Учебное пособие 4 unit I. The renaissance 1485-1649

STYLISTIC ANALYSIS
Beatrice and Benedick seemingly cannot stand each other, whenever they
meet they start arguing challenging each other to a verbal competition. We
have a suspicion from the first that they are in love with each other because of
the pride each takes in scorning and defying the other. It is but natural that
Benedick addressing Beatrice calls her Lady Disdain This SD is that of
antonomasia. The proper name is substituted by a common noun which
stands in certain relations to the name. Beatrice in her reply to Benedick
treats the word «disdain» as a living being ascribing to it human qualities.
Hence here we have the SD of personification: «Is it possible disdain should
die while she hath such mee food to feed it as Signior Benedick?»
Benedick in his turn takes revenge on Beatrice saying that Beatrice’s
decision to remain unmarried (single) will be most beneficial for some
gentleman: «So some gentleman or other shall scape a predestinate scratched
face». Benedick uses periphrasis «a predestinate scratched face» which
stands for fighting which Beatrice’s future husband will undoubtedly have
with her.
Beatrice has a sharp tongue and she displays her wit without sparing
Benedick’s feelings, thus she expresses an idea that no scratching could make
his face worse than it is: «Scratching could not make it (the face) worse». By
this periphrasis Beatrice wants to bring home to Benedick that he is ugly.
Beatrice’s speech is emotional and abounds in EMs and SDs. Besides the
above mentioned periphrases she uses similes to show her attitude towards
men in general and Benedick in particular: «I had rather hear my dog bark at
a crow than a man swear he loves me», «A bird of my tongue is better than a

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beast of yours» (Benedick’s).
Benedick however is a match to Beatrice in dispute, he replies in a
humorous way to her attack saying that he wished his horse had a speed of
her tongue: «I would my horse had the speed of your tongue». Benedick uses
the word «speed» in the direct and figurative meanings simultaneously which
is a SD of zeugma. His speech as well as the speech of Beatrice is rich in all
kinds of EMs and SDs. Further discussing with Claudio the latter’s sweet-
heart he says: «Why, i’ faith, methinks she’s too low for a high praise, too
brown for a fair praise, and too little for a great praise». Besides, one should
note the double meaning of the words «fair», «low», «high» which is a kind
of zeugma. The parallel constructions he uses bring out another SD, that of
antithesis through which Benedick reveals his opinion about Hero, the object
of Claudio’s love. He tries to mock Claudio out of his love and asks him:
«Would you buy her, that you inquire after her?» Claudio replies to Benedick
through a metaphor: «Can the world buy such a jewel?» to which Benedick
answers prolonging the metaphor ironically: «Yea, and a case to put it into».
Finally he expresses his disapproval of Claudio’s choice by comparing Hero
with her cousin Beatrice: «there’s her cousin, and she were not possessed
with a fury, exceeds her as much in beauty as the first of May doth the last of
December». Through this simile Benedick on the one hand expresses his
contemptuous attitude to Hero and on the other hand reveals his admiration
for the beauty of Beatrice.
Ironically bemoaning his friend’s decision to marry Hero, Benedick refers
to marriage as a «yoke» (a trite metaphor). He predicts to Claudio his sad
fate: he will «sigh away Sundays». Through this periphrasis Benedick wants
to say that Claudio will be soon bored to death and regret the irrevocable step
he had taken.
Summing up the analysis of the extract off the play one should note the
artistic way the dialogue is constructed to reveal the brilliance and wit of the
characters. Benedick and Beatrice are shown through their speech which is
sharp, colourful and bold, rich in EMs and SDs used by the characters most
naturally as they challenge each other in their constant verbal fights.