Beatrice and Benedick: An Emotional Reckoning

William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing (1) is a timeless tale about eavesdropping, young lovers, and a whole lot of witty banter.

 (1). 1st Edition of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing (1600)

Throughout various adaptations, there has been one constant everyone can agree on: Beatrice and Benedick are a force to be reckoned with:  modern-day enemies-to-lovers, and other words few and far between. Shakespeare's masterpiece, as well as other adaptations like the 1993 film starring Emma Thomspon and Kenneth Branagh (3), highlight an emotional delivery of the lines, costuming, setting, and the camera angles. 

Scene Analysis: Act IV, Scene I

Shakespeare writes:

BEATRICE. You have stayed me in an happy hour. I was about to protest I loved you.

BENEDICK. And do it with all thy heart.

BEATRICE. I love you with all my heart that none is left to protest.

BENEDICK. Come, bid me do anything for thee.

BEATRICE. Kill Claudio (4.1.297-302).

(2). Peter Simon paints Hero Fainting in Church (1789)

Before this scene, Claudio accuses Beatrice's cousin, Hero of being unfaithful, causing Claudio to publicly shame her in front of her family, leading her to faint from shock at the altar (2). 

Every character can feel the tension in the air, and Beatrice wants to avenge her somehow which is why after she and Benedick confess their love for each other, she asks the only other question she can think of to make things right. The two engage in heartfelt dialogue - different from their usual bickering - which in my opinion, makes this scene stronger.

Much Ado About Nothing: An Analysis of the 1993 Film Adaptation 

The 1993 adaptation is one to behold. The director is Kenneth Branagh, who stars as Benedick - he wrote the screenplay as well which is fascinating and just speaks to the level of his talent - he notes some interesting interpretations, allowing this adaptation to catch the eyes of millions. Perhaps, bringing along a new generation of Shakespeare lovers. In this scene, Benedick puts his hand in front of Beatrice to keep her from running away and the two embrace with such intensity and emotion running through their veins (3).

(3). Beatrice (Thomspon) and Benedick (Branagh) in the 1993 film.

The Holy Setting

The play itself is set in Messina, Italy during the 14th century. Sticking to Shakespeare's tried and true script, Branagh chose to film this heartfelt scene in a church in front of a cross. An altar is seen as a religious staple where someone goes to confess or quietly pray, serving as a safe space for Beatrice: all she wants to do is cry for her cousin. Before Benedick arrives, she is praying for vengeance which is ironic in this holy setting. She wants Claudio to feel the same pain and humiliation he brought upon her family. The altar brings both her comfort and fear of the unknown while Benedick is at a crossroads in his feelings for Beatrice and his loyalty to his close friend, Claudio. 

Costuming

The costuming contributes to the setting since the two are dressed for Claudio and Hero's wedding before its downfall. The church is significant due to that reason but also their wedding attire is white - with the exception of Benedick's collared shirt which is blue - symbolizes purity, which is another reason the prior scene is so significant. If Beatrice were to avenge Hero and kill Claudio, she would be committing one of the ten commandments: "one shall not kill" and her white gown would be stained with red blood, which would symbolize she is impure or dirty in the eyes of God and perhaps her peers. 

The Fantastic Use of Camera Angles

(4). Beatrice asks Benedick to kill Claudio.

Throughout the entire scene, the camera is focused on the couple, capturing their physical movements and providing close-ups. As an audience, we can see Beatrice's eyes pleading and filled with anger for her beloved cousin, Hero (4). She leans into him at this moment, asking him to murder the one person she hates with every fiber of her being. 

As she says this, Benedick immediately rejects her demand. His feelings are at a crossroads because part of him does not want to hurt his close friend, but part of him wants to be as loyal as he can be to his lover. He has a shocked expression on his face, almost as if he cannot believe what he is hearing. His mouth gapes open for 10 seconds in utter horror as he looks down at her dismissively. In his mind, he is probably going "is this what she is really asking me to do?" His eyes are moving with slight skepticism and concern for Beatrice (5). Benedick left speechless is super ironic considering throughout the entire play; he is someone who will not stop talking. For a minute, we see Benedick's vulnerability when we normally see the joker at large. At this moment, his actions speak louder than words.

The camera angles used in this scene are significant since we can see both their verbal and non-verbal reactions. Throughout this scene, he is looking down on her while she is looking up at him: partly due to the height difference, partly due to the hierarchy and gendered roles of the 14th century. Since there are various close-up shots; of the two together and separate, their tension cuts through like a knife.  

In the play, there are no stage directions for this scene, or a "he looks up at her with disapproval" line like there would be in most romance texts. This kind of descriptive language is absent from our text, so the fact that Branagh made the decision allowing us to see their nonverbal body language with the camera angles is important as it brings more context to this scene rather than initially reading Shakespeare's play. 

Emotional Delivery of Lines

Throughout the course of this scene, she is looking up at him in desperation while he is looking down upon her in disbelief. They want to help each other, but this scene conveys they might be confused about where their boundaries lie.

(5). Benedick's response to Beatrice.

In a state of angst and horror, she wants to know how far he is willing to go to prove his love for her. This directorial choice only brings forth the emotional pull of these characters: Beatrice is heartbroken yet vengeful while Benedick is hopelessly devoted to her. The two hold onto each other like they are the last two people on Earth; their embrace speaks volumes in a place that is filled with solitude. This idea contrasts with Shakespeare's original where the characters do not showcase a physical display of affection towards each other, providing the audience with a deeper interpersonal connection than what appears on the pages. 

As previously mentioned, their embrace holds significance in showing exactly how much they mean to each other, not only in general, but in a time of uncertainty. The weight of emotion is also highlighted within their voices. Benedick speaks to her with concern, in a soft yet stern voice while Beatrice is overcome with emotion and anxiety. She asks him to kill Claudio with such a command in her voice. You can hear her voice crack with so much passion that it hurts to speak.  She talks so fast and abruptly, you have to listen closely to the dialogue or you will miss it. 

Conclusion

By watching this film and reading Shakespeare's masterpiece, audiences can enjoy Much Ado About Nothing in its own glory and perhaps see it through a new lens. Whether or not this scene is written on paper or portrayed on screen, the audience can feel its weight. There is context you could easily miss skimming past these few lines while reading Shakespeare. Branagh does a phenomenal job of conveying the longing emotion these characters suppress. Between the emotional delivery of lines, costuming, the camera angles, and the setting, we can concur that Much Ado About Nothing (1993) does a wonderful job at showcasing Beatrice and Benedick's fear and passion with Act IV, Scene I with a beautiful compare and contrast to Shakespeare's original play. 

Works Cited

(1). Shakespeare, William. Much Adoe About Nothing, First Edition. Folger Shakespeare Library https://shakespearedocumented.folger.edu/resource/document/much-ado-about-nothing-first-edition

(2). Simon, Peter, Hero Fainting in Church. (Shakespeare Much Ado About Nothing, Act IV, Scene I) -        The Metropolitan Museum of Art https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/707908 

(3). Much Ado About Nothing. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, The Samuel Goldwyn Company, 1993.