William Shakespeare is probably the best- known writer in English literature. Ben Johnson rightly said, “Shakespeare was not of an age, but for all time”. Since ancient times, there have been so many great names like Homer, Dante, Dickens and Tolstoy, but no one has so much international appeal and reputation as Shakespeare has. He was not only a master of theater but also an expert of human nature. He brilliantly followed the public demand and tried to mold his plays accordingly. In the three phases of his life, he wrote numerous plays which included comedies as well as tragedies. In this article, we are going to discuss a few among his four greatest comedies. So, let’s look into them in detail –
The Taming of the Shrew
This play opens with a group of hunting noblemen who tricked a drunken tinker named Christopher Sly and made him believe that he is a nobleman and then arrange a play to divert Sly. The main plot revolves around the courtship between Petruchio and Katerina. Petruchio is willing to marry Katerina because of the huge dowry, then he attempts to tame her in so many tormenting ways. There is a subplot which is about Katerina’s younger sisters; one of them is Bianca. Finally, Bianca elopes with her suitor Lucentio. Overall, the play focuses on the relationship between men and women and most importantly the complicated treatment by a husband to make her wife dutiful.Finally, a few words from the text –
‘My tongue will tell the anger of my heart, or else my heart concealing it will break.’
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Through this play we find a concept of play within a play. It begins with the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot is based on Egeus, who is forcing her daughter Hermia to marry Demetrius, but she loved Lysander. The couple eloped into a forest and they were followed by Demetrius and Helena. In the forest Nick Bottom and his group are preparing for the play Pyramus and Thisbe for the for the wedding. Another subplot begins when the fairy king and queen start an argument over an Indian boy. Then the king orders to squeeze the love potion on Titania; after that so many confusions and misunderstandings happen and Titania falls for the Donkey- headed Bottom. Finally, Oberon creates fog and resolves all the confusions, lovers are welcomed in the wedding and the play is performed greatly.
Let’s end the discussion with some of the words from the text-
‘The course of true love never did run smooth.’
