1. When Hero is wronged, Beatrice wants Claudio dead and asks Benedick to kill him. She says it must be a man to do it. She says: “O God, that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the marketplace” (4.1.321-2). Her desire to revenge her cousin is stopped because she is a woman and therefore cannot take matters into her own hands. Taylor Swift talks about this same feeling: “I’d be a fearless leader, I’d be an alpha type” (0:19-22), as well as “I’m so sick of running as fast I can, wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man” (0:27-35). The song revolves around wondering how different life might be if she wasn’t subject to gendered expectations, limitation, and criticism. Swift also asks, “When everyone believes ya, what’s that like?” (0:23-26). Nobody listens when Beatrice vouches for Hero, but they readily accept her innocence when men say it.
2. This song is written from the perspective of a girl in a mafia family. She warns her boyfriend against leaving or hurting her. “Honey believe me / I’ll have your heart on a platter / Might you recall / We’ve got a small family business / And the family won’t like this” (0:12-30). At another point, she says Johnny got cold feet (0:52). Claudio backs out of the wedding and hurts Hero by humiliating her, and Beatrice wants Claudio dead because of it, her equivalent of busting his kneecaps. “Heart on a platter” is also similar to when she says she would eat Claudio’s heart.
3. Considering both Beatrice and Benedick start out the play with no plans for marriage or love, this song seems very fitting. The singer says falling in love was unintentional and inevitable: “Well, I didn’t mean to do it / But there’s no escaping your love” (1:20-25). The song is talking about giving in to falling in love, which is what happens in the play. Beatrice initially falls for Benedick when she overhears a conversation which she thinks is real and private, not realizing (at the time) that it is not an accidental overhearing at all but a trick.
4. This song talks about growing up with parents who fight with each other and advise against love and marriage. The singer says she “promised [she’d] never sing of love, if it does not exist” (0:55-1:00). Beatrice does not share the backstory discussed in the song. However, she is completely against love until she falls for Benedick. “Up until now / I had sworn to myself / that I’m content with loneliness / because none of it was ever worth the risk / Well, you are the only exception” (2:00-17). She went from finding the idea of love abhorrent to marrying Benedick; he is her exception.
5. Beatrice demands that Benedick kill Claudio. He initially refuses, and she is offended by it. This song talks about a man murdering someone for the woman he loves. “I did it all for her / So I felt nothing at all / I don’t know what she’ll say / So I’ll ask her when she calls / Would you love me more if I killed someone for you? / Would you hold my hand? / They’re the same ones that I used / When I killed someone for you” (0:27-49). The singer talks about following directions, doing what’s asked of him, and trying to make her happy. Beatrice expects the same of Benedick; it seems like she’s testing how far he’ll go for her.
6. In this song, Swift sings about a boyfriend who is a gentleman, always polite and respectful. As perfect as he seems, she misses her challenging ex-boyfriend. They did not get along smoothly, and they argued constantly, but she prefers it. “It’s two AM and I’m cursing your name / So in love that you acted insane / And that’s the way I loved you / Breaking down and coming undone, it’s a roller coaster kinda rush” (1:06-20). As Benedick tells Beatrice, they are “too wise to woo peaceably” (5.2.72). From the start of the play, they are constantly getting on each other’s nerves and making snarky comments.
7. This duet is sung by a couple whose relationship sounds like the cliche old married couple who love each other but are so comfortable they know all of each other’s quirks and argue all the time. There are definitely a few crude lyrics, but overall, it is a cute song. The chorus seems very fitting for Beatrice: “In spite of ourselves / We’ll end up sittin’ on a rainbow / Against all odds / Honey, we’re the big door prize / We’re gonna spite our noses / Right off of our faces / There won’t be nothin’ but big old hearts / Dancin’ in our eyes” (2:31-55). Benedick and Beatrice are very in love but neither one glosses over the other’s flaws. They get their happy ending, but it does seem to be in spite of themselves.