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.
Back in the 1600s Shakespeare wrote plays that would specifically please the Monarch, as there was more pressure to gain acceptance; his comical plays would restore Social Class in the form of marriage. Abigail's Party fails to follow this structure that is used even in modern plays and films, which is why I refer to it as a Social Tragedy, where the social class was broken. Like in Shakespeare's Tragedy 'Romeo and Juliet' the two lovers are married, then torn apart by death as a consequence of a conflicting social class, this can be loosely mirrored in Abigail's Party. A typical example within the play of an unhappy marriage would involve Beverly and Lawrence. Though they are married, which implies a certain amount of love and a strong relationship, they seem to fail at every part of the stereotypical marriage.
How does Shakespeare successfully create comedy in Act 1 of Twelfth Night? Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night takes place during celebrations when the social hierarchy seems to be nearing towards non-existent and rankings seem to be overrun by excess partying. Tricking each other and speaking in puns was common at this time meaning Shakespeare could easily incorporate humour into the play. Through physical comedy, wit and wordplay and the use of dramatic irony, Shakespeare brings out the elements of comedy to the audience, keeping them entertained throughout. In Act 1 Scene 1 we are introduced to the Duke, Curio and Valentine.
It is suggested by this then that the play holds no deeper meaning or message of morality; it is simply designed to fulfill a purpose through usage of traditional comedic techniques. However, some have interpretated themes of sexuality and a gentle mocking of Victorian customs ultimately leaving the play open to assumption. The Importance of being Earnest certainly maintains many traits of a great comedy of manners, "A comedy that satirizes behaviour in a particular social group"(dictionary.com). In fact many people have hailed it as "the greatest stage comedy of all time", this triumph supports the viewpoint that Wilde merely succeeded in entertaining his audience rather than channeling a deeper understanding. The use of slapstick by Wilde produces a contrived and absurd plotline that is in every way unrealistic.
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.
11. Why is comedy important in the transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance? Comedy texts made people laugh, and then there was no longer fear. In the middle ages there was a fear between god and the noble class, In renaissance there was a turn from fear into felling comfortable with people. Comedy changes the original order.
You can tell that nobody takes them seriously, especially when Leonato shows no sign of gratefulness that he has captured two men by simply saying “go drink some wine” (Shakespeare 46) As we look into the theories of comedy for the play, it is clear that an option is Freud’s theory. He believes that the essence of comedy and laughter come at the extent of others. Comedy is often a disguised form of anger or aggression. We find ourselves, as well as some of the characters in the play, laughing at the fact that some of the characters are being manipulated into believing one thing from another. Much Ado About Nothing was a difficult play for me to understand at first, but after watching the play and going back and reading it again it definitely helped my understanding of the sarcasm happening by the characters.
At the same time to increase, and emphasize the tragic plot. Shakespeare was the first to mix comedy and tragedy together, but borrowed the ideas of tragedy from Aristotle. The two words come from Middle English, also back from Middle French, and originally the Old French used ‘relever’, meaning ‘to relieve.’ Hamlet seems to be the only one of Shakespeare's tragic protagonists who possesses and demonstrates a sense of humour in this play. Like the amusing characters of comedies, he likes to play games with language, to disorient other characters' verbal styles, and he has a taste for puns. In this presentation, I am mainly going to talk about Hamlet taking on the role of a fool towards Polonius, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Osric, and the Gravedigger.
It is interesting that a story may contain two foiled characters existing in such a bleak contrast to each other and yet sharing similar events. In William Shakespeare’s tragic masterpiece of Hamlet, the foils are played by Hamlet and Laertes. Hamlet is the contemplative one, and would often think rather than act; Laertes is quite the contrary, having his inhibitions guide him to acting rather than thinking, the impulse buyer of Shakespearean literature. While these characters may differ significantly, their actions and reactions to the death of their fathers, their ultimate downfall, and their alternative methods of action and contemplation prove that while different, much of their character is parallel. The simplest comparison to make is
How well does Shakespeare incorporate the three elements of romance, tragedy and comedy? The Tempest is Shakespeare’s last flamboyant and shortest play. It is difficult to categorize this play as it has elements of romance, tragedy and comedy. The tragic elements arise from the usurpation of the play’s protagonist Prospero and his daughter, the vengeance of Prospero and the plotting of murder woven quite neatly into the play. Romantic elements come from the love shared between Miranda and Ferdinand.