Beatrice and Benedick 3

I have to say I don’t understand Beatrice.

She claims to be in love with Benedick and they share some hot kisses in the dunes. However, she regrets the moment and asks Guglielma how to fall out of love with a man. So she tells her about the women meeting to dance the tarantela, a ritual dance in which women can get rid of the love riveting them to their men. So Beatrice goes, but she does not know that Benedick has been asked to be there. It is when he asks D Pedro to liberate him from his duty to marry, the prince asks him this last favour. So Benedick hears Beatrice voice his name as some kind of ritual to get rid of him. Benedick doesn’t know the reality of what he has done, but Guglielma is arrested, and although angry, Benedick saves Beatrice. In the following days Beatrice tries to ask for forgiveness, pushing notes into Benedick’s hands, but he doesn’t read them. Guglielma is condemned to death despite her son and Benedick speaking in her favour.

I have to say that some parts of this novel are a struggle. I understand that the characters come from the Shakespearean comedy so some of their actions might be foolish and difficult to come to terms with. I feel I’m not going to enjoy this book as much as I loved the author’s Botticelli’s Secret, which is to date my favourite book by this author.