Characters
I may chance have some odd quirks and remnants of wit broken on me, because I have railed so long against marriage: but doth not the appetite alter? a man loves the meat in his youth that he cannot endure in his age.
— Benedick · Much Ado About Nothing
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
Benedick expects his earlier attacks on marriage to be turned against him. His defence is that preferences change, just as an appetite changes with age. The comparison makes inconsistency seem a normal part of living, allowing room for affection to overturn a once-confident opinion.
Context reviewed