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Comedy in Literature. The Comedy of Errors. Origins of Comedy. Ancient greek myth of Zeus and princess Semele - affair: produced Dionysus who was premature, sown into Zeus who bore him later God of common man, fertility, wild things, impulses, wine
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Comedy in Literature The Comedy of Errors
Origins of Comedy • Ancient greek myth of Zeus and princess Semele - affair: produced Dionysus who was premature, sown into Zeus who bore him later • God of common man, fertility, wild things, impulses, wine • Festivals held in ancient Greece to honor him • Drama originates from these festivals
Origins Cont. • Greeks were masters of tragedy and comedy • 3 types of comedy: Old, Middle and New • Old= 5th century B.C. and are like tragedies in form (4 actors and a chorus) • Focus on ridicule • Political and social satires • Mid= fall of Athens sparked change: 400-323 B.C. • Mock re-enactments of famous myths • Comedy of manners • Not much survives
New Comedy- Modern Comedy • illustrate the decline of the chorus and political issues of Old Comedy • is less obscene • focuses on family matters with complications in love relationships • introduces theme of love into literature • of interest in the interactions between observable social types.
New Modern Cont. • The Middle Ages (500-1500)= dormant period in the development of the Comedy genre
The Renaissance(re-birth)= based on 2 key principals • revival of classical forms developed by the ancient Greeks • a concern with secular life and an interest in humanism and the individual
Characteristics of Comedy • the presence of lovers • the defeat of an imposter figure and subsequent assimilation into restored social fabric • Celebrates a man’s ability to endure • Exposes what Aristotle terms, “ludicrous” actions
A comedy of errors: Definition • Often a play • Tone is light, satirical and farcical • Involves cases of mistaken ID • Usually has a positive resolution for everyone
The Comedy of Errors • Written 1592-1594 • One of Shakespeare’s shortest plays • Observes the “three unities” -unity of time (24 hrs) -unity of place (one geo. location) -unity of action (one main plot)
Themes • Appearance versus reality (trust in self and situation) • Ex.: Act II, sc. i: Antipholus of Syracuse: “What error drives our eyes and ears amiss?/Until I know this sure uncertainty,/I’ll entertain the offer’d fallacy.” • Act. III, sc. I: Anti. Of Ephesus trying to enter his home after “already there” • Love and marriage • Adriana and husband: • she calls him to dinner and when he “refuses”, she attempts to lock him out • Upset at possible infidelity • Luciana and her ideas about marriage • (Act II, sc. i): • Luciana believes that “men, more divine” are “the masters of all these”; Adriana is upset at her husbands “actions” • Dromio of Syracuse and greasy cook (Act III, sc. ii)
Themes Cont. • Madness • Each person questions their sanity • Precursor to King Lear and Hamlet • Act II, sc. ii: • Anti of S. states: • “ What error drives our eyes and ears amiss?/ Until I know this sure certainty,/ I’ll entertain the offer’d fallacy.” • He chooses to play along • Dromio of S. response: • “This is the fairy land: O spite of spites!/ We talk goblins, owls and sprites: / If we obey them, this will ensue,/ They’ll suck our breath or pinch us black and blue.”
Motifs Definition: vehicle for expressing the theme • Time • Luciana reprimands Adriana for not having patience • Act II, sc. i: time is bald---read • Had the characters simply had patience and communicated, the “errors” might have been discovered • Violence • Act I, Sc. I: Antipholus of S. beats Dromio of E.– accuses him of stealing 1000 marks and talking nonsense about a “wife” and “dinner” • Act II, Sc. ii: Anti. of S. beats Dromio of S. for “…flouting [him]; and then, wherefore, /For urging it the second time to [him]” • Flouting= showing contempt or scorn; mocking insult
Irony • 3 Types • Dramatic irony: occurs when the reader or the audience understands more about the events than a character • Situational irony: occurs when what actually happens is the opposite of what is expected • Verbal irony: a character says one thing but means another