Mistaken Identity in Merchant of Venice, Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night and As You Like It
The ploy of mistaken identity as a plot device in writing comedies dates back at least to the times of the Greeks and Romans in the writings of Menander and Plautus. Shakespeare borrowed the device they introduced and developed it into a fine art as a means of expressing theme as well as furthering comic relief in his works. Shakespeare's artistic development is clearly shown in the four comedies The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, and Measure for Measure where he manages to take the germinal idea of mistaken identity and expand it to peaks its originators never fathomed.
In Shakespeare's first comedy, The Comedy of Errors, mistaken identity is the sole impetus behind the action, as it had been with its original sources. The germinal idea of asking how one really knows who one is is introduced, but the conflicts that occur between appearance and reality are not totally realized. This will be accomplished by Shakespeare's maturing comic style as he begins to recognize all the varying aspects presented by the ploy of mistaken identity.
In its simplest form, mistaken identity is shown in Twelfth Night where twins are mistaken for each other enhancing the comic confusion of the plot. This basic concept is taken deeper, however, when it is recognized that one twin is actually a girl who would not normally be mistaken for her brother. This only happens because she has resorted to disguise. Viola masquerading as Cessario opens the doors for many double meanings in dialogue through a great deal of playing with words. When her twin brother Sebastian arrives, the comic elements reign as her meek natur...
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These are only a few of the ways Shakespeare altered mistaken identity by expanding the concept to include disguise, self-delusion, and theme. It is impossible to fully develop all the uses and expansions this basic comic device received in Shakespeare's hands even when dealing with the limited scope of plays we are looking at in this question. It is also impossible to isolate one aspect of this development from the others because Shakespeare intertwined them in such a way that in his growth as a comic writer he took the ploy of mistaken identity and used it in its totality of meaning. Ultimately, mistaken identity is a subtle thread underlying virtually every comic action studied in these four works. Through his development of this simple comic device we clearly see one aspect of the whole that makes up Shakespeare's creative genius.
Disney is an iconic brand that is recognized internationally. The company is not only loved by children, but by people of all ages, races, and backgrounds. What makes Disney such a beloved brand? Although it is nearly impossible to pinpoint just one reason for their success, Disney’s core values is what makes this company stand apart from the rest. The founder and creator of Disney, Walt Disney, had a vision for the future that integrated imagination, creativity, freedom of expression, and a touch of magic. With all these values melted into one company, the possibilities for success became a reality to the Disney family. When Disney began to expand, so did the company’s philosophies. Keeping these core values rooted within the brand,
Incomplete An exploration of Shakespeare’s presentation of trickery and deception in his play ‘Much Ado about Nothing.’ In William Shakespeare’s play ‘Much Ado about Nothing’, there are many instances of trickery and deception, which seem to surround the whole of the play. These instances are as follows: Don Pedro wooing hero for Claudio, Don Pedro wooing hero for himself, Claudio pretending to be Benedick to find out information from Don John and Borachio, Don John and Borachio both know that Claudio is not Benedick but trick Claudio into thinking that they believe that Claudio is in fact Benedick, Benedick pretending to be somebody else whilst talking to Beatrice, Beatrice pretending to believe that she is in fact talking to Benedick, Beatrice having romantic feelings for Benedick, Benedick having romantic feelings for Beatrice, Beatrice not having romantic feelings for Benedick, Benedick not having romantic feelings for Beatrice, Hero is unfaithful with Borachio, Hero is dead, and Antonio having another daughter.
In I Henry IV and II Henry IV, William Shakespeare brings together drama and comedy to create two of the most compelling history plays ever written. Many of Shakespeare's other works are nearly absolute in their adherence to either the comic or tragic traditions, but in the two Henry IV plays Shakespeare combines comedy and drama in ways that seem to bring a certain realism to his characters, and thus the plays. The present essay is an examination of the various and significant effects that Shakespeare's comedic scenes have on I Henry IV and II Henry IV. The Diversity of Society
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William Shakespeare’s dramatic and poetic techniques and his use of hyperbole are used to describe the characters emotions and weaknesses. The use of dramatic irony is used to create personal conflict. This is done throughout the play to describe the characters concerns and their situations.
Who is Alice Walker? Her full name is Alice Malsenior Walker. She was born on February 9, 1944 in Eatonton, Georgia. She was the eight and youngest child of Minnie Tallulah Grant Walker and Willie Lee Walker. Her parents were poor sharecroppers. In the summer of 1952 Alice Walker is blinded in her right eye due to a BB gun pellet while she was playing “cowboys and indian” with her brother. When graduating high school in 1961, she was her school’s valedictorian and was the prom queen that year. She went to Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia on scholarship. While in Spelman as a freshman, Alice Walker participated in the civil rights demonstrations. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. invited her to the Youth World Peace Festival in Helsinki, Finland. After attending the conference she started to love traveling around meeting many people and cultures of the world. She traveled to Washington D.C. to participate in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. She was also there to hear Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech. She returned to Spelman College for her junior year. She found out that she has received a scholarship to Sarah Lawrence College in New York. Walker was planning to stay at Spelman, but after her teacher has encouraged her to attend Sarah Lawrence she decide to accept the challenge. In Sarah Lawrence, Walker enjoyed the teaching of poetry by Muriel Ruykeyser and writer Jane Cooper who nurtured her interest and talent in writing.
Alice Walker uses symbolism through the use of these quilts to represent African American heritage. They were hand sewn by Grandma Dee, Big Dee, and Mama using “scraps of dresses Grandma Dee had worn fifty and more years ago. Bits and pieces of Grandpa Jarrell’s paisley shirts. And one teeny faded blue piece, that was from Great Grandpa Ezra’s uniform that he wore in the Civil War” (Baym and Levine 1535). Mama and Maggie both believe that the quilts represent their family’s traditions and the memories that were made throughout the years, whereas Dee (Wangero) looks at the quilts as something to hang on the wall for decoration. In the past she had even considered them to be “old fashioned, out of style” (Baym and Levine 1536). Dee (Wangero) is aware that it took a lot of hard work to sew them, and knows about African history perhaps through a book she read while at school, but these quilts were a family heirloom, from the same family that she did not want to be a part of. The quilts had already been promised to Maggie because Mama knew she understood their history since she was more conscious of the heritage that the quilts represented. She could truly appreciate the work her family put into making them. These quilts held great sentimental value to her. She rightfully deserved them and Mama made sure she had them. Mama tells of how she
Alice Walker, one of the best-known and most highly respected writers in the US, was born in Eatonton , Georgia, the eighth and last child of Willie Lee and Minnie Lou Grant Walker. Her parents were sharecroppers, and money was not always available as needed. At the tender age of eight, Walker lost sight of one eye when one of her older brothers shot her with a BB gun by accident. This left her in somewhat a depression, and she secluded herself from the other children. Walker felt like she was no longer a little girl because of the traumatic experience she had undergone, and she was filled with shame because she thought she was unpleasant to look at. During this seclusion from other kids her age, Walker began to write poems. Hence, her career as a writer began.
Parallels between Measure for Measure and The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, and Twelfth Night
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Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is riddled with characters deceiving one another, the play holds much significance on one’s physical appearance and how the appearance of a character is a crucial component to the continuation of the plot. The first occurrence of deception is in fact Bassanio, friend to Antonio, is arguably the most significant character in The Merchant of Venice, as none of the plot would occur without him. Bassanio used his appearance to deceive not only the people of Venice but also Portia of Belmont and uses funds which are otherwise unavailable to him in an attempt to appear wealthy. For instance, when Bassanio
William Shakespeare attained literary immortality through his exposition of the many qualities of human nature in his works. One such work, The Merchant of Venice, revolves around the very human trait of deception. Fakes and frauds have been persistent throughout history, even to this day. Evidence of deception is all around us, whether it is in the products we purchase or the sales clerks' false smile as one debates the purchase of the illusory merchandise. We are engulfed by phonies, pretenders, and cheaters. Although most often associated with a heart of malice, imposture varies in its motives as much as it's practitioners, demonstrated in The Merchant of Venice by the obdurate characters of Shylock and Portia.
Alice Malsenior Walker born February 8, 1944 in Eatonton, Ga. The youngest of eight children, her parents Willie Lee and Minnie Tallulah were sharecroppers and dairy farmers. From an early age she was introverted and quite shy, possibly a result of her temporary disfigurement and permanent blindness, a result of one of her brothers shooting her in the eye with a bb gun. She felt that she was ugly and unpleasant to look at so she retreated into solitude, reading poems and stories then writing.
Shakespeare’s use of disguise has left the audience in suspense. The audience is left waiting to
...disguise to add comic effect by encouraging humour of an audience via the ‘theories of laughter’. Comic effect is accurately demonstrated by Shakespeare’s incorporation of confusion, disorder and farce. However, it can be concluded that Shakespeare’s use of mistaken identity and disguise was for the purpose of more than just for comic effect, but to highlight the audience more serious topics and challenge social norms and values of the period. Ironically, it can be inferred that Shakespeare has masked his underlying purpose of mistaken identity and disguise with comedy.