February 13, 2015
Comedies
The Classical definition of "Comedy" is NOT that's it
funny...
The Classical definition of "Comedy" is that it has...
a happy ending!
February 13, 2015
Although, to be honest, Shakespearean comedies ARE
often funny...
Remember that Shakespeare loved silly humor, like fart and
sex jokes, and people falling all over the stage being drunk...
Many Shakespearean comedies also have:
weddings
mistaken identities
magic
switches in gender roles (a woman pretending to be a
man, etc.)
One of Shakespeare's most famous comedies is:
The Taming of the Shrew
Background: A wealthy man has two daughters. Both are
beautiful and ready to marry. The youngest daughter, Bianca,
seems very sweet and is much in demand. The oldest, however,
is the opposite of sweet. Katherine is a shrew: foul tempered, loud
and rude. No man will marry her. Fearing that he will be stuck with
the mean daughter forever, the father has declared that Bianca
cannot marry until Katherine has married.
A man who wishes to marry Bianca comes up with the idea to
convince Petruchio to marry Katherine, so that Bianca will finally
be free.
The remainder of the play shows how Petruchio "tames"
Katherine, marries her and eventually they fall in love...
February 13, 2015
Taming of the Shrew, Act 1 Scene 1
Meet Katherine
Taming of the Shrew- act 1 scene 1.mov
(2:00 min)
Taming of the Shrew - Finale
At the end of the play, Petruchio has a bet with two other
newly-married husbands as to whose wife is the most
obedient. (One of these other wives is the Katherine's sister
Bianca.) So as the scene begins, all wait to see which of the
women will prove to be the most "tamed" by love...
P.S. Watch for the small, subtle trick Katherine plays on
Petruchio at the end! What does that tell you about her
"taming?"
Taming of the Shrew - finale - Large.m4v (4:33 min)
February 13, 2015
Are Shakespearean Comedies relevant
today?
Compare this clip to The Taming of the Shrew.
What is the same and what is different?
10 Things I Hate About You trailer - Large.m4v
The Love Triangle
Twelfth Night is a romantic comedy, and romantic love is the play’s main
focus. Despite the fact that the play offers a happy ending, in which the
various lovers find one another and achieve wedded bliss, Shakespeare
shows that love can cause pain. Many of the characters seem to view love as
a kind of curse, a feeling that attacks its victims suddenly and disruptively.
Various characters claim to suffer painfully from being in love, or, rather,
from the pangs of unrequited love.
It seems to that Shakespeare thoroughly enjoys writing his plays and
involving bizarre love triangles within them. Shakespeare is very elaborate
with how he portrays the characters in each loving situation. All the while,
leaving the readers “confused” and “wanting more.”
A love triangle is usually a romantic relationship involving three people.
While it can refer to two people independently romantically linked with a third,
it usually implies that each of the three people has some kind of relationship to
the other two.
February 13, 2015
Storyboard
Directions: Shakespeare’s comedies
are famous for including all kinds of
misunderstandings and complicated
love triangles. Think of a modern
movie, TV show, or novel where a love
triangle causes problems for its
characters. Plot the story on the
storyboard below using six of the
main events. Use colorful drawings
and captions in each box!