Thus far, we've examined the role of both Kate in Taming of the Shrew and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. Kate fights against the perception of "womanly behavior" through her temper; she is outspoken and violent towards others. Juliet goes against this ideal by purposely acting against her parents wishes; although she looks polite compared to Kate, her behavior is still considered abnormal.
In Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice seems to use a combination of Kate and Juliet's tactics. Like Kate, she is very witty and wont pause before hurling an insult at anyone whom she thinks deserves it. Like Juliet, she goes against the wishes of her guardian. Beatrice's uncle wishes her to be married, as it would be the proper thing for a woman to do; although he doesn't name any particulars, Beatrice swears that she will never marry. Although Juliet was contradicting her parents because she found someone she wanted to be with instead, this situation is still comparable; both were unwilling to compromise when it came to the person who they would (or would not) spend the rest of their lives with.
However, unlike Kate, Beatrice doesn't resort to physical violence. In addition, Beatrice's biting words are said with less anger that those spoken by Kate; Beatrice lets her voice be heard in a manner that makes her seem calm, which helps strengthen her words. Also, unlike Juliet, Beatrice doesn't seem like the person to give up her family ties for a man; even though Benedick became an important part of her life towards the end of the play, she still cared for her family, particularly Hero, more than anything. This can be demonstrated by Beatrice's request to Benedick; after Claudio shames Hero at the altar, she says that if Benedick truly loves her, he would kill Claudio for her.
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