Beatrice is the niece of Leonato, the governor of Messina, a town/village in Italy. She is very close friends to Hero, her cousin and Leonato’s only child. When Claudio accuses Hero of being unchaste, Beatrice bursts into fury and fiercely defends her beloved niece. Even though she is sincerely happy for her niece that is about to get married, she herself does not feel the urge to marry at all:

Act II scene 1 BEATRICE:

Just, if he [God] send me no husband; for the which 421
blessing I am at him upon my knees every morning and
evening.

Act II scene 1 LEONATO:

Well, niece, I hope to see you one day fitted with a husband.

BEATRICE:

Not till God make men of some other metal than 450
earth. Would it not grieve a woman to be
overmastered with a pierce of valiant dust? To make
an account of her life to a clod of wayward marl?
No, uncle, I'll none: Adam's sons are my brethren;
and, truly, I hold it a sin to match in my kindred. 455

As these anecdotes already point out, Beatrice is a feisty and sharp lady that speaks straight from the shoulder. Nevertheless, this behaviour is not always tolerated from a well-brought-up lady in Elizabethan times: as Benedick states, ‘you shall find her the infernal Ate in good apparel.’ (II i. 234). The parallel that Benedick makes between Ate, the Greek Goddess of Discord and Beatrice clearly affirms that although Beatrice might behave and look like a well-educated woman, her outward appearances disguised her reluctance towards the conventional docility of women at that time.

The vast majority of the characters in Much Ado do not go through a personal development. Consequently, one might say that the play deals with ‘parts’ rather than with ‘characters’. Nevertheless there is a remarkable change regarding Beatrice: the most striking feature that Beatrice is accused of is that she is disdainful. What is more, the concept concerns Beatrice five out of the six times it is used in the play. But when she eavesdrops on Hero and Ursula having a conversation about her pride and scorn, she is astounded and suddenly puts aside this disdainful part, admitting herself to love Benedick:

Act III, scene 1

BEATRICE [Coming forward]
What fire is in mine ears? Can this be true?
Stand I condemn'd for pride and scorn so much?
Contempt, farewell! and maiden pride, adieu!
No glory lives behind the back of such. 110
And, Benedick, love on; I will requite thee,
Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand:
If thou dost love, my kindness shall incite thee
To bind our loves up in a holy band;
For others say thou dost deserve, and I 115
Believe it better than reportingly.