1. Shakespeare’s Comedies Punning Our Way To A Wedding ENG1D – MSND Unit

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

3. Comedy: Uses contrasts to heighten the absurdity Is similar to a fairy-tale Characters are true to life

4. 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

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

6. 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.

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

8. Aspects To Elicit 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

10. The Conventions of Shakespearean Romantic Comedy 1.The main action is about love. 2. The would-be lovers must overcome obstacles and misunderstandings before being united in harmonious union. The ending frequently involves a parade of couples to the altar and a festive mood or actual celebration (expressed in dance, song, feast, etc.) A Midsummer Night's Dream has four such couples

11. The Conventions of Shakespearean Romantic Comedy 3.Frequently (but not always), it contains elements of the improbable, the fantastic, the supernatural, or the miraculous: unbelievable coincidences, improbable scenes of recognition/lack of recognition, willful disregard of the social order (nobles marrying commoners, beggars changed to lords), instantaneous conversions (the wicked repent), enchanted or idealized settings, supernatural beings (fairies, etc.). happy ending may be brought about through supernatural or divine intervention (Oberon and magic). 4.In the best of the mature comedies, there is frequently a philosophical aspect involving weightier issues and themes: personal identity; the importance of love in human existence; the power of language to help or hinder communication; the transforming power of poetry and art; the disjunction between appearance and reality; the power of dreams and illusions.