Shakespeare’s Comic Heroines: A new type of woman: Witty and Wise In previous literature, all the way back to the Greeks, women had been troublesome and tragic, disregarded and put on a pedestal, worshipped and tolerated, but before Shakespeare, none had the combination of wit and wisdom we see over and over in Shakespeare’s comic heroines.

Queen Elizabeth: Shakespeare’s inspiration? Elizabeth the First was the Queen of England when Shakespeare was born, and still Queen of England when Shakespeare was almost done writing plays. This “Armada Portrait” portrays, in the background, the defeat of the Spanish Armada (29 July, 1588), just about the time when Shakespeare first arrived in London. The Spanish Armada put on the sea the largest concentration of firepower ever seen to that time. She was a commanding presence, a political genius, and a fun person (loved riding, dancing, fireworks, and plays) -- she was also witty and wise.

The Virgin Queen on the Topic of Marriage: “I would rather be a beggar and single than a queen and married” “I should call the wedding-ring the yoke-ring.” She assumed the throne, aged 25 & two months. Parliament was worried that great trouble would befall if there was no heir to the throne, and they thought what she needed above all was a husband, to give her an heir (preferably a boy, and to guide and direct her). It was a real worry, and Elizabeth acknowledged their concerns, but she valued her freedom, and her freedom of choice. I shall never have a husband who will sit all day by the fire. When I marry it will be with a man who can ride, hunt, and fight.

Favorite Occupation of Shakespeare’s Comic Heroines Like Queen Elizabeth, Shakespeare’s comic heroines use their wit to challenge men and the patriarchal prejudices of men, such as the blocking character and the villain. She’s the one who can match the villain’s sneer with scorn, and complicate the conventional pieties of papa. Therefore . . . therefore . . .

The men often say the comic heroine is: Shrewish Proud Disdainful Cursed with a fury scornful In having all of these delightful qualities, the comic heroine stands in contrast with the female ingénue, who appears to be more typically feminine, even though that ingénue is never really all that obedient. Nevertheless, it is the comic heroine who gets all of the good lines, the big laughs, the wry chuckles, and top billing. And so she is often said to be . . . And . . .

“WISE”: the double meanings #1 The first thing that we think of when we hear the word wise is: thoughtful and intelligent. Perhaps sympathetic and prudent and open-minded. All of these qualities are opposed to the villain’s sneers and daddy’s clichés

“WISE”: the double meanings #2 Wise Guy However, there is, in Shakespeare’s time and now, another meaning to the word “wise,” and it’s used a lot.

“WISE”: the double meanings #2 (continued) WISEACRE

“WISE”: the double meanings #2 (continued again) AND …. Wise ___________ (Ms. Bennett will not say the word.) Sammy the Crass Bass from Mass routine here. Punch line: “dorsal fin.” -- “OK Ms. Barrett, you’re so smart, how about you just take over, bet you won’t.”

“WISE”: the double meanings (summary in pictures) Athena, Goddess of Wisdom Tina Fey, Goddess of Gotcha

“WISE”: the double meanings (summary in words) The Shakespearean comic heroine is “wise” in both senses of the word, and so, Unlike the ingénue, the villain, the clown, this wise and witty woman is not in any list of archetypes that I can find. She is apparently Shakespeare’s own creation. Before Shakespeare, women in literature were tragic, adorable, desirable, divine, rebellious, deceitful, lascivious, greedy, vain, and nagging, but never this combination of wise and witty. Where did she come from? (Next slide please.) WISE and WITTY

Meg from Hercules Independent Quick-witted MORE than a romantic interest Hercules: Uh, so how'd you get stuck with the...  Meg: Pinhead with hooves? Well, you know how men are. They think "No" means "Yes" and "Get lost" means "Take me, I'm yours."  [Hercules doesn't understand]  Meg: Don't worry, maybe Shorty here can explain it to ya. True or False: A Comic Heroine always portrays the side of good throughout the story. Answer: False**

Hermione from Harry Potter series Smart Self-Reliant Stands up for herself Know-it-all "Just because you've got the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn't mean we all have." 

Olive Penderghast from Easy A Clever Courageous Noble “I started piling on lie after lie. It was like setting up Jenga.” Transition: Not all funny characters are “witty” Which of the following descriptions best fits a “wise and witty” comic heroine? A: strong-willed B: eager C: silly D: adorable

Anti-Type: Elle Woods from Legally Blonde Narrow-minded Simplistic We laugh AT her not WITH her "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands. They just don't!" Which of the following modern characters is NOT a good example of a Shakespearean comic heroine? A: Elle Woods from Legally Blonde B: Meg from Hercules C: Hermione from Harry Potter D: Olive Penderghast

Beatrice, Much Ado Like the others, she’s Witty and Wise