‘Comedy involves men of middling estate; its perils are small scale, its outcomes peaceful’. To what extent do you agree with this definition of comedy in relation to Much Ado about Nothing*? Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing is one of the most popular comedies in history, selling out Shakespearean theatres until their closure in 1642. The comedy is thought to be written in 1598 and is often described as a ‘problem play’ meaning it shares tendencies with that of a tragedy. Of course MAAN follows Shakespeare’s traditional comedy structure but modern critics have their own agenda that a comedy, being such a complex genre, should conform to.
He wrote both tragedies and comedies as well some poetry. I will be analysing both of the characters Puck and Bottom and then coming to a conclusion about which one played a more important role. A midsummer’s night’s dream is a comedy. The comedy in the novel is based upon Puck and bottom once again or if it’s not fully them but it is somehow linked to them. The confusion of the Athenian lovers is a great example of this.
“In what ways does Shakespeare use the conventions of comedy in Act 1?” During ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, Shakespeare uses vital conventions of comedy such as; light humorous tones, multiple plots with twists and turns and finally love overcoming obstacles. The use of these conventions allows Shakespeare to establish an entertaining and successful comedy. A common comic convention is the use of a light, humorous tone. Within ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ there is a clear variety of humorous tones, for instance, during Act 1, Bottom and Quince are discussing the play they wish to perform for Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding. Shakepeare’s use of the name “Bottom” adds humour and irony to the play, whilst ensuring the audience doesn’t take him too seriously.
Comedy can break through all the red tape and say what others cannot. Secret thoughts are observations that society as a whole might feel or want to say without the fear that usually follows. Comedians are able to speak freely and be honest about their opinions. People laugh at something funny not only because it’s entertaining, but also because the context of the material used by the comedian. An example is used by George Carlin and his “Sever dirty words”, which were central to the 1978 U.S. Supreme Court case F.C.C.
Explore how Much Ado draws on and challenges comic conventions. Much Ado About is a play largely based on romantic comedy. Many aspects of the play are funny because of the desire and need shared by characters, to be together, although they each express it in different ways. Although the young lovers Hero and Claudio provide the main storyline through their excelling relationship, the tension between the older, lovers Benedick and Beatrice is what makes Much Ado About Nothing so memorable. Benedick and Beatrice argue with delightful wit, and Shakespeare develops their journey from antagonism to sincere love and affection with a rich sense of humour and compassion.
Devices that are used by Benedick and Beatrice are Bawdy language, word play and puns, which are very different compared to Dogberry’s According to Aristotle the idea of comedy comes from speculation concerning men dancing, signing and cavorting around the image of a phallus. True or not this idea of high-spirited celebration of sexuality and love, tragedies happen on the battle field more than likely comedy would be staged in the bedroom. Although not all literary works must involve crude humor, simply a happy ending is enough, with expectations and conventions of plot and characters. The language of prose has a particularly prominent place in Much Ado About Nothing; nearly three quarters of the play is written in prose. The pragmatic and realistic views of central characters like Benedick suit the prose style that Shakespeare uses in Much Ado About Nothing, much of the humor that is generated by Benedick and Beatrice’s ‘merry war’ is delivered in prose.
It establishes comedy very early with some of the lower class people before the anticipated play of La Clorise. Another place that it establishes comedy with a low class character is in Ragueneau. But the majority of the comedy comes from the high class main character Cyrano. Throughout the story people are making wise cracks about his nose, but no one is able to defend themselves and back up what they say. Because people are making fun of his nose he is able to provide witty humor that makes the book become a comedy.
How does a Midsummer Night's Dream' use stock characters while incorporating elements of subversion typically found in comedy? Comedy delights in the events of a briefly subverted world, incorporating recurrent subject matter that is socially disruptive. Within 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', the younger characters, such as Hermia, challenge authority, while older hierarchies within the play are dislocated. Multiple stock comic characters are used throughout, with some applying to more than one of the characters within the play. This gives 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' a truly subversive power, with characters that desire to briefly destabilise authority and harmony, before returning to what Frye described as the 'New World', a different world, but one I will demonstrate as slightly different from the old world it once was.
Charles Lamb states that Malvolio “becomes comic by accident”. His criticism portrays Malvolio as a tragic character. Lamb describes Malvolio’s dialect as “that of a gentleman, and a man of education.” Predisposed with Malvolio’s dialect and seemingly noble manner is hubris which leads to his downfall in the play. In Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’, Malvolio is not a tragic character but, the fool of the play in that he is a scapegoat for mockery and entertainment. Aristotle in ‘Poetics’ defined comedy as “an imitation of inferior people-not, however, with respect to every kind of defect; the laughable species of what is disgraceful.
William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" and "Taming of the Shrew" are two of his best-known comedic plays. As with most of his comedies, they both feature a wedding, but there are many other similarities in themes and motifs of these plays, as well. The Taming of the Shrew is an early comedy, loosely termed “romantic” along with Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Such plays are lighthearted and often slapstick in style, filled with disguises and deception, and end happily. This is in sharp contrast to the later comedies that are much darker and filled with cynicism and a sometimes bitter irony.