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Shakespearean Plays: The Basics
Comedies
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Genre Tragedies Histories Comedies
Shakespeare’s plays have been grouped into three categories: Tragedies Histories Comedies
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Comedies Shakespearean comedies differ from today’s notion of comedy, often mixing tragedy with humour. Shakespearean comedies have happy endings and a tone and style that is more light-hearted than Shakespeare’s other plays.
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Characteristics of Comedies
Marriage for unmarried characters A struggle of young lovers to overcome difficulty that is often presented by elders Separation and unification Mistaken identities Multiple, intertwining plots Frequent use of puns
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Shakespearean Structure
Shakespeare used a five-act structure to develop and resolve plot: ACT 1: Introduction to situation with tensions or implicit conflict ( intro) ACT 2: Conflict is developed (rising action) ACT 3: Conflict reaches height (climax) ACT 4: Conflict begins to clear up (falling action) ACT 5: Conflict is resolved ( conclusion)
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Shakespearean Language
Shakespeare wrote most of his plays in iambic pentameter. This meter refers to a line consisting of five iambic feet. Iamb: unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable Foot: two syllables One iambic foot: da DUM One line of iambic pentameter: da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM
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