Much Ado About Nothing
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Beatrice

...there was a star danced, and under that was I born.

[2.1.309]

Also called

  • ‘Lady Disdain’,
  • ‘Lady Tongue’ ,
  • ‘Harpy’

Relationship status

Single

Played by

Fiona Hampton

Biography

Beatrice is the wealthy niece of Leonato and the cousin of Hero. She is intelligent, witty and charismatic and is consequently given a great deal of freedom in comparison with Hero. She converses as an equal with her Uncle and the soldiers and she is well liked by them, receiving a marriage proposal from the prince himself. Beatrice and Benedick have a battle of wits with each other whenever they meet and they are duped into falling in love with each other as a result of overhearing their respective friends speaking of the love each one feels for the other. Beatrice is distraught and furious when Hero is falsely accused and entreats Benedick to kill Claudio for his cruelty.

Relationships

Interviews

@Beatrice

Benedick is arrogant, immature, rude….but I think I am falling for him. Help?! What do I do?

@Niall

Go ask him! It won't do any harm.

@owen

You leave him alone. You did just say that he is arrogant, immature and rude. Why get with him? :)

@abby

You probably feel that he is arrogant, immature and rude because you like him. I think that you should try a relationship it might end well.

@Aimee-Rose

Follow your heart and dreams and everything will be ok =^.^=

@Rebbeca

Well talk to him and tell him what you feel xxx

@Bella

First thing you should do is push him away, then leave him or just try it.

@melbob

Slap him, kiss him, tell him you are in love then run away!

@eleanor

Okay tell him your feelings for him in private but do not try to tell anyone else until your certain.

@L.S.P.

You just have to follow your heart and trust your feelings!

@jimmy

Tell him to go away!

Add your reply to @Beatrice

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Locked Content

Modern Messina – Our weekly interview for those in the know…

MM: Today we meet one of Messina’s most remarkable young women The Lady Beatrice. Hello, Lady Beatrice how are you today?

Beatrice: I am well thank you but please just call me Beatrice.

MM: Right you are. Tell us a little about your family and everything.

Beatrice: Well, I live with my uncle Leonato who is, of course, our governor. My parents are no longer with us so my uncle very kindly took me in. I live there with my cousin Hero which is good for me in some ways as I have someone to talk to but in other ways it is not so good.

MM: Not so good? How so?

Beatrice: Well, don’t mistake me, I love and respect Hero and would never do anything to harm her, but she is just so good that she shows me up I think.

MM: Shows you up? What do you mean?

Beatrice: Hero is quiet, thoughtful and trusting and I am not! I always want to make my feelings known, I sometimes speak too quickly and that can get me into trouble and I am suspicious of people’s motives, especially men!

MM: My, that was said with real feeling. What is at the bottom of that remark I wonder? Have you perhaps been hurt in the past?

Beatrice: I’m afraid so. I was friendly with a man once but all the promises he made were false and it all came to an end. I am determined never to fall for such tricks again. As far as I am concerned I will be very careful before I allow myself to become involved with a man again.

MM: What would make the ideal man for you?

Beatrice: It would need to be someone who is a mixture of light-hearted fun with a serious approach to life when it is needed. The man I was friendly with just kept on making witty remarks and was never serious especially when he made all those promises to me.

MM: Who was this man who treated you so badly? Can you tell us?

Beatrice: Yes, I will tell you; it is that famous fool Benedick, he who makes so many weak jokes all the time that I am amazed the Prince puts up with him a moment longer. Yes, Benedick, though I hate to say the name.

MM: Well, thank-you Beatrice for being so honest with us. I guess we shall not being seeing you get married any time soon then?

Beatrice: I am certain of it!

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