"Benedictus" Act 3 Scene 4

Margaret's role

• Yet more comic relief 
• Is she a distraction from a more serious point? 
• Hero is "uneasy" and Beatrice "unwell"
• Are the pre wedding jitters or something more significant which we are "deceived" about?  

Bawdiness

• " 'Twill be heavier soon by the weight of a man" 
• "The heavier for a husband"
• "A maid and stuffed! There's a goodly catching of a cold."
• "Cardus Benedictus" (not bawdy)

Questions

1. How has Beatrice changed in this scene from her previous behavior  Identify two sexual jokes the girls make this scene? 

            Beatrice has changed because she thought she could never love and that no man would ever be good enough for her. However in this scene she is feeling sick because she doesn't know how she fells about Benedict. So when Margaret says about "Cardus Benedictus" she immediately defends herself and denies it.

            One sexual joke that the girls make is " 'Twill be heavier soon by the weight of a man" this is a sexual joke because it could be implied as a sexual relationship between Hero and Claudio. A second joke is "A maid and stuffed! There's a goodly catching of a cold." this could be seen as a sexual joke because stuffed is can also be referred to as being pregnant as well as having a stuffed nose from a cold.

2. What is the "Cardus Benedictus" referred to in the scene, and what does Beatrice think it means? 

            "Cardus Benedictus" is a holy thistle, considered a cure for money illnesses. However Beatrice believes that Margaret is hinting at her love for Benedict and over reacts which makes her seem rather guilty and that she does have feelings for him.

3. Are we deceived by Margaret's humor? 

            We are because her sexual jokes hide the uneasiness of Beatrice and Hero. This is foreshadowing what will happen at the wedding. Margaret acts as a comic relief before the tragedy of the wedding. Act 3, Scene 4 ends quickly this along with Margaret's humor makes the distance between comedy and tragedy so large that the switch is traumatic for the audience.