Tuesday, February 19, 2019
How does Shakespeare use the theme of love to create a comedy?
Twelfth Night is a romantic clowning with true approve at its heart. The summercater does have occasional naughty undertones unless gener altogethery the bona fide honey and the misunderstanding make it a peculiar play. It was written originally for the Twelfth Night celebrations after Christmas in 1602. These celebrations were light hearted and a time for revelry. It was some(prenominal)times hold outn as the prey of Fools and melodic phrase behaviour and sensible acts were suspended at this time. Authority was move up side down. In close to universities, private houses and the law schools, a Lord of Misrule was elected. Usually a consideration became Master of the planetary house for a short period of time. He organised dances, masques and make-believe activities. E genuinelything was allowed pranks, deception, etc., rule this period between 25th December and 6th January. Afterwards, everything goes back to normal and the original hierarchy is at one time to a gre ater extent obeyed.Love PoemEven though comedy is a large part of the play, hump is most definitely the main theme. at that place be honor triangles, honor ground on mask and true lamb al tangled in the lives of the acknowledgments. The play transforms one type of bang for an early(a), for example, selfish self-love is transformed to genuine love. This aspect shows that true love wins through in the end. Shakespe atomic number 18 uses all of the incompatible types of love to cause comedy towards the auditory sense. For example, the self-love is so masochistic that the au discovernce looks on with humour with the over-exaggeration. Unrequited love in like manner makes quite a big romantic impact because the character is seen fashioning a inject of themselves. Twelfth Night is a mixture of all emotions an hearing result laugh, cry and fume at the characters that Shakespeare creates.There are three characters at the heart of the play mixed in a love triangle. Or sino is the offset printing that we are introduced to. Shakespeare represents Orsino as a parody of the romantic lover, in love with the idea of love. He is comic at times because of his obsession and the overstate language he uses to talk round love quote shape 1, burst 1If music be the food of love, play onGive me the excess of it, that surfeitingThe appetite may sicken and so dieThis quotation shows how melodramatic Shakespeare makes Orsino. It is so exaggerated that the interview would find him eccentric as he is portrayed as thinking that no other experience is as good as his intense feeling for love. He is obsessed by Olivia and is quaint because of his obsessive spirit. He also ofttimes seems quite fickle in his feelings which adds to his comic nature restate bit 1, conniption 1Enough no more.Tis non so ami adapted now as it was beforeThis quotation is an example of how Orsino falsifys his feelings in an instant.after Orsino is lecture to genus genus Viola/Cesar io about work force and women in love. He claims to be the model lover, talking about his love for OliviaQUOTE take on 2, aspect 4For such as I am, all true loves areUnstaid and skittish in all motions elseHis lines are made particularly special(a) and he seems unperceptive because the audience is aware that Cesario is of course a womanhood and that despite what Orsino says about women having less capacity for love than men, Viola/Cesario in fact loves him a lot and much more constantly than he loves Olivia. This is a good example of dramatic irony. Shakespeare satirises Orsinos exaggerated obsessive form of love.The second character composite in the love triangle is Olivia. Orsino and Olivia are quite similar in a number of ways tho their main similarity is in their characters. They both(prenominal) provide comedy in the play because of their obsessive love and their fickleness. Examples of this for Olivia are her obsessive love for her deceased brother and Cesario and how she changes from s correct years mourning to loving Cesario and then ever-changing from Cesario to Sebastian. A quotation for her obsessive nature isQUOTE prompt 3, guess 1Have you not set mine honour at the stakeAnd baited it all with thunmuzzled thoughtsThat tyrannous heart discharge think here, Olivia is openly expressing her love for Cesario which ends up being comical because it is unrequited. She pours her heart out which adds to the nature of the guess. Olivia criticises Orsinos stereotypical view of love because it doesnt sound real to her. Her actions towards love are actually much the same and she does not realise this, making her hypocritical and therefore criticising her own way of thinking. Also, she claims that she will never love again only if that all changes when Cesario comes into the picture. Shakespeare creates her character to be an unrealistic and vain, top-class person which shows through in her language. Orsino praises her for her looks, not for her as a person and this once more trys their similarities and comic personal lives. This act depicts how shallow Orsino is.One of the most comical parts of the play to do with Olivia is when she falls in love with Cesario, or who the audience lie withs is Cesario. This is highly amusing for the audience as they know the truth and they watch Olivia make a gull of herself. Shakespeare uses love from Olivia to Viola to create a high point of comedy throughout the play. He uses over-exaggerated language once more to really highlight the shallow feelings of OliviaQUOTE lick 1, characterization 5Let him send no moreUnless (perchance) you come to me againTo tell me now he takes itThis quotation is Olivia talking seductively to Cesario, once more openly expressing her feelings for him. Again, comical to the audience, for seeing a woman flirt with another(prenominal) was a very amusing entirely unheard of thing at the time when this play was performed. When Sebastian appears on pegleg a co mical effect takes place because we stern imagine the vacuous looks on the characters faces as an identical twin becomes part of the plot. Sebastian becomes a love interest to the fickle Olivia, once more creating comedy because of her changeability. By making Olivia so fickle and over-exaggerated Shakespeare creates a large amount of comedy based around her and the people she is involved with.The third and final part of the love triangle is Viola. She disguises herself as a man and serves Orsino which is comic stolon-off because of how she changes herself. The audience sees the change and therefore can compare the different reactions and feelings between the characters of Viola and Cesario. The audience would be used to this kind of dramatic behaviour, as a large tradition of plays at this time had these kind of comic complications. They would find it standardisedwise funny seeing a beautiful woman able to disguise herself as a man hushed no other characters able to notice. This is dramatic irony for the audience is let in on the secret but still can watch everyone not in the know create a jolly and comic atmosphere.Viola is sometimes witty and is involved in a range of comic situations most of them involved with the love complications in the play. The funniest single scene involving Viola has to be her comic duel with Sir Andrew which is set up by Sir toby because both men are rivals for Olivia though of course neither does actually love her. There are several comic moments involving Viola where she gets herself caught up in situations that accentuate the comic nature of the play.Ironically Orsino fails to realise that his wonderful new servant is actually a woman despite the hinting conversations they haveQUOTE figure out 1, SCENE 4Thy small pipe is as the maidens organHere Orsino is speaking and commenting on Violas unnatural high, shrill female voice yet he still does not catch on that she is actually a woman. This also has a slightly bawdy ton e to it which was very habitual at that time and would definitely have made the audience laugh. At the end of the scene the audience realises the romantic comedy is underway as Viola reveals her true feelings for OrsinoQUOTE ACT X, SCENE XIll so my best to woo your lady(Aside) Yet a barful strifeWhoeer I woo myself would be his wifeThe language here is romantic and sad for Viola has to assist someone else, who she perceives not worthy of his love, to love Orsino although underneath she has true romantic feelings for him. Then Orsino sends Cesario to woo Olivia who falls in love with Viola This is ironic and what starts off the love triangle. Shakespeare writes a speech for Viola to say to Olivia which is romantic, lyrical and paints vivid romantic pictures. It is also quite comical for the audience as they realise Olivia is in love with Viola.Viola can actually be quite witty and we can see this in her conversation with MariaQUOTE ACT 1, SCENE 5 rough mollification for your giantS weet ladyViola is being archaic and sar imbibeic to Maria referring to her as a giant, therefore commenting on her lack of height. This is a small indication of what the real Viola is like underneath her male costume. By the end of the consummation, Viola realises that Olivia has fallen in love with her, creating yet more amusement among the audience.Comedy is also involved when Orsino fails to realise Violas feelings despite some heavy hintsQUOTE ACT 2, SCENE 4Of your completion..About your years, my LordThese are just two of the lines or hints that Viola says when she is in Orsinos company. Viola says a long speech about the sincerity of her love. Shakespeare really goes all-out on the imagery in this department which reflects how Viola is feeling. It is a powerful insight into her life and feelings which is then cast into a shadow by Orsinos weak and misunderstood response.QUOTE ACT 2, SCENE 4But died thy sister of his love, my boy?This is comic because even though Viola is he r heart out for him, he is too adjoin up in his love affairs to notice.The duel is a very comic moment because Viola and Sir Andrew are both terrified of individually other thanks to of the crafty ways of Sir toby jug. He also urges them both on to the fight. Violas aside line would make the audience laughQUOTE ACT 3, SCENE 4Pray God defend me A little thing wouldmake me tell them how much I love of a manThis would be very comical for the audience for it reveals Violas timidity and nervousness towards the fight. Also she is supposed to be a man but everyone thinks that her slightly feeble attitude towards the fight is cowardly, and they would probably also incertitude her masculinity therefore resulting it into and ironic and comic situation.In the final scene there is a mounting sense of comic surprise, particularly when Olivia thinks she has wed Viola then Sebastian himself enters. You could see what confusion this would amount to on item everyone looking from Viola to Seb astian and back again. Shakespeare creates a huge amount of confusion with Viola because of her mistaken identity. Comically, everything turns out more or less salubrious for her and Shakespeare successfully uses love to create comedy.Shakespeare creates characters primarily for comic effect in this play and each of them are in some way involved in the theme of love. Sir Andrew is one of these. He is a figure of fun, but can also be seen as a sad person. The audience feels sympathy for him while laughing at his antics. He has been tricked by Sir Toby into believing he is in love with Olivia, which shows how easily he can be manipulated. Therefore he is constructed as a comic character. Sir Toby tells him to do pillock things like dance wildly, his appearance is comical to the audience (long, lanky figure, rather dim expression) and most comical of all he repeats Sir Tobys words but misunderstands themQUOTE ACT 1, SCENE 3 good enough Mistress AccostI desire better acquaintanceHe ge ts confused with what people say and this come outs a very comical and stupid air about his character. Shakespeare always portrays him as brandish. But he also has speeches which make you feel slightly sorry for himQUOTE ACT 2, SCENE 5I knew twas I for many do call me foolEven Sir Andrew is aware that people call him a fool which is a funny, yet heartfelt feeling put across by Shakespeare. some other poignant yet comic line isQUOTE ACT 2, SCENE 3I was adored once tooA illustrious line for you can tell his sorrow at being lovelorn yet you can laugh at his pathetic view on love. The main comic scene for Sir Andrew is the duel in Act 3, photograph 4. Shakespeare uses Sir Andrew for a key element of plot development in Act 4after fighting. Sir Andrew is terrified at the prospect of fighting someone and proceeds to do cowardly actions and act pathetically. This would seem hilarious to the audience because of how Shakespeare portrays Sir Andrew leading up to the fight and during it. Sir Andrew is left infelicitous and alone at the end for everyone is marry and have a happy ending. He does not but still his false love and stupidity casts him to be an important part of the play.Malvolio is another character who Shakespeare uses to create comedy in relation to love. He is a Puritan, satirised by Shakespeare, and filled to the brim with self love. Malvolio is not a genuine Puritan because of the letter plot in the box tree scene. This sprucely arranged plot reveals what a hypocrite Malvolio is about lusting after Olivia, as he frowned upon Sir Toby and Maria before, but when it relates to him he doesnt care. This scene is the first comic element of Malvolio the letter tricks him into smiling inappropriately and wearing fantastic clothes to impress Olivia, obviously all of this failing dismally in winning her affections, dramatically increasing the comedy of Malvolios character. In Act 3, word-painting 4, the trick is revealed and Malvolio appears very ridicu lous as he realises what a fool he has been. Sir Toby is very rude and cruel to him which makes him realise how unhappy his life is and how much disrespect people have for him. These elements do put a damper on the comic play but Malvolio does kick down with his comedy and love based antics.Although Shakespeare uses the theme of love primarily to create the comedy, the play also has much darker undertones. Feste is an ironic commentator on military man nature and on the way in which people behave when they are in love. He has a very different perspective on love to the aristocratic figures in the play. Shakespeare ends the comedy with an epilogue from Feste, telling some very bitter thoughts about human nature, love and life. It ends withQUOTE ACT 5 SCENE 1But thats all one, our play is throughAnd well strive to please you every daytimeThis is an acceptance of the sad conditions of life. A very unexpected end to a comedy. Feste is philosophical in all of his bitter songs and they all have poignant lines in themQUOTE ACT 2 SCENE 3Youths a stuff will not endureThis is a saying that youth, love and beauty will not last forever. Another sad line isQUOTE ACT 2 SCENE 4Sad true lover, never find my starkThis tells us about how people hide away and die for love. Feste provides us with comedy about love but his main role in this play is to make the audience come back to their senses and realise the realness of life.Overall, this play has many ways to show how love and comedy conflate to make astory of passion and heartbreak, love and unhappiness. Every character I have analysed here contributes towards the intense tone of the play, giving comedy and love to the audience. Yes, there are a few who reveal the darker undertones but these characters are essential in making the play as provoking, enthusiastic and realistic that it is.QUOTE ACT 5 SCENE 4A great while ago the world begunWith hey, ho the wind and the precipitateBut thats all one, our play is done,And we ll strive to please you every day
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