Anne Hathaway as Viola and Cesario in Twelfth Night; Photo by Sara Krulwich/The New York Times
Shakespearean Comedy: Controversial and Inclusive (D'Jara Culpepper)
Several of Shakespeare’s comedies incorporate some of the rituals and/or festivities of holidays such as May Day (May 1), Midsummer Night (summer solstice), and Twelfth Night (between Christmas Eve and Epiphany). Protestant reformers of Shakespeare’s day denied the validity of these holidays due to their pagan or Catholic origins and their mixing of the sacred and profane things. Therefore, Shakespeare’s reference to these controversial holidays sets the tone for the common elements found in his comedies. Unlike the one-hero-or-subject focus of Shakespeare’s tragedies and sonnets, his comedies also feature a large collection of protagonists that participate in multiple plots within each play. As will be seen as we read, this is but one aspect of the inclusive nature of the Shakespeare’s comedic play—warning: the scapegoats could be treated a bit better
No comments:
Post a Comment