The Gulling of Benedick in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing (Essay Example)

Don Pedro initiates the plan to bring Benedick and Beatrice “into a mountain of affection”, to fall in love. However, Leonato and Claudio are also involved in the gulling and play significant roles. Benedick doubts the dupe at first, however, because “the white bearded fellow speaks it”, referring to Leonato, Benedick is more inclined to believe the trickery. This is because Leonato is a respectable man in the play, of high status, and wouldn’t be involved in trickery of this nature. Don Pedro’s strategical questions throughout the gulling make the conversation more believable and seem less planned. The location also played a significant role in the gulling of Benedick to work. Set outside, Benedick’s character can listen to them successfully while thinking he was hidden from them. It also gives the conversation a more casual and spontaneous element, which plays a role to convince Benedick of Beatrice’s supposed affection towards him. 

Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato exaggerate Beatrice’s desperation for Benedick to receive a stronger reaction and to make him go to greater lengths to make Beatrice feel loved by him. Therefore, bringing them closer together. Claudio states that Beatrice “falls, weeps, sobs, beats her heart, tears her hair, prays and curses” knowing she can’t express her love to Benedick. By listing negative adjectives, Claudio exaggerates Beatrice’s emotions, creating hyperbole. Furthermore, Claudio declares that Hero thinks “surely she will die”, referring to Beatrice, “she will die, if he loves her not”. The repetition of “she will die” emphasizes the hyperbolic gravity of the situation and poses an ultimatum to Benedick by saying that if he does not reciprocate the love, Beatrice will die from heartbreak or, through implications by Leonato, she will do “desperate outrage” to herself. By including Hero’s opinion, Benedick is more inclined to believe the exaggeration because of how close Hero is to Beatrice. The exaggeration makes Benedick more curious and intent on knowing more. 

The characters involved in the gulling of Benedick emotionally manipulate him to be kinder in his attitude towards Beatrice, as they expect him to “make a sport” out of playing with Beatrice’s emotions and her affection towards him. They also continually repeat how much Beatrice loves Benedick to persuade him that her love for him is true, by doing this they make sure that this fact is engraved into Benedicks mind. Don Pedro calls Benedick a “contemptible spirit”, insulting him to force a reaction that would push him to behave the opposite way of how he has been so far in the play towards Beatrice, therefore kinder. The characters then compliment him, “he is a very proper man”, and include other traits which parallel the traits the Beatrice looks for in an ideal man. This reassures the audience, and Benedick, of the character's compatibility and the match-making skills of Don Pedro. By both complimenting and insulting him, the characters challenge Benedick to better himself for Beatrice without dispiriting him. 

To begin with, Benedick doubts what Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato say, however, he is ultimately convinced because of Leonato’s involvement. Furthermore, he chooses to requite the love he thinks Beatrice has for him. In his soliloquy, Benedick, states that he “did” not think he would marry, vowing to lead a bachelor’s life. Yet for Beatrice, he is willing to marry, this shows the true feelings that Benedick has for her. As part of his reaction, he blames his own actions for the lack of affection Beatrice has shown him. Showing his growth as a person, he states that he would “put them to mending”. This is significant because at the time it was common for any issues in a relationship to be solely blamed on the female, and the males to not take accountability for their mistakes. Benedick goes back on his statement that he will love no one by saying that he “will be horribly in love” with Beatrice. He says this knowing that people will ridicule him for falling in love. Using the adjective “horribly” also implies the extent of the love he has for her.