Comedies1

book cover for " A Midsummer Night's Dream"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvlhjHwuax8 Here's a cool video on how to act out shakespearian comedy.

WHAT ARE SHAKESPEARE’S COMEDIES? what are the characteristics and common tropes of a comedy? WHAT ROLE DID HIS COMEDIES PLAY IN ELIZABETHAN AND JACOBEAN DRAMA? WHAT ARE THE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT COMEDIES? WHAT ARE THEY ABOUT? WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT? By the year 1592, William Shakespeare had already begun building his reputation in London. He was writing plays. He thought up many different kinds of play genres. He was most famous for his dramas but he also made some great comedies in this same time in his life. Which was not typical for most play writers at the time. Shakespeare wrote about ten comedies in his time which typically old love stories that he had heard. Also in his plays, the two young characters that are in love most overcome various obstacles. The plots of these comedies usually involve some magic or mischief-makers. With all this in play, you could imagine that all of Shakespeare’s comedies were verily similar, and they were. All these comedies were wildly popular and adored by the public.

At the time, comedic playwrights weren’t too common. With all the first-rate dramatics coming out, you could imagine most people would crave to see a happy go lucky type of story with a happy ending to go along with it. Shakespeare thought this and took action. So he wrote 10 comedies that gave the people of London a light- hearted feeling. Shakespeare was the most popular comedic play writer in his heyday.

Shakespeare did write some very top-notch comedies that were very important. Such as “//The Midsummer Night’s Dream//”. This story involves a young man and woman, Lysander and Hermia, who have a forbidden love. Hermia’s father wants her to marry Demetrious, but Hermia does not love Demetrious. While Hermia’s best friend Helena is in love with Demetrious. So Lysander and Hermia run off to the forest to keep their love. Did you follow that? All it is, is a crazy love square.

Work Cited: Stewart, Gail. //Life in Elizabethan London//. 106. Print.  Picard, Liza. //Elizabeth's London//. New York: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003. Print. "Southwark, London." //Forum Network//. N.p., 2003. Web. 2 Apr 2010. .  "Shakespeare's Globe." N.p., 2010. Web. 2 Apr 2010. .  "Elizabethian England." //Shakespeare Resource Center//. N.p., 2010. Web. 2 Apr 2010. .  "Shakespeare's comedy plays." N.p., 2010. Web. 2 Apr 2010. .  <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; letter-spacing: 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">"Elizabethan England." //Elizabethan Era//. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Apr 2010. <http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-england.htm>.