Beatrice and Benedick: From Shakespeare's Play to Branagh's Film

 Introduction:

    When I read Much Ado About Nothing, the one thing that stood out to me the most was Beatrice and Benedick's playful and witty relationship with one another. They both were constantly wanting to get the last word in and making jokes to one another along the way. Even though they act as though they can not stand one another and want absolutely nothing to do with the other, their relationship becomes something that shows us all there is very obviously something between the two of them. 

    

    After watching Branagh's 1993 film version of the play, I noticed that the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick stays the same, but the film allows the reader to see these characters come to life. When reading the play, I had to imagine the characters, what they sounded like and what they looked like, but in the movie the actors make those choices for us as viewers with their expressions and body language. 

The Original Play:

    In the original play by Shakespeare, Beatrice and Benedick are introduced as two people who have possibly already met and have history with one another. When Benedick returns from the war to Messina, Beatrice instantly starts by making fun of him and soon their conversation starts to become a competition.  Both Beatrice and Benedick are trying to prove that they are smarter, funnier, and wittier than the other. 

    Their dialogue is the biggest thing that sets their relationship with one another apart. Shakespeare gives both characters very clever wordplay, which sets them apart from other characters. I think that this is a way for both of them to protect themselves, without showing their true feelings and getting hurt. Benedick says he will never love, and Beatrice makes it clear that she has no interest in marriage. As the audience, we obviously figure out later that both of their statements and minds change about one another, and neither one of them is as against love as they originally claim to be. 

    Their relationship with one another only really starts to change when other characters become involved. Benedick's mind starts to change about Beatrice and love when he overhears Claudio, Don Pedro, and Leonato talking about how Beatrice is in love with him, and Beatrice changes her mind about Benedick when she overhears Hero and Ursula talking. And once each one of them hears about the other person loving them, they start to change the way they see their relationship with one another. 

Branagh's 1993 Film:

    I chose this movie adaptation version because it keeps Shakespeare's original dialogue, which I think works incredibly well for the characters, especially Beatrice and Benedick. Their relationship with one another relies so heavily on the dialogue between them, so keeping the original dialogue allows for the same humor to stay connected to Shakespeare's writing. 

    Along with that, the film changes the experience while watching by putting the story in a beautiful outdoor setting in the countryside. The bright scenery, gardens, and open spaces make watching a different experience from simply reading the play. The setting makes the story feel more romantic, and the lightness of the setting helps fit the story being told. Branagh also uses the camera to show things that are not seen or imagined on the page. You can see the body language, the expressions, the reactions, which can sometimes tell you more about the scene than just reading the words. 

Act 1, Scene 1:

    I think that one scene that really stands out in the differences between the play and the movie adaptation is Act 1, Scene 1. Specifically, when Beatrice and Benedick start arguing with one another. In the original play, their relationship comes strictly through dialogue, and their insults make it clear that they know one another even though you don't get the background information on their relationship before the play begins. But Branagh's movie makes it even more obvious because you can see the actors interact and see how they are trying to one-up one another. Movie Beatrice comes across as very confident and quick-witted. She does not seem intimidated by anything because when she insults Benedick, she seems very comfortable doing it. Movie Benedick is also very confident, and he really enjoys the arguments and bickering with Beatrice. You can tell just by watching the scene unfold that they don't seriously dislike one another; it actually seems to come off as flirting. 

    This is one of the aspects that can be easily compared between the play and the movie. The words are somewhat giving you the impression that they enjoy one another, but watching and seeing real interactions between two people adds a whole new layer of understanding for these characters while seeing their expressions and body language. 

What the Camera Adds:

    The camera is one of the biggest advantages of the film over the written play. When reading the play, you have to imagine every little thing that is going on, and it can become quite confusing to understand everything. At least for me personally, I found it difficult to understand everything that was supposed to be going on on the page. There are obviously the stage directions, which give some information as to how a scene is supposed to be played out, but a lot of it is left to your own imagination. But when watching the movie, it's so much easier to understand everything that's going on. You can see everyone on the screen who's supposed to be in the scene, see the details, and how everyone reacts to one another. Although the written play is great and the story is enjoyable, it does make it slightly confusing as to what's going on because of the imagination factor. 

    But this is especially important for Beatrice and Benedick and their relationship with one another because they often say one thing, but their actions suggest something different. Like how they may be insulting one another, but their expressions suggest that they are enjoying each other's attention. I just overall think watching the movie and seeing everything play out makes an audience more aware of the attraction between the two earlier. 

Beatrice & Benedict's Relationship:

    Something I found interesting about comparing the play and the movie is that Branagh's film makes it so much easier to see why Beatrice and Benedick fall in love in the first place. In the play, we know about the constant arguing, but you have to completely imagine what it would look and sound like. But in the movie, Beatrice and Benedick have such a strong connection, and the chemistry is amazing to watch. It makes their relationship seem so much more obvious than the writing. They both enjoy challenging one another, and neither one is willing to admit that the other is the perfect match for them. Which is so entertaining to watch and see unfold. 

    It's just so enjoyable to see their relationship unfold. In both the written play and the movie, I find it entertaining because they both go from being completely against love to suddenly actually caring about one another. Their relationship just works so well because they are genuinely so similar. They are both so confident and independent, and they are just so perfect for each other because they can actually keep up with one another. 

Work Cited: 

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

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