‘Twelfth Night’ or ‘What You Will’ by Shakespeare is seen as a comedy for various reasons. However, on many occasions, this play is almost categorised as a tragedy because of the different situations that the killjoy figure has to endure, through the use of mockery. Because of this, critics find that there is a very thin line between the categorisation of the novel and therefore see ‘Twelfth Night’ as both comedy and tragedy despite the fact that the audience and Shakespeare call this play a comedy. Furthermore, Mel Brooks says ‘Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall down an open sewer and die’. Therefore, this just shows how close the genres of comedy and tragedy really are as they can both lead to similar consequences like those Malvolio faced when he was mocked excessively by Shakespeare throughout all five acts of ‘Twelfth Night’. However, this mockery also shows many social messages as Malvolio was mocked for being a puritan which implies that Elizabethans were against their doings.
Seeing as Malvolio the puritan is a killjoy figure, Feste, Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Maria constantly mock and terrorise him. And as they don’t take a liking to him, Malvolio goes through situations where he is ridiculed because of who he is, the status he has (being a steward in Olivia’s household), the background he is from and the fact that he is a person of ill will, suggested by his name (Italian for I wish you bad).
However, Shakespeare does punish Malvolio in such a way that he becomes dejected and at some point we feel sorry for him even though he wasn’t fond of merrymaking and festivity. We as the audience show sympathy as he was a victim of a practical joke, who has been ‘notoriously abus’d’ (Act 5 Scene1-line 366) an...
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...ocked Malvolio in ‘Twelfth Night’ as they didn’t agree with what he was doing. But as Malvolio brought all this mockery upon himself ‘Twelfth Night’ is seen as a comedy that does lack seriousness because Shakespeare put the character Malvolio through what he had to go through when he wrote any plays or acted any of them out in the Globe Theatre. Furthermore, as Malvolio was the main part of the play, being a Puritan would have caused a lot of trouble to arise in the audience as well as in the time when ‘Twelfth Night’ was written. However, as Puritans were quite minute in number in that period of time the audience would have viewed him differently as he would have been seen as a character that would have been used to attack on authority seeing as he was a killjoy figure and wouldn’t have liked the fact that they were allowed to partake in merrymaking and festivity.
He says that it’s dishonorable because it may be that, after the long history of fights with the Capulets and Montagues, it would be unforgivable and ‘stupid’ in Mercutio’s eyes to just forgive and forget. This shows how
Humor can be found to be a virtue and a vice; however, in the grimmest situations humor may allow the gravity to turn into glee and gayness. Mercutio’s greatest aspect is his sense of humor. Which he doesn’t fail to display even in the most inappropriate moments. An instance of such portrayal is during the scene where Romeo has ditched Benvolio and Mercutio in pursuit of Juliet, in the Capulet’s garden. In which Mercutio comically says, “Nay, I’ll conjure too. / Romeo! Humors! Madman! Passion! Lover!” (II.i.7-8). This moment can be considered much graver than Mercutio depicts it to be which makes this scene much more like comic relief than a serious scene. The fact that there are Montague’s in Capulet’s territory is serious enough and can cause some major consequences for the perpetrators if caught. And now to betray their positio...
.However,as the play progresses,it becomes noticeable that Benvolio has changed through his character and makes different choices to help his friends,but as the same time deceives them.The text states that,”O noble Prince,I can discover all The unlucky manage of this fatal brawl.There lies the man,slain by young Romeo,That slew thy kinsman,brave Mercutio.”(3.1 144-147) Shakespeare forms him to be a leader when situations are not the best between the Capulets and the Montagues;he portrayed beginning when the “civil brawls”(1.1 92) first started breaking out in the streets.
Malvolio was deceived by a counterfeit letter as written in the name of Lady Olivia due to his desire to have a higher status in the society. Avidity for wealth and power made this principled steward considered to be insane by others.
Tragedy, irony and modernism are only a few interpretations of the valued play The Taming of the Shrew by the respected writer William Shakespeare. However, one of the most intriguing and popular of these analyses is comedy. Shakespeare is recognized for writing several plays with comedic genres, a few of which include Much Ado About Nothing and The Comedy of Errors. Comedy, being a complex genre, is composed of many different concepts. This particular play can be interpreted as a Shakespearian comedy, a screwball comedy, a farce, or slapstick.
What is comedy? Funk and Wagnalls New Encyclopedia says: "A comedy depicts the follies and absurdities of human beings." Webster's Dictionary defines comedy as: "A drama or narrative with a happy ending." Shakespeare's play, Measure for Measure, fits both of these descriptions. Follies and absurdities are present in the play: Lucio slanders the Duke, not realizing that his crude remarks are being spoken to the Duke himself; Angelo abuses his power thinking that the Duke is not present to know; and Ragozine happens to die in prison the day a head is needed to substitute for Claudio's. The play also ends on several merry notes, consistent with the definition of comedy. For example, Angelo's life is spared and he is forgiven; Mariana is married to Angelo; the Duke punishes Lucio humorously with marriage; Barnardine is pardoned; and Claudio is saved. The parallels between Measure for Measure and three other Shakespearean comedies, The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, and Twelfth Night, also help to classify Measure for Measure as a comedy. In Measure for Measure, like in The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, and Twelfth Night, an arbitrary law or obstacle is eventually overcome; a disguised character affects the outcome of the play; a clown adds humor to the plot; a female character bears a large responsibility for the final resolution; and forgiveness and reconciliation mark the conclusion of the action.
One of the reasons that none of the characters seemed to get along with Malvolio was because of his strict adherence to the rules. For characters like Sir Toby and Maria, this was considered especially (outcast-like) behavior because of their blatant disregard for the rules. Nancy Lindheim supports this point in her article by stating, “Malvolio alone acts with a moral severity that angers most other members of the household and is inimical (not friendly) to comedy itself.” (Lindheim 700) In this quote she is stressing the fact that Malvolio tends to act more morally than the other characters. This is seen in act 2 scene 3 of the play. Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Maria are all having a good time, drinking and speaking very loud when Malvolio comes in and informs them that they are not showing respect to Olivia by being so rowdy in her house this late at night. Sir Toby then tells Malvolio to go hang himself. From this example we can see that very early on in the play there are some characters that really do not like Malvolio at all. Things only get worse after this point in the play.
In a comparison of comedy and tragedy, I will begin by looking at narrative. The narration in a comedy often involves union and togetherness as we see in the marriage scene at the end of Midsummer's Night Dream. William Hazlitt tells us that one can also expect incongruities, misunderstandings, and contradictions. I am reminded of the play The Importance of Being Ernest and the humor by way of mistaken identity. Sigmund Freud tells us to expect excess and exaggeration in comedy. Chekhov's Marriage Proposal displays this excess both in language and in movements. Charles Darwin insists that in a comedy "circumstances must not be of a momentous nature;" whereas, Northop Frye identifies comedy as having a happy ending and using repetition that goes nowhere.
This leads Maria to formulate a plan using his pride as his downfall. Though Malvolio is a servant he is positive that he is meant for greatness. When Maria forges a love letter in Olivia’s hand Malvolio is only too happy to reactive it. He follows its directions and makes a fool of himself while trying to reach his ambitions for an improvement in social status. When Olivia rejects him he understands that he is not what he thinks he is. He is a servant and that is where he belongs. He finds his identity and though he is possibly unsatisfied he is accepting, and though he is upset with the people who prank him he has found himself and is now in his mind even higher above them. He even goes so far as to say he will make his revenge. It is also shown when they are trying to show him as insane. He clings to who he is and his mental powers. He is in control of himself now that he understands who, and what, he is.
The links between Shakespearean “comedies” are rather tenuous. There always seems to be some sort of problem which arises, threatening the lives or the happiness of the central characters. Usually, these central characters are one or more romantically inclined couples who are a little unfamiliar with the ways of the world. Many mishaps occur, plans go awry, and in the end a solution is formed to cope with the characters’ problems. However, this solution tends to bring up different problems for the characters to deal with after the curtain closes. These “comedic” solutions also tend not to end with too many people disemboweled, a trend that is seen in another grouping of Shakespearean works: the tragedies.
Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night revolves around a love triangle that continually makes twists and turns like a rollercoaster, throwing emotions here and there. The characters love each another, but the common love is absent throughout the play. Then, another character enters the scene and not only confuses everyone, bringing with him chaos that presents many different themes throughout the play. Along, with the emotional turmoil, each character has their own issues and difficulties that they must take care of, but that also affect other characters at same time. Richard Henze refers to the play as a “vindication of romance, a depreciation of romance…a ‘subtle portrayal of the psychology of love,’ a play about ‘unrequital in love’…a moral comedy about the surfeiting of the appetite…” (Henze 4) On the other hand, L. G. Salingar questions all of the remarks about Twelfth Night, asking if the remarks about the play are actually true. Shakespeare touches on the theme of love, but emphases the pain and suffering it causes a person, showing a dark and dismal side to a usually happy thought.
Humor in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night In Twelfth Night we see different types of humour. There is the witty
Mistaken identity and disguise are important aspects of comedy in Twelfth Night that stand at the forefront of the play’s comedy. Not only are mistaken identities and disguise evident within the main plot of the play but also in various other situations. Sexual confusion amongst characters, subversion of gender roles and farcical elements through stagecraft all effectively contribute to the dramatic comedy genre. However, it can be suggested that certain elements of Twelfth Night are not interpreted to be purely comedic; Shakespeare has incorporated serious and controversial subjects such as the idea of genuine love, the patriarchy of the time and the cruel gulling of Malvolio. Therefore, disguise and mistaken identity are not solely for the purpose of comedy and it could be inferred that it even borders on the genre of tragedy.
Shakespeare wrote Twelfth Nights as a comedic play on how the theme of love takes an overwhelming influence over characters actions. The play’s treatment of love began with a Duke named Orsino who is madly in love with a character named Olivia but Orsino love is cannot be reciprocated because all her love remains with her dead brother. Later in the play Shakespeare treats love as something that can be a joyful delight regardless of the reality. Olivia’s handmaiden, Maria, plays a prank on Malvolio by forging Olivia’s hand writing to write Malvolio a love letter. After Malvolio reads the letter he begins to show how Malvolio is desperately in love with Olivia by following the letters ridiculous commands with delight. Then towards the end there is an encounter with Viola, Sebastian, Orsino, Olivia and Malvolio. At this point Shakespeare displays love as a joyful
William Shakespeare's plays come in many forms. There are histories, tragedies, comedies and tragic comedies. Among the most popular are the comedies which are full of laughter, irony, satire and wordplay. Many times the question is asked: what makes a play a comedy instead of a tragedy. Shakespeare's comedies often use puns, metaphors and insults to provoke 'thoughtful laughter'. The action is often strained by artificiality, especially elaborate and contrived endings. Disguises and mistaken identities are often very common. Opposed to that are the tragedies, where the reader would find death, heartbreak, and more serious plots and motives. The plot is very important in Shakespeare's comedies. It is often very convoluted, twisted and confusing, and extremely hard to follow. Other characteristics of Shakespearean comedy are the themes of love and friendship, played within a courtly society. Songs often sung by a jester or a fool, parallel the events of the plot. Minor characters, which add flavor to the plot, are often inserted into the storyline. Love provides the main ingredient. If the lovers are unmarried when the play opens, they either have not met or there is some obstacle to their relationship. Examples of these obstacles are familiar to every reader of Shakespeare: the slanderous tongues which nearly wreck love in "Much Ado About Nothing", the father insistent upon his daughter marrying his choice, as in "A Midsummer Nights Dream", or the confusion of husbands in "The Comedy of Errors".