we see disbelief in Beatrice at this, and she stands up to leave the chapel in the 1993 film before being physically stopped by Benedick. In Shakespeare in the Park, Beatrice gets off the ledge and she keeps walking. Benedick tries and fails to stop her, and she goes past him further into the courtyard. 

In the 1993 film, Beatrice and Benedick remain in the chapel for the rest of their interaction in this particular scene. Emma Thompson gives a more overtly angry side of feminine rage as she flips furniture, throws her hands, and raises her voice while delivering the lines, "Is he not approved in the height a villain / that hath slandered, scorned, dishonored my kins- / woman? O, that I were a man! What, bear her in / hand until they come to take hands, and then, with / public accusation, uncovered slander, unmitigated / rancor--O God, that I were a man! I would eat his / heart in the marketplace" (4:1 315-322). She practically screams the last line in anger. I feel like she is able to behave this way with Benedick because they are in a secluded area. As outspoken as this portrayal of Beatrice is, I feel like this is strategic for placing her in a light of public composure. She is, after all, the niece of a Count. 

Danielle Brooks and Grantham Cole as Beatrice & Benedick

Shakespeare in the Park's Danielle Brooks' portrayal of Beatrice gives us more frustration, more heartbreak for her cousin Hero. We see more desperation for justice as she ignores Benedick's attempts to console her. Danielle also speaks outward and to the audience as opposed to speaking directly to her counterpart. This is typical of a stage performance, very rarely do we ever see actors with their backs turned to the audience, unlike the film adaptation where camera angles and perspectives can be edited. Beatrice is outwardly sobbing in despair and we see close-ups of Danielle's real tears, making this performance heartbreaking. Danielle performs the lines word for word from the original script, as does Emma Thompson in this section, but she evokes more empathy from me than Emma does.

After Beatrice states her reasoning for wanting to kill Claudio, I think it's important to point out that the original text points to Beatrice insinuating men defend each other when it comes to hurting women, like the "bro code": "But manhood is melted into curtsies, valor into / compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, / and trim ones, too" (4:1 333-335). The film adaptation completely cuts these lines out, but the 2019 stage adaptation leaves this in. I think this directly contributes to Benedick's exits in the respective adaptations. In the 1993 film version, after Benedick asks Beatrice, "Think you in your soul the Count Claudio / hath wronged Hero?" (4:1 343-344), and she answers him, "Yea, as sure as I have a thought or a soul" (4:1 345), Benedick says, "Enough. I am engaged. I will challenge / him" (4:1 346-347). Kenneth Branagh omits lines 4:1 347-349 of the original text and continues, "Go comfort your / cousin. I must say she is dead, and so farewell" (4:1 349-350). In the original Shakespeare play, both Beatrice and Benedick are supposed to exit at this time. In the film, Emma Thompson as Beatrice takes her leave while Kenneth Branagh's Benedick is left in the chapel to contemplate. Again, this is pointing to the close friendship the film has portrayed between Benedick and Claudio, like they're "bros." In Shakespeare in the Park, I felt like Grantham Cole's Benedick was much more enthusiastic to prove his love to Beatrice by keeping lines 4:1 347-349 in and actually kissing her hand when he says, "I will kiss your hand, and so I leave you" (4:1 347). By him directly stating that he is going to leave and actually pursue her request upon demand, I think this portrays Benedick as more of a lover boy. Grantham Cole's Benedick then leaves and Beatrice is left behind in the courtyard. 

Comparatively, and I didn't think I'd say this, but it appears as if Shakespeare in the Park portrays Benedick as more in love with Beatrice than the 1993 Kenneth Branagh adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing. Even though Beatrice and Benedick share a passionate kiss in the 1993 version after their confessions, I think in the stage version with Grantham Cole on his knees in front of Danielle Brooks and her hands on his face was almost more intimate; it was softer. And his leaving first as opposed to Benedick telling Beatrice to leave in the 1993 film felt like he was more proactive about getting the job done. While Emma Thompson's feminine rage was portrayed more classically and more overt, the portrayal of absolute injustice felt by Danielle Brooks in my opinion was outstanding.

In closing, I feel like the "love" response to Beatrice's feminine rage was more appropriately addressed by Shakespeare in the Park's Benedick than the 1993 film adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing.