Act 2 - Significant Quotes
“What should I do with him—dress him in my apparel and makehim my waiting gentlewoman? He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and hethat hath no beard is less than a man; and he that is more than a youth is not for me, and he that is less than a man, I am not for him.” – Beatrice (Act 2, Scene 1)
These lines show Beatrice’s witty explanation for why she must remain unmarried and eventually an old maid: there is no man who would be a perfect match for her. Those who possess no facial hair are not manly enough to satisfy her desires, whereas those who do possess beards are not youthful enough for her. This problem is not particular to Beatrice. In Renaissance literature and culture, particularly in Shakespeare, youths on the cusp of manhood are often the most coveted objects of sexual desire. Although Beatrice jokes that she would dress up a beardless youth as a woman, there is a double meaning: in Shakespeare’s time, the actor playing Beatrice would have been doing exactly that, since all female roles were played by prepubescent boys until the late seventeenth century.