... be vilely painted, and in such great letters as they write 'Here is a good horse to hire' let them signify under my sign 'Here you may see Benedick, the married man'". When a man could not control his wife they were known as 'cuckolds' by other men, which traditionally had horns on their heads. When Benedick uses this imagery, he is suggesting any woman he marries is likely to cheat on him. This shows that men are insecure about themselves; they assume women would be unfaithful because they never get to know them before they are married. Benedick is paranoid about this, and so he uses his scorn of marriage and women as a defence mechanism to protect himself. 'It is clear that Shakespeare criticises the existing customs and advocates that a courtship in which couples communicate would be a far more preferable way, and which would prevent the ...

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