How Does Benedick Present Love In Much Ado About Nothing

The Motivations of Marriage: Love Versus Honor (Option N) At a relationship’s core, lovers search for fulfillment. To become fulfilled, uniting in marriage must somehow change the characters involved leading to progress. With Claudio as a foil to Benedick and Hero as foil to Beatrice, this play illuminates the benefits of a relationship motivated by love—shown through sacrifice—instead of honor—exemplified by military rank, social class, and possessions. Claudio’s traits as an honorable soldier contrast with Benedick’s dishonorable reputation as a womanizing bachelor, making Claudio seem more likely to gain fulfillment. Initially, Benedick depicts Claudio as a “fool”—a man that “dedicates his behaviours to love”—a crucial thought that overemphasizes the role of love in Hero and Claudio’s relationship while setting up his own dramatic transformation toward love (2.3.8). For Hero and Beatrice, their attitudes toward marriage could not be more

Tempted by Don John’s bait of Hero’s infidelity, Claudio vows to publicly “shame her” “if [he] see[s] anything” (3.2.91-92). In this society, unfaithfulness causes harm to the honor of not only Hero but also Claudio, forcing Claudio to proactively decide to protect his reputation without showing Hero any mercy and love. Furthermore, Claudio claims, “Her blush is guiltiness, not modesty,” highlighting his trust in shallow, outward appearances instead of trust in the woman he supposedly loves (4.1.37). Claudio’s inability to see and understand any evidence that makes Hero seem innocent reveals the blinding nature of honor. As a result, Claudio’s motivations for pursuing marriage with Hero become clear as protecting his social status seems more important than showing any mercy for