Bez ohledu na to, co byly pojmenovány, budou hry Williama Shakespeara stále skvělé umělecké dílo, takže nemusí vědět, co jim říkáme. Obecně však Shakespeare napsal tři typy her: Tragédie, Komedie a Historie. Tato jména nám pomáhají pochopit archetypy hry a lépe analyzovat její události. Koneckonců, Komedie Romeo a Julie by byla velmi odlišná hra od tragédie Romeo a Julie. Možná by to byla fraška dvou milovníků hvězdy, kteří byli odsouzeni trpět humornými chybami identity a pokornými sluhy. Nebyl by to příběh bídy, se kterým jsme všichni tak obeznámeni.
Elements of Shakespeare Romances | Shakespeare's Tragicomedies
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Shakespearean Romances
Shakespeare's Romances are characterized by: A conflict that gets resolved A central older male figure of noble descent A love interest Elements of the Supernatural Themes on a Grand Scale
Conflict Begins the Play / Resolved by the End
Central Older Male Figure of Nobility
Examples from The Tempest by William Shakespeare
Love Interest
On the way home from Alonso's daughter's wedding, a storm strikes their ship and shipwrecks Alonso, Ferdinand, Antonio, Gonzalo, Stephano, Trinculo, and Sebastian on an island. The men are split up, and Alonso thinks Ferdinand is dead.
Elements of the Supernatural
Prospero, Antonio, and Alonso. Prospero was the Duke of Milan before his brother Antonio (in a plot with Alonso, the King of Naples) usurped his throne and forced him to flee.
Themes on a Grander Scale
Miranda, Prospero's daughter, and Ferdinand run into each other on the island, and they instantly fall for one another. This is part of Prospero's plot to take back his rightful place as Duke of Milan.
Prospero has been studying sorcery for the 12 years he's been exiled. He causes the tempest to bring the boat with his brothers to the island. Ariel turns himself into a sea nymph and controls some of the men with music.
While Prospero regains his throne, the theme of the play looks at restoration and forgiveness on a grander scale. If Prospero can forgive his brother's treachery, surely it is possible for real people to do the same. In doing so, both peace and stability are rewards for forgiveness. Instead of pursuing pure revenge, Prospero curbs his bloodlust and still regains his power.