Shakespeare`s comedies

Shakespeare’s comedies

Elina Netšajeva 11a

The plays of William Shakespeare were grouped into: • Comedies • Histories • Tragedies

Comedy: • Is set in an imaginary country (Illyria) • Is similar to a fairy-tale • Characters are true to life

• In Shakespeare’s comedies female heroines are usually more important than male heroes • But in Shakespearian time men played all the roles even female ones • In characters we can see many mistakes and faults

The two most important motives in comedy: 1. Right of an individual to free choice of love 2. Contrast between the appearance and reality

• Shakespeare’s comedies are accompanied by music and sometimes actors play music instruments by themselves • Songs are often sung by a jester or a fool; parallel the events of the plot.

The main theme in Shakespeare’s comedies is: • Romantic love • Friendship

Themes • A struggle of old haters to overcome difficulty, often presented by young people • Separation and re-unification • Mistaken identities • A clever servant • Heightened tensions, often within a couple • One, intertwining plot • Frequent punning

• All's Well That Ends Well • As You Like It • The Comedy of Errors (is believed to be Shakespeare’s earliest comedy, written around 1592) • Cymbeline • Love's Labour's Lost • Measure for Measure • The Merchant of Venice • The Merry Wives of Windsor • A Midsummer Night's Dream • Much Ado About Nothing • Pericles Prince of Tyre • Taming of the Shrew • The Tempest • Twelfth Night • The Two Gentlemen of Verona • The Winter's Tale

Twelfth Night • Twelfth Night is a wonderful romantic comedy which was named after the Twelfth Night Christmas holiday. • First performed between 1599 and 1601 • Contains basic themes like: divided twins, mistaken identity, true love conquering, gender-crossing and love madness.

• Orsino is a strong nobleman who lives in the country of Illyria. He is madly in love with the gorgeous lady Olivia.

• Viola is a young upper-class woman and the main character of the play. She represents herself as a man ‘Cesario’ and goes to work for Orsino and falls in love. • Olivia is a good looking, wealthy and noble woman who lived in Illyria . Orsino was in love with her.

HAPPY END Thank you for your attention!