Character Analysis #2: Foil Characters

     In my first Character Analysis blog post, I spoke about the character Beatrice. Beatrice has many qualities that, must I say, are not very good qualities. Some qualities include her independent nature, her wit, and her negativity. This character's foil, or opposite, is Hero. Beatrice and Hero differ with one other greatly.
     There are many qualities of these two characters which led me to believe that they are each other's foil. First of all, Hero is polite and kind. Beatrice is not; she is rude and witty. Second, Hero wants love. Beatrice, on the other hand, definitely does not want love and has quite cynical views of love. Hero is positive and loving, while Beatrice is negative and hateful towards others. Beatrice holds grudges, unlike Hero, who is forgiving.
     The following quote demonstrates how Hero is compassionate towards others, unlike Beatrice: "God give me joy to wear it, for my heart is exceeding heavy." A quote which demonstrates Beatrice's qualities is in the first scene, in which she is having a battle of wit with Benedick. Beatrice says, "I thank God and my cold blood I am of your humor for that. I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me." These two quotes demonstrate why Beatrice and Hero are foil characters because they both show each individual's qualities pretty clearly, which contrast greatly. These characters contribute to the plot because they both enhance the qualities of one another, adding great variation in character personalities. This makes it more interesting because the variation makes the story more realistic.

Best Journal Entry

     "Because I will not do them the wrong to mistrust any, I will

do myself the right to trust none. And the fine is, for the

which I may go the finer, I will live a bachelor." (Act 1 Scene 1).

     The quote above, said by Benedick, is explaining how he feel on the subject of relationships. He feels that he cannot trust any woman. Before this quote, he tells that he will not allow any woman to make a fool of him, meaning he will not get married because he does not want to be cheated on. In this quote, Benedick is saying that he must do what is best for him.

     Benedick thinks that it would be in his best interest to trust no woman. He is saying that he does not wish to insult any woman by doubting or mistrusting her, and so that he does not, he will just avoid all women. To end his quote, he concludes that he will live as a bachelor, and with the money he saves, he will dress better. I can connect with what is said in this quote because I sometimes can have a cynical view of men (and women) in relationships, too. I sometimes feel the need to isolate myself from others and not trust anyone because I don't want to get hurt any more.

Close Analysis of Text

     In the song, "Sigh No More", sung by Balthasar, the nature of men is looked down upon. The song speaks of how men are deceivers with loose footing on life. It brushes on how men are not committed or devoted to anything. The song recommends that women should not let the manner of men upset them. It suggests that women should stop singing sad songs of their heartbreak and just "let boys be boys".
     I slightly agree with what the songs claims. I agree that many males are not devoted to most anything and do tend to deceive women. The reason I do not concur completely with the claims in the song is because it is stereotyping all men. I do believe that some men are this way, but I don't agree that all men do this. I also don't agree that it is only men that do this, because many women are full of deceit and lack devotion.
     This song reflects the action of the play because there is much deceit going on. It seems that everyone at some point believes an untrue rumor of some sort, which is making the play slightly confusing for me to read. Don Pedro and his co-conspirators chose to use this song in this scene because it gives the opportunity to make Benedick's hiding and detection more effective.

Character Analysis #1

     A character I connect with is Beatrice. I connect with this character because I am an independent person, and so is she. Beatrice does not wish to depend on anyone for happiness, and I feel the same way. Though she and I are both independent, we are very different. Beatrice and I are different for many reasons. One reason is that she does not ever wish to find love and wants to die alone. I wouldn't mind one day falling in love. I think it would be way too lonely for my heart to handle to die alone. Beatrice is also a witty person, which is another reason we are alike.

     Beatrice contributes to the plot by creating a bitter tone. She says many nasty remarks and is very negative, especially when it comes to the subject of love. One quote which captures her nature is in the scene in which she, Leonato, and Antonio are discussing her ill-temper. Leonato brings to her attention that she will not find a husband if she continues to say harsh things about people. She speaks of a stereotype that says women who die unmarried go to the gates of hell, and Leonato asks if she will go to hell. She then replies, "No, but to the gate, and there will the devil meet me like an old cuckold with horns on his head, and say, 'Get you to heaven, Beatrice, get you to heaven; here’s no place for you maids.' So deliver I up my apes and away to Saint Peter. For the heavens, he shows me where the bachelors sit, and there live we as merry as the day is long" (Act 2, Scene 1: pg 40). This quote typifies Beatrice because she is speaking of dying independent and not minding it. This quote also shows how Beatrice is witty because she is being humorous about going to hell and being sent to heaven instead.

First Impressions

     In what I have read so far, I have connected with the character Beatrice the most. I connected with this character because she is a witty person. The way she speaks reminds me of the way I argue sometimes. Beatrice uses cutting words and phrases to make her opponent back down or get nervous and unable to rebuke with a comeback. She is a mean and rude person, but only to Benedick. This is another reason I connect with Beatrice because I only act in this manner when it is necessary and the person deserves to be treated that way.

     A quote which I found humorous from Beatrice was in the first scene when she and Benedick began to talk. After Benedick says a remark to someone else, Beatrice says, "I wonder that you will still be talking, Signior Benedick: nobody marks you" (3). I found this quote funny because she is so rude and blunt. I was amused at the way she does not care how mean she is to Benedick. I predict that in the future, Benedick and Beatrice may have some more issues. I believe that they may continue to banter in such a manner until something causes them to either cause harm to one another or unite in some way, whether it be in a relationship or just working together to solve an issue.
     A quote I found confusing in this scene was when the messenger is speaking of Benedick's uncle's reaction to letters he had delivered to him. The messenger says, "I have already delivered him letters, and there appears much joy in him - even so much that joy could not show itself modest enough without a badge of bitterness" (2). This quote was confusing to me because the old Shakespearean language is difficult for me to understand completely. After focusing on the quote, I found that the messenger was saying that the uncle was so overjoyed and emotional that it looked as if he was in pain.