Shakespeare Comedy versus Tragedy

Comedy Vs. Tragedy Comedy Tragedy A greater emphasis on situations than characters (this numbs the audience's connection to the characters, so that when characters experience misfortune, the audience still finds it laughable) A struggle of young lovers to overcome difficulty, often presented by elders Separation and re-unification Deception of characters (especially mistaken identity) A clever servant Disputes between characters, often within a family A greater emphasis on character than situation (this intensifies the audience's connection to the characters, so that when characters experience misfortune, the audience finds it heart-breaking) Shakespeare's tragedies begin in an ordered society but end up falling into chaos. The fatal flaw - all of the heroes in Shakespeare's tragedies have a weakness in personality that eventually leads to their downfall. Fall of the nobleman - many of the men in Shakespeare's tragedies have extreme wealth and power, making their downfall more tragic. A clever servant (used to relieve tension before or after dramatic scenes for the audience) who speeches have greater meaning to the play as a whole.

Comedy Vs. Tragedy (con’t) Interesting climax often with an unexpected twist Multiple, intertwining plots Use of all styles of comedy (slapstick, puns, dry humour, earthy humour, witty banter, practical) Pastoral element (courtly people living an idealized, rural life), originally an element of Pastoral Romance, exploited by Shakespeare for his comic plots and often parodied therein for humorous effects Happy ending Supernatural element (witches, fairies, ghosts, etc.) Shakespeare's tragic heroes often fall victim to external pressure from others, such as evil spirits and manipulative characters who play a role in their downfall. Change is often reflected by changes in the environment, with storms or other happenings in the natural world. Ending in the death of the hero and order being restored in society.

Key Elements of a Comedy Comedy through language: Shakespeare communicated his comedy through language and his comedy plays are peppered with clever word play, metaphors, and insults. Love: The theme of love is prevalent in every Shakespeare comedy. Often, presented with sets of lovers who, through the course of the play, overcome the obstacles in their relationship and unite.

Key Elements of a Comedy (con’t) Complex plots: The plotline of a Shakespeare comedy contains more twists and turns than his tragedies and histories. Although the plots are convoluted, they do follow similar patterns. For example, the climax of the play always occurs in the third act and the final scene has a celebratory feel when the lovers finally declare their love for each other. Mistaken identities: The plot is often driven by mistaken identity. Sometimes this is an intentional part of a villain’s plot, as in Much Ado About Nothing when Don John tricks Claudio into believing that his fiancé has been unfaithful. Characters also play scenes in disguise and it is not uncommon for female characters to disguise themselves as male characters.

Problem with Comedy Genre Shakespeare’s comedies are the most difficult to classify because they overlap in style with other genres. Critics often describe some plays as tragi-comedies because they mix equal measures of tragedy and comedy. For example, Much Ado About Nothing starts as a Shakespeare comedy, but takes on the characteristics of a tragedy when Hero is disgraced and fakes her own death. At this point, the play has more in common with Romeo and Juliet, one of Shakespeare’s key tragedies.