Quince’s pun, ‘for it is nothing but roaring’ (when in conversation with Snug) alludes quick-witted humour. Quince’s double-entendres are also amusing, ‘some of your French crowns have no hair at all…’ Quince’s repartee particularly displays the typical features of a comedy. Thirdly, the use of sarcasm and insults also enforce my expectations of the play being a dramatic comedy. ‘You have your father’s love, Demetrius’ is one example of sarcasm, as said by Lysander. His comment comes across as sarcastic as he is mindful, and perhaps jealous, of the fact that his lover’s father wishes her to marry another man - Demetrius.
This, to the audience, will seem ridiculous and unnecessary creating a subtle sense of humour. Nearing the end of Act 2 we learn about Viola’s plans for her disguise in order to appear less vulnerable. She then goes on to say ‘thou shalt present me as an Eunuch to him’ which will yet again appear an overdramatic act to the audience. In act 3, Sir Toby Belch is introduced into the play. Shakespeare’s wit and word play used even for simply just the names of the characters can build up laughter.
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.
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. Since the time of the ancient Greeks critics have struggled to define it, Plato described it as a series of events you would ‘blush to practice yourself’. Susan Snyder who writes for the Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare Company, states that - ‘Comedy involves men of middling estate, its perils are small scale, its outcomes peaceful’. This is an excellent summary for the majority of Shakespeare’s plays; however it is not necessarily accurate in relation to MAAN. It is true to say that a comedy involves ‘men of a middling estate’, in MAAN the protagonists share the company of the Prince Don Pedro, and are socially superior to the watchmen such as Dogberry and Verges.
“Comedy exhibits the external or internal deception of the Individual who, however, must not proceed in his delusion to a serious ethical violation, nor transgress the limits of sanity.” In the light of this statement, how does Shakespeare present the deception (and treatment) of Malvolio within the comic subplot of Twelfth Night? Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ gains its name from the days commencing the christmas period which are famous for their fun and festivities. Pompous, puritanical Malvolio is so antagonistically against all varieties of ‘fun’ that, naturally, his deception and mockery provide the make-up for a hilarious sub plot. At face value, this provides some welcome light relief from the turbulent main story; however, under analysis it can be questioned whether the joke delves too deeply into the uncomfortable and in doing so destroys the comedy in the deception. Early on in the play (Act 2 Scene 3) the audience enjoys the jovial atmosphere alongside the characters until Malvolio abruptly ruins the mood.
Comic Relief Date: 25/07/2011 Course Code: ENG4U Shakespeare often adds some comedy to his plays. It is generally known as ‘comic relief’ because the tragedy is so overwhelming with murders, ghosts, suicides and anguish. It gives everyone some breathing room before the intensity of the next act. Comic relief is a humorous scene, or incident occurring in the middle of a serious or tragic selection and intentionally designed to relieve emotional stress. At the same time to increase, and emphasize the tragic plot.
Theatre Studies Essay Conventions of Greek comedy By Daniel Erasmus 17933641 Lecturer: Mnr. Schalk van der Merwe Ancient Greek theatre is, notoriously, divided into two genres: tragedy and comedy. Both consist of conventions that make each genre unique. Tragedies are heartfelt and sorrowful and inevitably have tragic endings. Comedies are light, pleasant and unserious, with humour and happy endings.
Because people are making fun of his nose he is able to provide witty humor that makes the book become a comedy. Valvert says “Ah…your nose…hem!...Your nose is…rather large!” “Rather” “Oh well” “Is that all” “Well of course.”(35-36 Act 1) But Cyrano does not leave it like this he replies by insulting Valvert and ultimately making him angry by telling him all the better insults that he could have had. He threw it right back in his face by making it a joke. Throughout the story comedy like this occurs and that is why I believe it is a
Compare Lane, Merriman and Miss Prism as employees and as comic characters. What do they bring to the play that would otherwise be missing? Lane, Merriam and Miss Prism are the minor characters of Importance of Being Earnest. Although at first they don't appear to bring a lot to the play, in the end they have a big impact on how it is viewed as a comedy. They bring in a lot of content which fits into to comedy criteria as well as enable the plot to develop fully.
He writes a pastoral comedy, which oversteps the boundaries of many social rules, with fantastical places and magical transformations. On the outside, it seems like a play of all fun and games, written to give the audience a laugh or two. But, delve