Can you provide examples of how these themes are represented in Act II?
One of the themes in Act two is the nature of marriage. Beatrice is also more than aware that marriage brings many risks with it. "Would it not grieve a woman to be overmastered with a piece of valiant dust?" (2.1.51-52). Marriage for a woman is to risk her integrity by submitting to a man. A similar fate is seen by Benedick, who views marriage as risk to mens' honor. As a result, he commonly refers to bulls' horns and cuckoldry in the first act. Both Benedick and Beatrice hold a mature awareness of what marriage entails, causing them to shun it. This will show up later in the last act when Benedick remarks, "Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably" (5.2.62).
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