Who Beatrice is
Beatrice belongs to Leonato's household, where Don Pedro and his soldiers arrive as guests after a war. She jokes about Benedick even before he arrives, and their meeting quickly becomes a contest of insults.
Her sharp tongue does not tell the whole story, because she feels more than she lets others see. Like Benedick, she is clever and proud, afraid of being the first to give in.
Beatrice and the others in the story
Benedick is a soldier in Don Pedro's company and Beatrice's partner in their continuing war of words. Both reject love and marriage aloud, but their exchanges suggest a closeness beneath the teasing. At a masked dance, her remarks sting him, encouraging Don Pedro to try bringing them together.
How Beatrice changes
Hero and Ursula arrange for Beatrice to overhear them saying that Benedick is deeply in love with her. They also speak about her pride, and their words make her reconsider how she treats him. She decides to return his love, speaking with a warmth and plainness that contrast with her earlier jokes.
Questions
Who is Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing?
Beatrice is Leonato's witty niece and one of the play's two sparring lovers.
What is Beatrice's relationship with Benedick?
Beatrice and Benedick trade insults and deny any interest in marriage. Their friends use a trick to encourage them to admit their feelings.
Why does Beatrice change her mind about love?
She believes Hero and Ursula when she overhears them discussing Benedick's love for her. Their criticism of her pride also prompts her to change.