William Shakespeare wrote many comedic plays during his lifetime, and the two that were analyzed in class included A Midsummer Nights Dream and The Taming of the Shrew. Also analyzed was The Tempest which, although is a romance, can be treated as either a comedy or tragedy since it contains aspects of both.
PART A:
The language of Shakespeare's comedies is very similar. In all the works analzyed in class, they all hold the same style of writing and use of literary devices. For example, in Midsummer, Act I Scene I concludes with Helena speaking about how love is blind and she has been rebuked by Demetrius, but will not give up and pursue him to the forest. However, introduced earlier in the play was the idea that Egeus wants to make Hermia a nun or have her killed if she refuses to marry Demetrius. This is a pretty serious situation since it very easily could end with a battle to the death between Lysander and Demetrius over Hermia, Hermia's death due to her father invoking the law of Athens, Lysander committing suicide over the death of Hermia, and or Helena committing suicide over Demetrius's death. Yet the play is a comedy, Shakespeare's language in this passage in Scene I hints to the reader that although this situation is dire, everything will end well in the end. The hint is in the form of rhyming. In her speech and others throughout the play, characters speak in rhymes which creates a light, singsong kind of air and feeling, not something that one would associate with death and terrible tragety as would be found in Romeo and Juliet or Othello. "Things base and vile, folding no quantity,Love can transpose to form and dignity:Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind" (Shakespeare Act I Scene I). This piece is just a sample of the rhyming theme that Shakespeare uses in A Midsummer Night's Dream to show this is a comedy. Shakespeare once again uses his rhyming theme in The Taming of the Shrew. When Petruchio comes to the city, he is told of a shrew named Kate, who is so horrid and mean that none can tame her. However, Petruchio decides to laugh off their rebukes of Kate, "Katharina the curst!A title for a maid of all titles the worst" (Act I Scene II). The Tempest also contains the rhyming patterns seen in the other comedies. One of the best rhymes in the play comes when Prospero is speaking his Epilogue. After everything Prospero has had done to him, the usurping of his dukedom, the being left for dead, and the exile on the island, he still finds in his heart to forgive his brother, the King, and all the others who had betrayed him. Once again the rhyming pattern shows that everything is going to be okay in the end. "Unless I be relieved by prayer,Which pierces so that it assaultsMercy itself and frees all faults. As you from crimes would pardon'd be,Let your indulgence set me free" (Epilogue). Shakespeare's language makes light of a situation in which it could take a bad turn that later ends up good in the end.
PART B:
In Shakespearean Comedies, the genre itself contains several similarities. There are several comparisons that can be made between the various aspects of the plays: characters, allusions, etc. For example, Midsummer and The Tempest contain similar characters in Puck and Ariel, respectively. Both characters provide much of the comedy in the story. Puck literally makes Bottom into an ass-head, which creates a very humorous situation in that Bottom is really a ignorant jackass, and now he has the head of an ass. Ariel creates chaos among Prospero's enemies by making noises and making sure that the victims of the tempest are okay. He creates one of the most comedic scenes when he pretends to imitate Trinculo, much to the anger of Caliban and Stephano. Another common theme between Midsummer and Taming of the Shrew is found in the idea of a play within a play. These plays within a play are usually funny events and cause much humor in the play. For example, the players within Midsummer add a very comedic aspect to the potentially tragedic play by making a joke out of the tragedy of "Pyramus and Thisbe". The actors are so convinced that they are great, especially the asshead Bottom, when in reality they are terrible and make a complete, comedic mess out of a very tragedic play. Bottom especially, constantly talks in malepropisms and constantly messes up his lines. In Shrew, a Lord and his servants mess with a poor drunkard by pretending that he is a mighty lord and that they are putting a play on for him. This play turns out to be The Taming of the Shrew. These plays are just one way in which Shakespeare uses common threads in his genre to create a comedic scene. Yet another comparison is making a Lord out of a fool. In Midsummer, the fairies pamper the assheaded Bottom like a King, when in reality he is a bumbling oaf with the physical embodiment of his personality resting on his head. In Taming of the Shrew, the Lord and his aides make a King out of the drunkard Christopher Sly, a pretend he is someone of great importance, when in reality he is just a drunk. In The Tempest Caliban elevates Stephano to the level of God and ruler because he has a magic drink (booze) that has Caliban drunk. Caliban's praise causes Stephano to think that he, a fumbling drunk, can truly overthrow the mighty Prospero and go on to rule the island. As it is said in The Tempest, "A most ridiculous monster, to make a wonder of a poor drunkard" (page 87 The Tempest). This idea of making royalty out of an idiot is one of Shakespeare's best ways to create the comedic genre.
PART C:
All and all, the comedies and the romance read in class were all very enjoyable. They contain down to Earth ideas that everyone, including Shakespeare, undergoes sometime during life: trials in love, controversy with other people, and forgiveness and repentance. If I were to guess, most people would find these plays enjoyable because they do not deal in sadness, despair, and death. Instead they deal with things that people enjoy: Three Stooge's style physical comedy, love, happiness, victory, freedom, and laughter. Typically these feelings will make most people enjoy what they are watching. In my opinion, all three plays read, especially The Tempest, were great and I would gladly recommend them to anyone.
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