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Beatrice tells Leonato that she will not marry until "God make men of some other mettle than earth," asking "Would it not grieve a woman to be overmaster with a piece of valiant dust?—to make account of her life to a clod of wayward marl?" (2.1.50-51,51-53). She also jokes that, "Adam's sons are my brethren, and truly it a sin to match in my kindred" (2.1.53-54). How does this compare to Benedick's anxieties about marriage? What does this say about the dynamic between men and women in the play?
While Benedick is afraid of his hypothetical wife being unfaithful, Beatrice is afraid of being ruled over by an unworthy ruler, and she concludes that marriage can only...
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