Beatrice, Benedick and love in Much Ado About Nothing Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare is set in 13th century Italy. The plot of the play can be classified as comedy or tragicomedy. Malice and intrigue combine with humor and brilliant wordplay in Shakespeare's comedy of manners. Claudio is tricked into believing that Hero is unfaithful. Meanwhile, Benedick and Beatrice have "a sort of merry war" with each other, matching wits in response. This article will attempt to present the fact that Beatrice and Benedick are in love throughout the entire play despite their witty rivalries. Their friends' plans lead each to think the other is in love, which allows for true affection between them that leads to the exchange of sacred vows. “They offer both character and situational comedies. The "merry war" between them is established in the opening scene: Beatrice heaps comic insults on Benedick both before seeing him and to his face, yet there is no doubt of her interest in him, however it may be expressed; and although Benedick declares himself 'an avowed tyrant of their sex' (1.1.161) and an opponent of marriage, he tells Claudio that Beatrice 'and not possessed by fury, surpasses 'Hero' as much in beauty as the first of May does l 'last December' (1.1.180-2). Even Beatrice, although she says she prays morning and night that God will not send her a husband, admits that there would be something to say for Benedick, if it were not for his constant chatter (2.1.6-26)” (Wells 167).Beatrice and Benedetto had been more or less in love for some time, and Benedetto had withdrawn:Well: O God, sir, here is a dish that I do not love! I can't stand my Lady Tongue.ExitD. Pedro: Come, the... middle of the card......season', she loves him 'but in friendly reward'; he takes her only "out of pity", she gives in to him "with great persuasion, and partly to save your life, because they told me you were tuberculosis". As the bagpipers begin the music for a final dance, we can only agree that they were 'too wise to court peaceably' (5.2.65)” (Palmer 119). Shakespeare's interest in action is often merely tertiary to his powers of characterization and language. In Much Ado he created a disconcerting relationship between Beatrice and Benedick. It is up to the reader to interpret this relationship as love or "merry war." Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Shakespeare: The invention of the human. New York: Riverhead Books, 1998. Palmer, John. Shakespeare's comic characters. New York: Macmillan, 1959. Wells, Stanley. Shakespeare: a life in drama. New York: W. W. Norton, 1997.