Who Benedick is
Benedick arrives in Messina with Don Pedro and his soldiers after a war. At Leonato's house, he and Beatrice immediately begin trading insults, each claiming to want nothing to do with love. Their talk suggests a shared history, though the play does not explain its details.
Benedick and the others in the story
Beatrice is Leonato's niece, and she challenges Benedick's wit whenever they meet. Their quarrels set them apart from Claudio and Hero, whose love begins more quietly. When Claudio confides his feelings for Hero, Benedick mocks him and declares his own determination to remain unmarried.
How Benedick changes
Don Pedro joins Claudio and Leonato in a plan to make Benedick believe that Beatrice secretly loves him. Hidden in a garden arbour, Benedick hears their staged conversation and accepts it as truth. He begins arguing against his own earlier vows and decides to treat Beatrice kindly.
This change lets his wit give way to a warmer response to Beatrice. The garden trick shows how readily his certainty about avoiding love can shift when he believes affection is offered.
Questions
Who is Benedick?
Benedick is a witty young soldier serving with Don Pedro and visiting Leonato's household in Messina.
Does Benedick love Beatrice?
Benedick has feelings for Beatrice beneath their teasing, but pride keeps both from admitting them. Their friends use a trick to draw those feelings into the open.
Why does Benedick change his mind about marriage?
He changes his mind after overhearing that Beatrice loves him. He believes the staged conversation and finds reasons to set aside his earlier objections.