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Symbolism of a midsummer night dream
Role of fool in shakespeare plays
Plot construction in a midsummer night's dream
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Much can be said about the figure of the Fool in Shakespeare’s plays. The role that this type of character shows an interesting dynamic, particularly in the sense that the inclusion of the figure of a clown is always fitting and appropriate, regardless of the genre of the play. Shakespearean fools are privileged laugh provokers, who usually don’t have any real part in the play but their presence is significant. Many were wise enough to know how to offer profound truth and wisdom in the guise of humor. The fool is often the only source of humor in tragedies and is needed to lighten the otherwise dark, and depressing mood of the play.
Despite the different personalities these fools or clowns can take, from one play to another, they all serve a purpose in the play. They provide pure entertainment or indirect criticism of the surrounding events. The inevitable title of the “fool” that they have (which as one can tell by the name, denoted that they are characters whom words or actions have little or no significance because they are deemed as being not as sane as other characters or rather “mad”) This puts them in a position of power and lesser consequence especially since they are automatically excused for what they do or have to say. The presence of the clown or fool figure therefore act as a voice of conscience, a merry joy-bringer to the play, or a commentator to the surrounding events. Shakespeare uses the fool in A Midsummer Night Dream and King Lear to bluntly deliver to the reader what he wants them to feel or understand in a tragedy, comedy, romance or any other type of play
One important aspect to keep in mind about the fools is their ability to freely move without being affected by what happens around them. Just as their w...
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...or reader by merely being themselves, whether it be the wisdom Lear’s Fool offers, or the humorous response that Bottom illicit. As we see that one fool, Bottom is an example of a witty fool, and another is an example of a wise man in a fools disguise, Lear’s fool. Nevertheless as both fools take on roles of their own, and though it might not seem like they have a key role in the play in many ways would not be the plays that they are without these characters.
Works Cited
Goldsmith, Robert H. Wise Fools in Shakespeare. USA: Michiagan State University Press, 1963.
Shakespeare, W. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Ed. David Bevington. 6th Ed. New York: Longman, 2008.
Videback, Bente A. The Stage Clown In Shakespeare’s Theatre. Greenwood Press, 1996
Warde, Fredrick. The Fools Of Shakespeare. Los Angeles, California: Times Mirror Press, 1923.
In Shakespeare’s King Lear, the Fool is a source of chaos and disruption in King Lear’s tumultuous life. The Fool causes the King distress by insulting him, making light of his problems, and telling him the truth. On the road to Regan’s, the Fool says “If thou wert my Fool, nuncle, I’d have thee / beaten for being old before thy time.” (1.5.40-41). He denies the king the respect due to him as an aged King, causing the King to wonder at his worthiness. The fool also makes light of Lear’s qualms making snide remarks in response to Lear’s ruminations. When Lear asks Edgar cryptically, “wouldst thou give ‘em all?” the Fool responds, “Nay, he reserved a blanket, else we had been all shamed” (3.4.69-72). The Fool’s snide remarks do little to maintain Lear’s fragile control of his faculties. However, the Fool speaks to the king candidly, a rare occasion in Lear’s life. Even Kent acknowledges the truth of the Fool’s statements, saying, “This is not altogether fool, my lord” (1.4.155).
Minor characters play a very crucial role in Shakespear's Hamlet. They serve as narrators for events that occurred outside the immediate play: the Dane's ghost. Distinct contrasts are created through the usage of the play's minor characters. The reader gains new perspective on Hamlet's character when he is compared with Laertes. The presence of these minor characters can also have a direct effect on the action of the play. The actors in the play within the play are used to expose the guilt of Claudius; Hamlet then has proof of the King's crimes. The expertise use of these characters - either to exemplify good and purity, or to spread the vile corruption which permeates Elsinore - is one of the main reasons for Hamlet's success as one of the greatest plays ever written.
Shakespeare, William. Othello. The Complete. Moby (tm) Shakespeare. Online. Mass. Institute of Technology. Internet. 16 Nov. 1996
Misunderstandings generate conflict and drive stories forward. William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing is a play filled to the brim with misunderstandings and comedic situations. The constable of Messina, Dogberry, contributes to many such comedic situations with his twisted speech and juxtaposing sobriety. In this essay, Dogberry’s reality, character, and wrongly-used phrases are to be compared to actual reality.
Dutton, R., & Howard, J.E. (2003). A Companion to Shakespeare’s Works.(p. 9) Maiden, MA: Blackwell Pub.
Complete Works of Shakespeare. Ed. David Bevington. 4th ed. of the book.
Clark, W. G. and Wright, W. Aldis , ed. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Vol. 1. New York: Nelson-Doubleday
Combining the antics of a circus with the pomp of a royal court is a difficult task indeed. William Shakespeare's genius came from how closely he intertwined the two seemingly mutually exclusive realms to appeal to all socioeconomic groups in his audience. In King Lear, Edgar's appearance as Tom of Bedlam, Lear's insanity, and Lear's Fool provide the comic relief which slices the dramatic tension. Among these, Lear's Fool provides the closest intercourse of the two realms of royalty and tomfoolery while still maintaining their separation.
However, the typical Shakespearian’ fool is quick witted, a master of comedy, and able cause laughter without the accumulation of grudges, and effectively evading the build-up of ‘debt’. Despite being briefly present in “Hamlet”, Sterne’s jesterous Yorick succeeds in being an adequate conduct or vessel through the story itself. He encapsulates and exhumes the quintessential qualities of a typical jester, in that Yorick is able to slip the conversation onto a tangent whenever the topic of his ‘debts’ is brought in to a conversation; he manages to evade these conversations as if it were a “hop, skip and jump” to him (27). However, the reality of his economic social status inevitably awaits Yorick “until, he is trapped in a social chimney corner.” When in due time Yorick will be trapped and utterly incapable to slip the topic in to a tangendental digression. Nevertheless Yorick shows his capability or fulfilment in the role of a jester by ignoring all modes of reality through his comedy, however it results in his violent death. Although demonstrating that the fool can submerge themselves in laughter, rather chapter 12 proves that reality will down the fool in
In conclusion, a comic relief is used to relieve tension and to contrast serious scenes to increase the ultimate tragic nature of the play. Polonius uses his self absorbed dull personality to create humor in his scenes. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern act as the fool by their tactless actions and dialogue, their lightheartedness makes the tragic parts of the play seem all the more tragic. And finally Hamlet uses his morbid humor to intensify scenes of sorrow while he also bitterly teases others to relieve tensions at times. The comic relief in Shakespeare’s Hamlet contrasts intense scenes as to make them more intense.
Willeford, William, The Fool and His Scepter: A Study in Clowns and Jesters and Their Audience (Evanston: Northwestern University Press, 1969)
The clown contributes towards the humourous entertainment of this play through his numerous puns and jokes. He is a source of laughter, not because we are humoured by his "foolery"; for he proves to be no fool at all; but rather because he amuses us with his brilliant wit. Having mastered the art of jesting, Feste is sensitive of his profession, always aware of the circumstances he is in and the appropriateness of this folly.
‘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.
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.
...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.