In effect this makes a true friend, however some believe it was the Fool's constant remarks that drove Lear to madness. Some critics argue that The Fool actually is Cordelia or a representative of her. Others consider him to be an aspect of Lear's alter ego. Technically Shakespeare seems to use the Fool as a vehicle for pity or as a dramatic chorus. The Fools songs, riddles and jokes are a source of comic relief, used to break up the intensity of scenes.
“The gulling of Malvolio is a joke that goes too far”. To what extent does Shakespeare blur the boundaries of comedy in his depiction of the gulling of Malvolio? The boundaries of comedy can sometimes be blurred as they range between light and dark comedy. Dark comedy is often used to dismember the potential discomfort an audience may feel should heavy moral subjects arise in pieces of art such as psychological impairment in Twelfth Night. Malvolio is used in Twelfth Night to personify the notion of Lent and order in the text and is the butt of the comedy in the sub-plot.
"Modern comedy is cruel and cynical” Barry Cryer. To what extent do you agree that cruelty and cynicism are at the heart of the comedy in ‘Educating Rita’? Cruelty and cynicism play a vital role in creating comedy in ‘Educating Rita’. Both of the characters have aspects of their lives that the audience can laugh at, however for a majority, it can be perceived as cruel due to the fact that most of the circumstances we laugh at negatively impact the lives of the characters. Willy Russell uses superiority theory to engage the audience by creating comedy through the misfortune of others.
The mechanicals are important in a midsummer night’s dream as they introduce the comedy of the piece. Scene one is extremely dramatic “Full of vexation" and this is juxtaposed by the humour of the mechanicals in scene two "let me not play a woman; I have a beard coming". Until there entrance it seems a romantic tragedy on a par with Romeo and Juliet, in a way the introduction of the mechanicals reassures the audience that it is in fact a comedy and allows them to laugh. The mechinals are Peter Quince, Nick Bottom, Francis Flute, Tom Snout, Robin Starvelling and Snug. Peter quince is one of the illustrious Mechanicals who puts on the play, Pyramus and Thisbe.
In the episode ‘Playing the Ego Card’, the truth is manipulated on several levels, to create a humorous, entertaining show. An example of the truth being manipulated is through the use of the satirical technique caricature. This technique is used towards the end off the episode, when
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.
As far as the comedy plot is concerned, there is the common trait that it connotes the comic poet’s view of the society but not like the tragedies, which were ultimately based on legend and myth. Thematic Content of the Comedy Aristophanes comedy was significantly characterized by comic fantasy. Ideally the plays presented problems in the society and ultimately offered plausible solutions in the most comical way
We see in addition to this that meaning is not only lost but changed, such as how we view the characters and the impact of their actions due to the variations in the Prologue. Through the loss of informative signs, and overstressed allegories between characters – rather than circumstances – the focal point of the play is also transformed. This results in the film focusing more on Hitler himself, rather than his rise and thus changes the meaning of the play. Technology does however enable Gold to emphasis certain Brechtian tactics in ways the theatre could never have done, adding to and appropriately emphasising this meaning. Brecht consistently uses comedy throughout his play to make a darker point.
A Midsummer’s Night Dream: Comedy or Corrupt? Although most believe A Midsummer’s Night Dream by William Shakespeare is a light, romantic comedy, many well renowned experts such as Jan Katt argue the play encompasses the tragedy of Pyramus and Thisbe and should therefore be considered sinister and violent. In your eyes, is A Midsummer’s Night Dream a violent, erotic play or a lighthearted comedy? Without a doubt, the play is a sweet, light, comedy, intended to entertain the reader as evident in the mistaken identities, the character development of Bottom along the various forms of comedy. All these elements contrast the violent, sinister play many perceive it as.
'The Importance of Being Earnest is just absurd'. To what extent do you agree with this evaluation of the play? ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ is to a large extent, an absurd play due to the absurd comments and the imminent features of farce which many critics agree on as they question “What can a poor critic do with a play which raises no principle, whether of art or morals, creates its own canons and conventions, and is nothing but an absolutely wilful expression of an irrepressibly witty personality?”[1] but to say it is merely ‘just would be inaccurate because in order to create “good nonsense”[2] one most use clever techniques to master the art of comedy as illustrated in the play. On many occasions, the farce could even be interpreted to have a deeper significance as a satirical comment to mock the Victorian society, further proving that it is far above the critique that 'The Importance of Being Earnest is just absurd'. Wilde uses a range of features such as slapstick comedy, mistaken identity and absurd statements which would have led many to believe that ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ is purely absurd.