Question

In her argument against marriage, what does Beatrice mean when she asks: "Would it not grieve a woman to be overmastered with a piece of valiant dust?"

Answer 1

In Shakespeare's play 'Much Ado About Nothing', Beatrice questions whether a woman would be saddened by being dominated by a man who is no better than dust.

Step-by-step explanation:

When Beatrice asks, "Would it not grieve a woman to be overmastered with a piece of valiant dust?", she is questioning whether a woman would be saddened by being dominated by a man who is no better than dust.

Here, 'valiant dust' is a metaphor that represents men who are arrogant and think highly of themselves despite being insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

This quote is from Shakespeare's play, Much Ado About Nothing, specifically from Beatrice's speech in Act 2, Scene 1. In this speech, Beatrice expresses her beliefs against the institution of marriage and argues that women should not be controlled or oppressed by men.