In the beginning of the book, we see the two portray different traits from after the “tragedies” faced later on, only to find those traits are what the other admires most about them. At first, Beatrice & Benedick are best described as frenemies and live to only hate the opposite gender. In Act 1, as the guests and fellow soldiers of the Prince arrive at Leonato’s …show more content…
“He set up his bills here in Messina, and challenged Cupid at the flight; and my uncle’s fool, reading the challenge, subscribed for Cupid and challenged him at the bird-bolt. I pray you, how many hath he killed and eaten in these wars? But how many hath he killed? For indeed I promised to eat all of his killing.” (Act 1, Pg 2, Lines 35-40) Further explaining, what Beatrice was saying is that Benedick was known as a “Cupid” wherever he went, the Cupid was the god of Love. Beatrice was implying that Benedick was a player and “ate” all his killing by playing with innocent women’s hearts and breaking them. With that being said, in the character descriptions on page vii, Benedick was described as a Woman Hater and sweared to never marry, while Beatrice was a Man Hater and also swore to never