Elizabethan men are not entirely different from some modern men, especially when it comes to their views on marriage, love, and sex. Many men continue to apply double standards: they expect their partner to be virginal while they themselves are free to have a sexual experience. And the concept of marriage as painful and restrictive is still prevalent, as are romanticized ideals of love and its timelessness. In Much Ado About Nothing, Benedick shares many of these views early in the play, but what sets him apart from the rest of the cast is his gradual change in his views on women and relationships , at the end of the piece. Benedick moves from the role of the silver-tongued misogynistic womanizer to, by the end of the play, that of a loving realist who respects not only Beatrice, but women as a whole, and proves it by agreeing to fight a duel with Claudio to “avenge” Hero and prove his loyalty to Beatrice. This fundamental change is brought about by a series of key scenes: the masked party, the staged conversation between Leonato, Claudio and Don Pedro, Hero's rejection by Claudio at the wedding and the moment when Benedick swears to Beatrice that he will challenge Claudio.Say no to plagiarism.Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? of the play, Benedick is impressed with himself and loved (he claims) by all the women except Beatrice. His ego is caught up in the role he plays, that of a witty joker, d. 'a killer of women, a heroic soldier and a distinguished nobleman. He brings this ego into every encounter he has with anyone, as evidenced by his reluctance to give Claudio a straight answer as to whether Hero would make a good match; or when he jokes with Beatrice upon her arrival and defeats her in their battle of wits "with a round of jade" (1.1.141). So when Benedick's ego is bruised by Beatrice at the masked ball when she says, "[Benedick is] the prince's jester, a very annoying fool." His only gift is to invent impossible slanders" (2.1.132-33), this forces him to reflect on his characteristics and then, later in the scene, he tells Don Pedro all the insults and jokes that she did it at her expense. Benedick struggles here between playing his role and ignoring Beatrice's insults or accepting that Beatrice truly despises him. His pride and possible hidden affections for Beatrice lead him to lash out at her and when Don Pedro and Claudio suggest that he might love Beatrice, he protests openly. Benedick's tirade against Beatrice is ironically the catalyst for his subtle shift from viewing his relationship with Beatrice as a sport, towards respecting and even loving her. But before loving Beatrice, Benedick must put aside his ego, his ruse of masculinity, and be vulnerable enough to face rejection. Thus, when Leonato, Claudio and Don Pedro carry on their overheard conversation "accidentally", Benedick's reaction to hearing about Beatrice's love is authentic. This is the first scene where he is portrayed as his true self to the audience, without the appearance of being chauvinistic and mocking for Beatrice's sake. When he is alone and thinks that no one else can hear him, he even declares: “If I do not pity her, I am a villain; if I don’t love him, I’m a Jew” (2.3.255-57). Benedick may or may not have cared about her before, but whatever his feelings were before this meeting, they changed because his ego was damaged enough at the masquerade party to allow him to change his mind. So already,the one who said that he would “live single” (1.1.239) not a single act before changes his mind precisely because he perceives a change in Beatrice's affections towards him. Benedick rationalizes his change of heart to not appear weaker, but the fact that Benedick is the first to change his feelings and be vulnerable may be a play on the typical gender stereotype that women are more emotional or susceptible to change your mind. or reviews. This change in his character, whatever the reason, indicates a change in his feelings towards women. Whereas before, women were only good for giving birth and spending the night, Benedick is now at least open to the possibility of love (but not the same blind or financially inspired love as that of Claudio and Hero). To further prove this point, Benedick is a changed man in his feelings not only towards Beatrice, but towards all women. The wedding scene marks the third example of a change in Benedick's beliefs. When Don John, Claudio, and Don Pedro accuse Hero of no longer being a servant, Benedick decides to stand by Hero and Beatrice instead of hanging out with the three supposedly wronged men. Benedick openly shows his concern for Hero, asking "how is the lady?" (4.1.111), even going so far as to defend Hero from Leonato's wrath when he tries to attack him. Previously, Benedick, while he may not have condoned the attack of a woman, would certainly have sided with his companions when it came to the issue of Hero's virginity. But now there is a subtle change in his behavior. He even agrees to help deceive Claudio by faking Hero's death; he says "and although you know that my interiority and my love are very important to the prince and Claudio, yet, by my honor, I will act in this as secretly and justly as your soul should with your body" (4.1. 243-47). Benedick fully engages in the conspiracy between Hero, the brother and Leonato, especially because he believed that Claudio and Don Pedro had been deceived by Don John. Benedick, at this point, is a completely different character, in the sense that his usual combative and verbally playful way of speaking has been replaced by seriousness and much more direct dialogue. In comparison, Claudio, when Benedick meets him later, is all jokes and bravado. It's almost as if Claudio and Benedick's personalities have shifted from one to the other. This change in character shows that Benedick is completely removed from his old facade, as he made no jokes and had virtually none of his characteristics of ego or pride from the beginning of the play. The final and most dramatic change in Benedick's attitude towards women. comes immediately after Hero's fall from grace. When he and Beatrice are left alone, he not only confesses his love to her, but he also consoles her and shows more compassion than any man toward any woman in the room. Although some may view this as an attempt to get on Beatrice's good side, Benedick has proven in all of the examples above that his opinions change and his motivations and actions are sincere. To further prove his loyalty to her, Beatrice asks Benedick to kill Claudio, and after much persuasion, he says, "Enough, I am engaged." I will challenge him. I'm going to kiss your hand and then I'm leaving you. By this hand Claudio will give me a dear account” (4.1.330-32). At first glance, this action may not seem particularly heroic, but some earlier details are worth remembering: Claudio is said to have killed many people during the wars, and the messenger in the first act could not.