13768475 shakespeares plays

8/11/2019 13768475 Shakespeares Plays

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TITLE/INFLUENCES

SETTING CHARACTERS PLOT THEMES/SYMBOLS/MOTIFS

ROMEO ANDJULIET

Romeo and Julietbelongs to a traditionof tragic romances stretching back toantiquity. Its plot isbased on an Italiantale, translated intoverse as The

Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet by Arthur Brooke in156 , and retold inprose in Palace of Pleasure by !illiam "ainter in 15# .$hakespeareborro%ed heavilyfrom both, butdevelopedsupporting

characters,particularly &ercutio and "aris, in order toe'pand the plot.

(omeo and )ulietborro%s from atradition of tragiclove stories datingback to antiquity.*ne of these is"yramus and+hisbe, from *vid s&etamorphoses,

SETTINGS (TIME)(enaissance-fourteenth orfifteenthcentury

SETTINGS (PLACE )/ 0erona and &antua

-cities in northern Italy

Romeo +he son andheir of &ontague and2ady &ontague. A youngman of about si'teen,(omeo is handsome,intelligent, and sensitive.

Juliet A beautifulthirteen year old girl andthe daughter of 3apuletand 2ady 3apulet.

F i! L!" e#$e A4ranciscan friar, friend toboth (omeo and )uliet.e is kind, civic minded,a proponent ofmoderation, and al%aysready %ith a plan.

Me $utio A kinsman tothe "rince, and (omeo sclose friend.

T%e Nu &e )uliet snurse, the %oman %hobreast fed )uliet %henshe %as a baby and hascared for )uliet her entirelife.

T' !lt A 3apulet,)uliet s cousin on hermother s side. e is vain,fashionable, andsupremely a%are ofcourtesy and the lack ofit.

In the streets of 0erona another bra%l breaksout bet%een the servants of the feuding noblefamilies of 3apulet and &ontague. Benvolio, a&ontague, tries to stop the fighting, but isembroiled %hen the rash 3apulet, +ybalt,arrives on the scene. After citi7ens outraged bythe constant violence beat back the %arringfactions, "rince 8scalus, the ruler of 0erona,attempts to prevent any further conflictsbet%een the families by decreeing death for anyindividual %ho disturbs the peace in the future.

(omeo, the son of &ontague, runs into hiscousin Benvolio, %ho had earlier seen (omeomoping in a grove of sycamores. After someprodding by Benvolio, (omeo confides that he isin love %ith (osaline, a %oman %ho does notreturn his affections. Benvolio counsels him toforget this %oman and find another, morebeautiful one, but (omeo remains despondent. &ean%hile, "aris, a kinsman of the "rince,seeks )uliet s hand in marriage. er father3apulet, though happy at the match, asks "aris

to %ait t%o years, since )uliet is not yet evenfourteen. 3apulet dispatches a servant %ith alist of people to invite to a masquerade andfeast he traditionally holds. e invites "aris tothe feast, hoping that "aris %ill begin to %in)uliet s heart. (omeo and Benvolio, still discussing (osaline,encounter the 3apulet servant bearing the list ofinvitations. Benvolio suggests that they attend,since that %ill allo% (omeo to compare hisbeloved to other beautiful %omen of 0erona.(omeo agrees to go %ith Benvolio to the feast,but only because (osaline, %hose name he

T%eme&

T%e Fo $e ul#e&& o Lo*e-+he play focuseson romantic love,specifically theintense passion thatsprings up at firstsight bet%een(omeo and )uliet.In (omeo and)uliet, love is a

violent, ecstatic,overpo%ering forcethat supersedes allother values,loyalties, andemotions .

Lo*e !& ! C!u&e o+iole#$e -2ove, inRomeo and Juliet,is a grand passion,and as such it isblinding9 it canover%helm aperson aspo%erfully andcompletely as hatecan .

T%e I#,i*i,u!l *e &u&So$iet' -&uch ofRomeo and Julietinvolves the loversstruggles againstpublic and social
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance_(love)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tragical_History_of_Romeus_and_Juliethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tragical_History_of_Romeus_and_Juliethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tragical_History_of_Romeus_and_Juliethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tragical_History_of_Romeus_and_Juliethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Brooke_(poet)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Pleasurehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Pleasurehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Pleasurehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Painterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Painterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercutiohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Parishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance_(love)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tragical_History_of_Romeus_and_Juliethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tragical_History_of_Romeus_and_Juliethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tragical_History_of_Romeus_and_Juliethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Brooke_(poet)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Pleasurehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Pleasurehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Painterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Painterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercutiohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Paris


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brings (omeo the ne%sof )uliet s death, una%arethat her death is a ruse.

S!m-&o#

G e.o ' +%o servantsof the house of 3apulet,%ho, like their master,hate the &ontagues.

A !m &ontague sservant, %ho fights %ith$ampson and @regory inthe first scene of the play.

T%e A-ot%e$! ' Anapothecary in &antua.

Pete A 3apulet servant%ho invites guests to3apulet s feast andescorts the ?urse to meet%ith (omeo.

Ro&!li#e +he %oman%ith %hom (omeo isinfatuated at thebeginning of the play.

the secret, procures a ladder, %hich (omeo %illuse to climb into )uliet s %indo% for their%edding night. +he ne't day, Benvolio and &ercutio encounter

+ybalt=)uliet s cousin=%ho, still enraged that(omeo attended 3apulet s feast, haschallenged (omeo to a duel. (omeo appears.?o% +ybalt s kinsman by marriage, (omeobegs the 3apulet to hold off the duel until heunderstands %hy (omeo does not %ant to fight.isgusted %ith this plea for peace, &ercutiosays that he %ill fight +ybalt himself. +he t%obegin to duel. (omeo tries to stop them byleaping bet%een the combatants. +ybalt stabs&ercutio under (omeo s arm, and &ercutiodies. (omeo, in a rage, kills +ybalt. (omeo flees

from the scene. $oon after, the "rince declareshim forever banished from 0erona for his crime.4riar 2a%rence arranges for (omeo to spendhis %edding night %ith )uliet before he has toleave for &antua the follo%ing morning. In her room, )uliet a%aits the arrival of her ne%husband. +he ?urse enters, and, after someconfusion, tells )uliet that (omeo has killed+ybalt. istraught, )uliet suddenly finds herselfmarried to a man %ho has killed her kinsman.But she resettles herself, and reali7es that her

duty belongs %ith her love: to (omeo. (omeo sneaks into )uliet s room that night, andat last they consummate their marriage and theirlove. &orning comes, and the lovers bidfare%ell, unsure %hen they %ill see each otheragain. )uliet learns that her father, affected bythe recent events, no% intends for her to marry"aris in >ust three days. nsure of ho% toproceed=unable to reveal to her parents thatshe is married to (omeo, but un%illing to marry"aris no% that she is (omeo s %ife=)uliet asksher ?urse for advice. $he counsels )uliet toproceed as if (omeo %ere dead and to marry

fate that help bringabout theunavoidableoutcome of the

young loversdeaths .

Moti &2ightC ark Imagery

*pposite "oints of 0ie% S'm ol&

Poi&o# -"oison is notintrinsically evil, but

is instead a naturalsubstance madelethal by humanhands .

T%um 0 iti#. -+he thumbbiting, as anessentiallymeaninglessgesture, representsthe foolishness ofthe entire

3apuletC&ontaguefeud and thestupidity of violencein general .

1uee# M!


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"aris, %ho is a better match any%ay. isgusted%ith the ?urse s disloyalty, )uliet disregards heradvice and hurries to 4riar 2a%rence. econcocts a plan to reunite )uliet %ith (omeo in&antua. +he night before her %edding to "aris,

)uliet must drink a potion that %ill make herappear to be dead. After she is laid to rest in thefamily s crypt, the 4riar and (omeo %ill secretlyretrieve her, and she %ill be free to live %ith(omeo, a%ay from their parents feuding.

)uliet returns home to discover the %edding hasbeen moved ahead one day, and she is to bemarried tomorro%. +hat night, )uliet drinks thepotion, and the ?urse discovers her, apparentlydead, the ne't morning. +he 3apulets grieve,

and )uliet is entombed according to plan. But4riar 2a%rence s message e'plaining the plan to(omeo never reaches &antua. Its bearer, 4riar)ohn, gets confined to a quarantined house.(omeo hears only that )uliet is dead. (omeo learns only of )uliet s death and decidesto kill himself rather than live %ithout her. ebuys a vial of poison from a reluctant

Apothecary, then speeds back to 0erona to takehis o%n life at )uliet s tomb. *utside the 3apuletcrypt, (omeo comes upon "aris, %ho isscattering flo%ers on )uliet s grave. +hey fight,and (omeo kills "aris. e enters the tomb, sees)uliet s inanimate body, drinks the poison, anddies by her side. )ust then, 4riar 2a%renceenters and reali7es that (omeo has killed "arisand himself. At the same time, )uliet a%akes.4riar 2a%rence hears the coming of the %atch.!hen )uliet refuses to leave %ith him, he fleesalone. )uliet sees her beloved (omeo andreali7es he has killed himself %ith poison. $hekisses his poisoned lips, and %hen that does notkill her, buries his dagger in her chest, fallingdead upon his body.


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have been inspiredby contemporaryplays. +homasey%ood s t%o partplay +he Iron Age

also depicts the+ro>an %ar and thestory of +roilus and3ressida, but it is notcertain %hether hisor $hakespeare splay %as %ritten first.In addition, +homasekker and enry

3hettle %rote a playcalled +roilus and3ressida at around

the same time as$hakespeare, butthis play survivesonly as afragmentary plotoutline.

of cheerful, ba%dy pimpfor his niece.

T%e &ite& A deformedslave serving A>a' %ho

has a vicious, abusivetongue.

A$%ille& +he greatestof the @reek %arriors, heis also an arrogant,vicious thug, %ho refusesto fight in the %ar%henever his pride isin>ured.

A3!4 A @reek %arrior,

he is as proud as Achilles, but lessintelligent and less skilledin battle.

A.!mem#o# +he@reek general, and theelder brother of&enelaus.

Diome,e& A @reekcommander %ho seduces3ressida.

P! i& A prince of +roy.is theft of &enelaus s

%ife, elen, precipitatedthe +ro>an !ar.

Me#el!u& A @reekcommander,

Agamemnon s brother,and the abandonedhusband of elen.

Hele# &enelaus s %ife.

+hat night, "andarus brings +roilus and3ressida together, and after they pledge to beforever true to one another, he leads them to abedchamber to consummate their love.&ean%hile, 3ressida s father, the treacherous

+ro>an priest 3alchas, asks the @reekcommanders to e'change a +ro>an prisoner forhis daughter, so that he may be reunited %ithher. +he commanders agree, and the ne'tmorning to +roilus and 3ressida s dismay thetrade is made, and a @reek lord namediomedes leads 3ressida a%ay from +roy. +hatafternoon, A>a' and ector fight to a dra%, andafter ector and Achilles e'change insults,ector and +roilus feast %ith the @reeks undera flag of truce. As the camp goes to bed,lysses leads +roilus to the tent of 3alchas,

%here the +ro>an prince %atches from hiding as3ressida agrees to become iomedes s lover. +he ne't day, in spite of unhappy premonitionsfrom his %ife , sister , and his father, ector takesthe field, and a furious and heartbroken +roilusaccompanies him. +he +ro>ans drive the @reeksback, but "atroclus is killed, %hich brings avengeful Achilles back into the %ar, finally.

Achilles is unable to defeat ector in singlecombat, but he later catches him unarmed and,together %ith a gang of @reek %arriors,slaughters him. Achilles then drags ector sbody around the %alls of +roy, and the playends %ith the +ro>an %arriors retreating to thecity to mourn their fallen hero.

*ut%ardly, 3ressida andelen are beautiful and

charming9 the various%arriors, handsome andmighty. In%ardly, they are all

ugly, spiteful, %eak, andCordepraved.
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SHRE6

+he basic elementsof the story are

present in the 1Jth

century 3astilian taleby on )uan &anuel of the Kyoung man%ho married a very

strong and fiery%omanK. +he play s

subplot, involving thecharacters Bianca

and 2ucentio,derives from

2udovico Ariosto s ISuppositi , either

directly or through@eorge @ascoigne s8nglish version

Supposes-performed 1566,

printed 15L< .

/ nspecific, thoughpresumably sometimeduring the Italian(enaissance

SETTINGS (PLACE )/ "adua, a city state inItaly prominent duringthe (enaissance

Eatherine, or Eate, is thedaughter of Baptista&inola, %ith %hom shelives in "adua.

Pet u$$io "etruccio isa gentleman from0erona. 2oud, boisterous,eccentric, quick %itted,and frequently drunk, hehas come to "adua Gto%ive and thrive.H

Bi!#$! +he youngerdaughter of Baptista. $heis soft spoken, s%eet,and unassuming.

B!-ti&t! &inolaBaptista is one of the%ealthiest men in "adua,and his daughtersbecome the prey of manysuitors due to thesubstantial do%ries hecan offer. e is goodnatured, if a bitsuperficial.

Lu$e#tio A youngstudent from "isa, thegood natured and intrepid2ucentio comes to "aduato study at the city sreno%ned university.

T !#io 2ucentio sservant %ho is %ry andcomical.

G emio !#, Ho te#&io +%o gentlemen of

"adua. @remio and

by a local lord. 4inding $ly drunk out of his %itsin front of an alehouse, the lord has his mentake $ly to his manor, dress him in his finery,and treat him as a lord. !hen $ly recovers, themen tell him that he is a lord and that he only

believes himself to be a tinker because he hasbeen insane for the past several years. !akingin the lord s bed, $ly at first refuses to acceptthe men s story, but %hen he hears of his G%ife,Ha pageboy dressed in %omen s clothing, hereadily agrees that he is the lord they purporthim to be. $ly %ants to be left alone %ith his%ife, but the servants tell him that a troupe ofactors has arrived to present a play for him. +heplay that $ly %atches makes up the main storyof The Taming of the Shrew .

In the Italian city of "adua, a rich young mannamed 2ucentio arrives %ith his servants, +ranio and Biondello , to attend the local university.2ucentio is e'cited to begin his studies, but hispriorities change %hen he sees Bianca , abeautiful, mild young %oman %ith %hom2ucentio instantly falls in love. +here are t%oproblems: first, Bianca already has t%o suitors,@remio and ortensio9 second, Bianca s father,a %ealthy old man named Baptista &inola, hasdeclared that no one may court Bianca until firsther older sister, the vicious, ill temperedEatherine , is married. 2ucentio decides toovercome this problem by disguising himself asBianca s 2atin tutor to gain an e'cuse to be inher company. ortensio disguises himself asher music teacher for the same reason. !hile2ucentio pretends to be Bianca s tutor, +raniodresses up as 2ucentio and begins to confer%ith Baptista about the possibility of marryinghis daughter. +he Eatherine problem is solved for Bianca ssuitors %hen ortensio s friend "etruccio , abrash young man from 0erona, arrives in "aduato find a %ife. e intends to marry a rich %oman,

M! i!.e !& !# E$o#omi$I#&titutio#

The Taming of the Shrewemphasi7es theeconomic aspects

of marriage=specifically, ho%economicconsiderationsdetermine %homarries %hom.

Re#!i&&!#$e It!l' - omote&i#e7u!lit' o em!le& 'o $i#. t%em i#to&u mi&&i*e ole&2 The Taming of the Shrew is a

comedy that satiri7es silly andunfair social customs andbehaviors that favor males.3onsider that Baptista &inolatreats his daughters, Biancaand Eatharina, likemarionettes, e'pecting themal%ays to do his bidding. It ishe %ho decides %hom Bianca%ill marry - the r ichestbachelor , and it is he %hoorders Eatharina s betrothalto "etruchio, a man she saysshe despises. 3onsider, too,that "etruchio forcesEatharina to ackno%ledgethat he is al%ays right, even%hen he says the sun is themoon. At the end of the play,all of the husbands bragabout %hat they apparentlybelieve is an important qualityof a %ife: submissiveness.

Some "ome# mu&t e
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Juan_Manuelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludovico_Ariostohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Gascoignehttp://scrollingpopup%28%27http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/terms/char_5.html','1fc2650b02','500','500')http://scrollingpopup%28%27http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/terms/char_6.html','1fc2650b02','500','500')http://scrollingpopup%28%27http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/terms/char_9.html','1fc2650b02','500','500')http://scrollingpopup%28%27http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/terms/char_9.html','1fc2650b02','500','500')http://scrollingpopup%28%27http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/terms/char_3.html','1fc2650b02','500','500')http://scrollingpopup%28%27http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/terms/char_7.html','1fc2650b02','500','500')http://scrollingpopup%28%27http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/terms/char_7.html','1fc2650b02','500','500')http://scrollingpopup%28%27http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/terms/char_4.html','1fc2650b02','500','500')http://scrollingpopup%28%27http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/terms/char_1.html','1fc2650b02','500','500')http://scrollingpopup%28%27http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/terms/char_1.html','1fc2650b02','500','500')http://scrollingpopup%28%27http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/terms/char_2.html','1fc2650b09','500','500')http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Juan_Manuelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludovico_Ariostohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Gascoignehttp://scrollingpopup%28%27http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/terms/char_5.html','1fc2650b02','500','500')http://scrollingpopup%28%27http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/terms/char_6.html','1fc2650b02','500','500')http://scrollingpopup%28%27http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/terms/char_9.html','1fc2650b02','500','500')http://scrollingpopup%28%27http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/terms/char_3.html','1fc2650b02','500','500')http://scrollingpopup%28%27http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/terms/char_7.html','1fc2650b02','500','500')http://scrollingpopup%28%27http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/terms/char_4.html','1fc2650b02','500','500')http://scrollingpopup%28%27http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/terms/char_1.html','1fc2650b02','500','500')http://scrollingpopup%28%27http//www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/shrew/terms/char_2.html','1fc2650b09','500','500')


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ortensio are Bianca ssuitors at the beginning ofthe play.

G umio "etruccio s

servant and the fool ofthe play=a source ofmuch comic relief. Bio#,ello 2ucentio ssecond servant, %hoassists his master and+ranio in carrying outtheir plot. C% i&to-%e Sl' +heprincipal character in the

play s brief Induction, $lyis a drunken tinker,tricked by a mischievousnobleman into thinkingthat he is really a lord.

and does not care %hat she is like as long asshe %ill bring him a fortune. e agrees to marryEatherine sight unseen. +he ne't day, he goesto Baptista s house to meet her, and they have atremendous duel of %ords. As Eatherine insults

"etruccio repeatedly, "etruccio tells her that he%ill marry her %hether she agrees or not. etells Baptista, falsely, that Eatherine hasconsented to marry him on $unday. earing thisclaim, Eatherine is strangely silent, and the%edding is set. *n $unday, "etruccio is late to his o%n%edding, leaving Eatherine to fear she %illbecome an old maid. !hen "etruccio arrives,he is dressed in a ridiculous outfit and rides on abroken do%n horse. After the %edding,

"etruccio forces Eatherine to leave for hiscountry house before the feast, telling all inearshot that she is no% his property and that hemay do %ith her as he pleases. *nce they reachhis country house, "etruccio continues theprocess of GtamingH Eatherine by keeping herfrom eating or sleeping for several days=hepretends that he loves her so much he cannotallo% her to eat his inferior food or to sleep in hispoorly made bed. In "adua, 2ucentio %ins Bianca s heart by%ooing her %ith a 2atin translation that declareshis love. ortensio makes the same attempt%ith a music lesson, but Bianca loves 2ucentio,and ortensio resolves to marry a %ealthy%ido%. +ranio secures Baptista s approval for2ucentio to marry Bianca by proposing a hugesum of money to lavish on her. Baptista agreesbut says that he must have this sum confirmedby 2ucentio s father before the marriage cantake place. +ranio and 2ucentio, still in theirrespective disguises, feel there is nothing left todo but find an old man to play the role of2ucentio s father. +ranio enlists the help of anold pedant, or schoolmaster, but as the pedant

t!me,8 li9e "il, !#im!l&2"etruchio uses the sametactics to tame Eatharina thathe uses to tame hunting birdsand other animals.

Mo#e' m!9e& t%e m!#:!#,"om!#2 2ucentio gets Biancabecause he has the mostmoney. Eatharina gets asuitor, "etruchio, becauseshe has a handsome do%ry.

Lo*e !t i &t SIGHT2 !henthey first meet, Eatharina and"etruchio engage in a battleof insults. It is clear during

their e'change that oppositesattract and that they aredestined to marry andbecome strange bedfello%s.

Do#;t , i#9 !#, , o"&e2 Inthe induction, 3hristopher $lydo7es on the side of a road inthe 8nglish countryside aftergetting drunk. &ischievouspassersby play an elaboratetrick on him deceiving him

into believing that he is a lord%ho has >ust come through15 years of insanity. All of%hich proves that in vino,there is no veritas.

5ill "it% 9i#,#e&&2 singreverse psychology,"etruchio praises, pampers,and coddles Eatharina inorder to rob her of occasionto complain and thereby kill

her scolding tongue.


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speaks to Baptista, 2ucentio and Bianca decideto circumvent the comple' situation by eloping. Eatherine and "etruccio soon return to "adua tovisit Baptista. *n the %ay, "etruccio forces

Eatherine to say that the sun is the moon andthat an old man is really a beautiful youngmaiden. $ince Eatherine s %illfulness isdissipating, she agrees that all is as herhusband says. *n the road, the couple meets2ucentio s father, 0incentio, %ho is on his %ayto "adua to see his son. In "adua, 0incentio isshocked to find +ranio masquerading as2ucentio. At last, Bianca and 2ucentio arrive tospread the ne%s of their marriage. Both0incentio and Baptista finally agree to themarriage.

At the banquet follo%ing ortensio s %edding tothe %ido%, the other characters are shocked tosee that Eatherine seems to have beenGtamedH=she obeys everything that "etrucciosays and gives a long speech advocating theloyalty of %ives to their husbands. !hen thethree ne% husbands stage a contest to see%hich of their %ives %ill obey first %hensummoned, everyone e'pects 2ucentio to %in.Bianca, ho%ever, sends a message backrefusing to obey, %hile Eatherine comesimmediately. +he others ackno%ledge that"etruccio has %on an astonishing victory, andthe happy Eatherine and "etruccio leave thebanquet to go to bed.

T%e E e$t o So$i!l Role&o# I#,i*i,u!lH!--i#e&& +he

primary e'citementin The Taming ofthe Shrew stemsfrom its permeablesocial boundaries,crisscrossedcontinually by those%ho employ adisguise or a cleverlie. In the end,ho%ever, theconventional order

reestablishes itself,and thosecharacters %hoharmoni7e %ith thatorder achievepersonal happiness.

Moti &

isguiseomestication4athers and their 3hildren

S'm ol&

Pet u$$io


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her. +he outfit alsosymboli7es thetransient nature ofclothing.

T%e H! e ,!&%e


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%ho bear a strikingresemblance to$tephano and+rinculo9 a lecherous

?eapolitanhunchback named"ulcinella , %hocorresponds to3aliban9 and theclever and beautifulIsabella, %hose%ealthy andmanipulative father,"antalone ,constantly seeks asuitor for her, thus

mirroring therelationship bet%een&iranda and"rospero.

*ne of @on7alo sspeeches is derivedfrom &ontaigne sessay Of theCanibales , %hich)ohn 4lorio translated into

8nglish in 16D


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$ince sourcescholarship began inthe 1#th century,researchers have

suggested thatpassages from8rasmus saufragium -TheShipwrec! ,published in 15 okes and puns.

Cl!u,io A youngsoldier %ho has %ongreat acclaim fightingunder on "edro duringthe recent %ars.

He o +he beautifulyoung daughter of2eonato and the cousin ofBeatrice. ero is lovely,gentle, and kind.

Do# Pe, o Animportant nobleman from

Aragon, sometimesreferred to as G"rince.Hon "edro is generous,courteous, intelligent, andloving to his friends, buthe is also quick to believeevil of others and hasty totake revenge.

Leo#!to A respected,%ell to do, elderly nobleat %hose home, in&essina, Italy, the actionis set. 2eonato is thefather of ero and theuncle of Beatrice.

Do# Jo%# +heillegitimate brother of on"edro9 sometimes calledGthe Bastard.H on )ohn

include on "edro , a prince %ho is a closefriend of 2eonato, and t%o fello% soldiers:3laudio , a %ell respected young nobleman, andBenedick , a clever man %ho constantly makes%itty >okes, often at the e'pense of hisfriends. on )ohn , on "edro s illegitimatebrother, is part of the cro%d as %ell. on )ohn issullen and bitter, and makes trouble for theothers.

!hen the soldiers arrive at 2eonato s home,3laudio quickly falls in love %ith ero.&ean%hile, Benedick and Beatrice resume the%ar of %itty insults that they have carried on %itheach other in the past. 3laudio and ero pledgetheir love to one another and decide to bemarried. +o pass the time in the %eek before the%edding, the lovers and their friends decide toplay a game. +hey %ant to get Beatrice andBenedick, %ho are clearly meant for each other,to stop arguing and fall in love. +heir tricksprove successful, and Beatrice and Benedicksoon fall secretly in love %ith each other. But on )ohn has decided to disrupt everyone shappiness. e has his companion Borachio make love to &argaret , ero s serving %oman,at ero s %indo% in the darkness of the night,and he brings on "edro and 3laudio to %atch.Believing that he has seen ero being unfaithfulto him, the enraged 3laudio humiliates ero bysuddenly accusing her of lechery on the day oftheir %edding and abandoning her at the altar.ero s stricken family members decide to

pretend that she died suddenly of shock andgrief and to hide her a%ay %hile they %ait for thetruth about her innocence to come to light. In theaftermath of the re>ection, Benedick andBeatrice finally confess their love to oneanother. 4ortunately, the night %atchmenoverhear Borachio bragging about his crime.ogberry and 0erges , the heads of the localpolice, ultimately arrest both Borachio and

%rong.

Peo-le o te# "e! m!&9& to,i&.ui&e t%ei t ue eeli#.&24or e'ample, Benedick andBeatrice pretend to despiseeach other even though theylove each other, and on)ohn pretends to beremorseful %hen all the %hilehe is plotting revenge.

All i& #ot "%!t it &eem&2&istaken identities, falseaccusations, misleadingconversations, and ironicoutcomes all confound theprinciple characters.

Lo*e i& NOT li#,2 Benedick%ell kno%s that Beatrice hasa sharp tongue %hose stingshe must endure if he is to beher husband and live %ith herfor decades to come.2ike%ise, Beatrice %ell kno%sBenedick s faults. et, beforethe end of play, theyackno%ledge their deep lovefor each other and marry.

Lo*e IS li#, . ero ignores3laudio s faults. 4or e'ample,she accepts 3laudio as herhusband even though only ashort time before he soreadily believed the slandersagainst her, called her aKrotten orange,K and agreedto marry another in her place.&oreover, she neverquestions his motivesFone of
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is melancholy and sullenby nature, and he createsa dark scheme to ruin thehappiness of ero and3laudio.

M! .! et ero sserving %oman, %houn%ittingly helpsBorachio and on )ohndeceive 3laudio intothinking that ero isunfaithful.

Bo !$%io An associateof on )ohn. Borachio isthe lover of &argaret,ero s serving %oman.

Co# !, *ne of on)ohn s more intimateassociates, entirelydevoted to on )ohn.

Do. e ' +heconstable in charge of the!atch, or chiefpoliceman, of &essina.ogberry is very sincereand takes his >obseriously, but he has ahabit of using e'actly the%rong %ord to convey hismeaning.

+e .e& +he deputy toogberry, chiefpoliceman of &essina. A#to#io 2eonato selderly brother, and eroand Beatrice s uncle.

3onrad , another of on )ohn s follo%ers.8veryone learns that ero is really innocent,and 3laudio, %ho believes she is dead, grievesfor her. 2eonato tells 3laudio that, as punishment, he%ants 3laudio to tell everybody in the city ho%innocent ero %as. e also %ants 3laudio tomarry 2eonato s GnieceH=a girl %ho, he says,looks much like the dead ero. 3laudio goes tochurch %ith the others, preparing to marry themysterious, masked %oman he thinks is ero scousin. !hen ero reveals herself as themasked %oman, 3laudio is over%helmed %ith

>oy. Benedick then asks Beatrice if she %illmarry him, and after some arguing they agree.+he >oyful lovers all have a merry dance beforethey celebrate their double %edding.

%hich, apparently, is to marryinto money. - e hadpreviously inquired %hether@overnor 2eonato had a sonand %as told ero %as2eonato s only child and,thus, sole heir to hisproperty.

A "om!#;& $%!&tit' i& !t e!&u e #o m!# &%oul,-o&&e&& e4$e-t i#m! i!.e2 +he brouhaha overthe false charge that eroslept %ith a strangerunderscores the high regardthat the central characters inthe play have for a virginalbride.

T%e I,e!l o So$i!l G !$e2+he charactersdense, colorfulmanner of speakingrepresents the idealthat (enaissancecourtiers strove forin their socialinteractions.Benedick and hiscompanions try todisplay theirpolished socialgraces both in theirbehavior and intheir speech.

De$e-tio# !& ! Me!#& to !#E#,2 eceit isneither purely

positive nor purely
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3laudio to lose hisplace as on"edro s favorite

Noti#. -In $hakespeare stime, the G?othingHof the title %ouldhave beenpronouncedG?oting.H +hus, theplay s title couldread: G&uch Ado

About ?oting.HIndeed, many of theplayers participatein the actions ofobserving, listening,and %riting, ornoting. In order fora plot hinged oninstances of deceitto %ork, thecharacters mustnote one anotherconstantly.

E#te t!i#me#t -4rom the%itty yet plaintivesong that Balthasarsings about thedeceitfulness ofmen to the maskedball and the musicand dancing at theend of the play, thecharacters of Much

Ado AboutNothing spendmuch of their timeengaging inelaboratespectacles and


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entertainments.

Cou#te eiti#. -+he idea ofcounterfeiting, in

the sense ofpresenting a falseface to the %orld,appears frequentlythroughout the play.

A particularly richand comple'e'ample ofcounterfeitingoccurs as 2eonato,3laudio, and on"edro pretend that

Beatrice is headover heels in love%ith Benedick.

Another, moreserious reference tocounterfeitingoccurs at the%edding ceremony,as 3laudiorhetorically paints apicture of ero as aperfect counterfeit

of innocence,unchaste andimpure beneath aseeminglyunblemishedsurface

S'm ol&+he +aming of !ild Animals!ar ero s eath - ero s false

death is less a

charade aimed to


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induce remorse in3laudio than it is asocial ritualdesigned to cleanseher name andperson of infamy.

AS YOU LI5E IT

As his only sourcefor *s +ou ,i!e It ,$hakespeare usedRosalynde- uphues%olden ,egacie , anovel %rit ten by+homas 2odge,published in 15OD.

SETTING (TIME)/ $i'teenth century

SETTING (PLACE ) / 4rance,primarily the fictional4orest of Ardenne

Ro&!li#, +he daughterof uke $enior. (osalind,considered one of$hakespeare s mostdelightful heroines, isindependent minded,strong %illed, goodhearted, and terriblyclever.

O l!#,o +he youngestson of $ir (o%land deBois and younger brotherof *liver. *rlando is anattractive young man%ho, under his brother sneglectful care, haslanguished %ithout agentleman s education ortraining.

Du9e Se#io +hefather of (osalind and therightful ruler of thedukedom in %hich theplay is set. uke $eniorproves himself to be akind and fair mindedruler.

J!7ue& A faithful lord%ho accompanies uke$enior into e'ile in the4orest of Ardenne.)aques is an e'ample ofa stock figure in8li7abethan comedy, the

$ I( ( *!2A? 8 B*I$ A$ (838?+2 I8 , and,according to the custom of primogeniture, thevast ma>ority of his estate has passed into thepossession of his eldest son, *liver . Although$ir (o%land has instructed *liver to take goodcare of his brother, *rlando , *liver refuses to doso. *ut of pure spite, he denies *rlando theeducation, training, and property befitting agentleman. 3harles , a %restler from the court ofuke 4rederick , arrives to %arn *liver of arumor that *rlando %ill challenge 3harles to afight on the follo%ing day. 4earing censure if heshould beat a nobleman, 3harles begs *liver tointervene, but *liver convinces the %restler that*rlando is a dishonorable sportsman %ho %illtake %hatever dastardly means necessary to%in. 3harles vo%s to pummel *rlando, %hichdelights *liver.

uke $enior has been usurped of his throne byhis brother, uke 4rederick, and has fled to the4orest of Ardenne, %here he lives like (obinood %ith a band of loyal follo%ers. uke

4rederick allo%s $enior s daughter, (osalind , toremain at court because of her inseparablefriendship %ith his o%n daughter, 3elia . +he dayarrives %hen *rlando is scheduled to fight3harles, and the %omen %itness *rlando sdefeat of the court %restler. *rlando and(osalind instantly fall in love %ith one another,though (osalind keeps this fact a secret fromeveryone but 3elia. *rlando returns home fromthe %restling match, only to have his faithfulservant Adam %arn him about *liver s plotagainst *rlando s life. *rlando decides to leavefor the safety of Ardenne. !ithout %arning,uke 4rederick has a change of heart regarding

T%e Deli.%t& o Lo*e2 AsYou Like It spoofsmany of theconventions ofpoetry and literaturedealing %ith love,such as the ideathat love is adisease that bringssuffering andtorment to the lover,or the assumptionthat the male loveris the slave orservant of hismistress. But at theend of the play,(osalind provesthat love is a sourceof incomparabledelight.

T%e M!lle! ilit ' o t%eHum!#E4-e ie#$e . AsYou Like It not onlyinsists that peoplecan and do change,but also celebratestheir ability tochange for thebetter.

Cit' Li e +e &u& Cou#t 'Li e2 *ften, i t

suggests that the
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man possessed of ahopelessly melancholydisposition.

Celi! +he daughter ofuke 4rederick and(osalind s dearest friend.3elia possesses a lovingheart, but is prone todeep, almost e'cessiveemotions.

Du9e F e,e i$9 +hebrother of uke $eniorand usurper of his throne.uke 4rederick s cruel

nature and volatiletemper are displayed%hen he banishes hisniece, (osalind, fromcourt %ithout reason.

Tou$%&to#e A clo%n inuke 4rederick s court

%ho accompanies(osalind and 3elia intheir flight to Ardenne.

Oli*e +he oldest sonof $ir (o%land de Boisand sole inheritor of thede Bois estate.

Sil*iu& A young,suffering shepherd, %hois desperately in love %iththe disdainful "hoebe.

P%oe e A youngshepherdess, %hodisdains the affections of$ilvius.

(osalind and banishes her from court. $he, too,decides to flee to the 4orest of Ardenne andleaves %ith 3elia, %ho cannot bear to be %ithout(osalind, and +ouchstone , the court >ester. +oensure the safety of their >ourney, (osalindassumes the dress of a young man and takesthe name @anymede, %hile 3elia dresses as acommon shepherdess and calls herself Aliena. uke 4rederick is furious at his daughter s

disappearance. !hen he learns that the flight ofhis daughter and niece coincides %ith thedisappearance of *rlando, the duke orders*liver to lead the manhunt, threatening toconfiscate *liver s lands and property should hefail. 4rederick also decides it is time to destroyhis brother once and for all and begins to raisean army. uke $enior lives in the 4orest of Ardenne %itha band of lords %ho have gone into voluntarye'ile. e praises the simple life among thetrees, happy to be absent from the machinationsof court life. *rlando, e'hausted by travel anddesperate to find food for his starvingcompanion, Adam, barges in on the duke scamp and rudely demands that they not eat untilhe is given food. uke $enior calms *rlandoand, %hen he learns that the young man is theson of his dear former friend, accepts him intohis company. &ean%hile, (osalind and 3elia,disguised as @anymede and Aliena, arrive inthe forest and meet a lovesick young shepherdnamed $ilvius %ho pines a%ay for the disdainful"hoebe . +he t%o %omen purchase a modestcottage, and soon enough (osalind runs intothe equally lovesick *rlando. +aking her to be ayoung man, *rlando confides in (osalind thathis affections are overpo%ering him. (osalind,as @anymede, claims to be an e'pert ine'orcising such emotions and promises to cure*rlando of lovesickness if he agrees to pretendthat @anymede is (osalind and promises to

oppressions of thecity can beremedied by a tripinto the country s

therapeutic %oodsand fields, and thata person s sense ofbalance andrightness can berestored byconversations %ithuncorruptedshepherds andshepherdesses.+his type ofrestoration, in turn,enables one toreturn to the city abetter person,capable of makingthe most of urbanlife.

Moti & Artifice

omoeroticism8'ile

S'm ol&

O l!#,o


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Lo , Amie#& A faithfullord %ho accompaniesuke $enior into e'ile inthe 4orest of Ardenne.2ord Amiens is rather >ollyand loves to sing. C%! le& A professional%restler in uke4rederick s court.

A,!m +he elderlyformer servant of $ir(o%land de Bois.

Si Ro"l!#, ,e Boi& +he father of *liver and*rlando, friend of uke$enior, and enemy ofuke 4rederick.

Co i# A shepherd.3orin attempts to counselhis friend $ilvius in the%ays of love, but $ilviusrefuses to listen. Au, e' Asimpleminded goatherd%ho agrees to marry+ouchstone. 6illi!m A youngcountry boy %ho is in love%ith Audrey.

come %oo her every day. *rlando agrees, andthe love lessons begin. &ean%hile, "hoebe becomes increasingly cruelin her re>ection of $ilvius. !hen (osalindintervenes, disguised as @anymede, "hoebefalls hopelessly in love %ith @anymede. *neday, *rlando fails to sho% up for his tutorial %ith@anymede. (osalind, reacting to her infatuation%ith *rlando, is distraught until *liver appears.*liver describes ho% *rlando stumbled uponhim in the forest and saved him from beingdevoured by a hungry lioness. *liver and 3elia,still disguised as the shepherdess Aliena, fallinstantly in love and agree to marry. As timepasses, "hoebe becomes increasingly insistentin her pursuit of @anymede, and *rlando gro%stired of pretending that a boy is his dear(osalind. (osalind decides to end the charade.$he promises that @anymede %ill %ed "hoebe,if @anymede %ill ever marry a %oman, and shemakes everyone pledge to meet the ne't day atthe %edding. +hey all agree. +he day of the %edding arrives, and (osalindgathers the various couples: "hoebe and$ilvius9 3elia and *liver9 +ouchstone and

Audrey , a goatherd he intends to marry9 and*rlando. +he group congregates before uke$enior and his men. (osalind, still disguised as@anymede, reminds the lovers of their variousvo%s, then secures a promise from "hoebe thatif for some reason she refuses to marry@anymede she %ill marry $ilvius, and a promisefrom the duke that he %ould allo% his daughterto marry *rlando if she %ere available. (osalindleaves %ith the disguised 3elia, and the t%osoon return as themselves, accompanied byymen, the god of marriage. ymen officiates atthe ceremony and marries (osalind and*rlando, 3elia and *liver, "hoebe and $ilvius,and Audrey and +ouchstone. +he festive%edding celebration is interrupted by even more

cuckoldry,commonlyrepresented by aman %ith horns

atop his head.

G!#'me,e . (osalind schoice of alternative identitiesis significant. @anymede isthe cupbearer and beloved of)ove and is a standardsymbol of homose'ual love.In the conte't of the play, herchoice of an alter egocontributes to a continuum ofse'ual possibilities.
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festive ne%s: %hile marching %ith his army toattack uke $enior, uke 4rederick came upona holy man %ho convinced him to put aside his%orldly concerns and assume a monastic life.4rederick changes his %ays and returns thethrone to uke $enior. +he guests continuedancing, happy in the kno%ledge that they %illsoon return to the royal court.

THE MERRY6I+ES OF6INDSOR

$ome elements ofThe .erry $i#es of$indsor may havebeen adapted from IlPecorone , acollection of storiesby $er @iovanni 4iorentino9 one ofthese stories %asincluded in !illiam "ainter s The Palaceof Pleasure/

+he action takes placein !indsor in Berkshire3ounty, 8ngland,during the 8li7abethan

Age. !indsor, a fe%miles %est of 2ondon,is the site of !indsor3astle, a royalresidence from the timeof !illiam the3onqueror, %horeigned as king from1D66 to 1D#L. +he play%as said to havedebuted at !indsor3astle before Pueen8li7abeth I.

Mi&t e&& Fo , Aresident of !indsor,&istress 4ord is marriedto 4ord and is a friend of&istress "age.

Mi&t e&& P!.e Aresident of !indsor,&istress "age is marriedto "age and is a friend of&istress 4ord.

F!l&t! 4alstaff is aknight, but he is also ascoundrel andoccasionally a thief.

Fo , usband of&istress 4ord. 4ord isvery >ealous of his %ife.

P!.e usband of&istress "age.

Si Hu.% E*!#& $irugh 8vans is the localclergyman.

C!iu& +he local doctor,3aius is &istressPuickly s master.

A##e P!.e aughterof "age and &istress

)ustice $hallo% , &aster $lender , and $ir ugh8vans enter, discussing $hallo% s anger at $ir)ohn 4alstaff . 8vans changes the topic to theyoung Anne "age , %hom he %ould like to see$lender marry. +hey arrive at &aster "age sdoor, %here $hallo% confronts 4alstaff and hisentourage. +he men enter to dine, but $lenderdrifts around outside, trying unsuccessfully toconverse %ith Anne "age until he goes inside.

4alstaff and his entourage settle in at the @arterInn, %here 4alstaff reveals his plan to seduce&istress "age and &istress 4ord , both of %homhave control over their husband s money, %hichhe desires. e sends "istol and ?im to deliverletters to the %omen, but they refuse. Insteadthey plot to stymie 4alstaff s plans by telling"age and 4ord of his intentions. &istress Puickly talks to $lender s servant$imple , sent by 8vans, and agrees that she %illconsent to speak positively of $lender to Anne"age. er master, octor 3aius , enters andencounters $imple. !hen he hears about hiserrand, he becomes angry and drafts a letter to8vans. 3aius too is in love %ith Anne "age andblames 8vans for encouraging $lender9 hencehe challenges him to a duel. e threatensPuickly, %ho had promised him she %ouldencourage Anne to look favorably on him. 2ater4enton enters9 he s also in love %ith Anne and%ants to kno% if Puickly has related hisaffections to her.

6ome# $!# %ol, t%ei o"#!.! i#&t me#:!#, t%e,i$t!te& o $u&tom2 The.erry $i#es of $indsor takesplace in an age %hen malesoften regarded females asplaythings and %hen parentsoften chose the suitors fortheir daughters. But it is the%omen %ho %in the day inthis comedy. +%o ordinaryhouse%ives, &rs. "age and&rs. 4ord, get the better of agold digging philanderer,4alstaff. And Anne "age goesagainst the %ishes of herparents %hen she runs off%ith 4enton. +he outcome ofthe play must have pleasedthe %omen in $hakespeare saudience. *ne of them %asPueen 8li7abeth I, accordingto evidence indicating that theplay %as first performedbefore her at !indsor 3astle.It is interesting to note,though, that the %omen %homake a fool of 4alstaff, aknight, are members of themiddle class, not the nobilityor aristocracy. If the queenindeed delighted in the victoryof the merry %ives, heren>oyment may have been
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"age, Anne is sought formarriage by an array ofidiots, including 3aiusand $lender.

Fe#to# A suitor for Anne "age s hand, "agedenies his suit becausehe fears that 4enton sinterest is purely financial,being high born but poor.

Sle#,e +he third suitorfor Anne "age s hand,$lender is urged on by$hallo%, but he is unableto speak anything butnonsense to Anne.

S%!llo" $hallo% is afigure of the la%, butnevertheless a foolishcharacter of misplacedauthority.

Mi&t e&& 1ui$9l' 3aius s servant, &istressPuickly is everyone smessenger.

B! ,ol-% *ne of4alstaff s men, Bardolphtakes over as thebartender of the @arterInn in order to pay for4alstaff s entourage sroom and board.

Nim *ne of 4alstaff smen, ?im %ants to stayhonest, and he refuses todeliver 4alstaff sseductive let ters to

&istress "age enters %ith a letter from 4alstaff.$he s astonished that he has the gall to try toseduce her and %onders ho% she %ill seekrevenge. &istress 4ord appears %ith her o%nletter, %hich they discover is e'actly the same.+hey decide to lead 4alstaff on until he is ruinedand humiliated. &istress 4ord agrees toanything that %on t harm her honor. &ean%hile,"istol and ?im enter, conversing %ith 4ord and"age9 they reveal 4alstaff s plans. +hehusbands are astonished. "age doesn t think his%ife %ill fall for 4alstaff, but 4ord is horribly

>ealous and convinced his %ife %ill dishonor him. $hallo% and the ost of the @arter Inn enter%ith ne%s of a fight bet%een 3aius and 8vans."age goes %ith them to %atch, %hile 4ordmakes a deal %ith the ost to be introduced to4alstaff in disguise, in order to find out ho% far4alstaff has gotten in his plan.

At the @arter Inn, Puickly enters %ith amessage from &istresses 4ord and "age for4alstaff. $he reports that 4ord %ill be out thene't morning, and &istress 4ord %ill bee'pecting a visit from him. &istress "age hasnot yet gotten her husband to leave the house,so she ll make a date at a later time. +hen 4ordenters in disguise, announced under the nameBrooke. e tells 4alstaff that he s in love %ith&istress 4ord, but that she has al%ays rebuffedhis advances, claiming that she s too honorableto cheat on her husband. e asks 4alstaff toseduce &istress 4ord, thus destroying herhonor, so she %on t be able to turn him do%n inthe future. 4alstaff reports his date the ne'tmorning %ith &istress 4ord. Alone, 4ord curseshis %ife for preparing to cheat on him and thinks"age is foolish to trust his %ife. 3aius a%aits 8vans for their duel, but 8vans isno%here to be found. &ean%hile, 8vans hasbeen %andering around looking for 3aius. +hey

tempered by this factFor soone may speculate.

All t%i#.& ! e #ot !& t%e'&eem2 4alstaff first deceivesthe %ives. +he %ives thendeceive 4alstaff and theirhusbands. &r. 4ord and&istress Puickly also deceive4alstaff. 4alstaff deceiveshimself.I#&i#$e it' ee,& t ou le24alstaff gets into troublebecause he is insincere,pretending to be lovestruck%hen he is really moneystruck.

Tu #! out i& !i -l!'2 +he%ives turn the tables on4alstaff, and he gets his >ustdesert.
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&istress "age and&istress 4ord.

Pi&tol *ne of 4alstaff smen, "istol %ants to stayhonest, and he refuses todeliver 4alstaff sseductive let ters to&istress "age and&istress 4ord.

Ho&t ost of the @arterInn, the ost makes funof 8vans and 3aius sbroken and accented8nglish

6illi!m P!.e "age sson, he meets 8vans,%ho gives him animpromptu 2atin lesson%hich &istress Puicklyentirely mishears asse'ual innuendo.

Sim-le $lender sservant.

meet and prepare to fight. +he other men taketheir s%ords a%ay, and 3aius and 8vans speakquietly to each other of their suspicion that theost has plotted to make them look like foolsbecause he scorns 8vans for his !elsh accentand 3aius for his 4rench one. +hey agree to%ork together to get revenge against the ost. *n the %ay back from the fight, the men discuss

Anne s marriage options. "age says he favors$lender, but his %ife prefers 3aius. !hat about4entonQ, asks one, but "age dismisses himentirely. 4ord invites the men back to his houseto catch 4alstaff. 4alstaff has arrived at &istress 4ord s house9 hehides %hen &istress "age is announced. $hecomes in and speaks loudly of the imminentarrival of 4ord, %ho angrily suspects his %ife ofcheating. 4alstaff comes out and asks them tohelp him flee. +hey hide him in a laundry basket.4ord and his buddies enter as &istress 4ord smen carry the laundry out. 4ord is unable to find4alstaff, and the &istresses are doublydelighted to have fooled both 4alstaff and 4ord.+hey decide to humiliate 4alstaff further in theservice of making 4ord get over his >ealousy. 4enton and Anne "age speak. e says herfather ob>ects to him because he suspects himof >ust %anting Anne s money, since he is highborn but poor. 4enton admits that that %as hisintention at first, but, since getting to kno% her,he has come to feel differently. $hallo%,$lender, and Puickly enter9 Puickly dra%s4enton a%ay, %hile $hallo% tries to get $lenderto talk to Anne. $lender only makes a fool ofhimself by speaking nonsense. "age and his%ife enter, and they invite the favored $lenderinside. 4enton asks Puickly to continue tocampaign on his behalf %ith Anne. Alone,Puickly notes that she likes him better than theother t%o men %ho have asked her to s%ay


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Anne s opinion. 4alstaff arrives at the @arter Inn, soaked afterhaving been thro%n in the river %ith the laundry.Puickly enters %ith a second invitation from&istress 4ord. 4ord enters in disguise asBrooke and asks ho% 4alstaff s date %ith&istress 4ord %ent. e tells ho% it ended, butsays he is visiting again that nightR 4alstaff returns to &istress 4ord s house, andagain &istress "age enters soon after. 4alstaffhides, and &istress "age %arns &istress 4ordof her husband s approach. o% %ill they hide4alstaff this timeQ e emerges and refuses togo in the laundry again. &istress 4ord suggeststhat he %ear the clothes of her servant s fat auntto escape in disguise. e does, and %hen 4ordarrives, he beats 4alstaff and chases him a%aybecause he hates the fat aunt. &istress 4ordand &istress "age are pleased9 they think theyhave proven their point, and so they decide totell their husbands of their schemes. 4ord apologi7es to his %ife for his >ealousy, andhe promises never to suspect her again. +heydecide that it %ould be fun to %ork together tohumiliate 4alstaff publicly. +hey plan to have&istress 4ord invite 4alstaff to meet her in anallegedly haunted %ood, and they ll dress theirchildren up as ghosts and monsters to terrifyand embarrass 4alstaff. +hen, having caughthim in the act of trying to meet &istress 4ordsecretly, they can tell the story all around to%n. 4enton speaks to the ost of a letter he hasreceived from Anne. $he says that her parents%ant to use the chaos of disguised children inthe haunted %ood as an opportunity for hersuitors to elope %ith her. er mother %ants herto run off %ith 3aius and her father prefers$lender. 8ach instructs her to %ear a specificoutfit so each suitor may find her. But she


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intends to deceive them both. 4enton asks theost to help him find a vicar %ho %ill marry themthat night. &ean%hile, 3aius and 8vans avengethemselves on the ost by stealing three of hishorses in a scheme that had him believing hehad lent the horses to three @erman lords ontheir %ay to the royal court. 4alstaff arrives in the haunted %oods. +hedisguised children hide and %ait. 4ord and "ageand their friends arrive to %atch, and &istress4ord and &istress "age approach 4alstaff. e sdelighted to see they have both come to meethim. +hen they hear a noise and the %omen runa%ay. 4alstaff is surrounded by disguised elvesand ghouls and is terrified. &istress Puickly,playing the fairy queen, says they should try toburn the human they have encountered, and ifhe doesn t burn then he is pure. +hey burn4alstaff %ith candles and encircle him and pinchhim. 4inally, the disguised children depart, and "ageand 4ord enter. 4alstaff sees that he has beenfooled and humiliated. 8vans tells 4alstaff thathe should give up on his lusts and tells 4ord thathe should trust his %ife. &ean%hile, they all%onder %here Anne is. $lender arrives upset9 inthe confusion, he eloped %ith a young boy in

Anne s outfit. +hen 3aius enters, in a rage thathe has married a boy %earing Anne s assignedcolor outfit. +hen Anne herself enters %ith4enton. 4enton scolds the "ages for havingthought to send Anne into a marriage %ithoutlove. e and Anne have long been in love, hesays, and no% it has been finali7ed. 4ord says that love has %on out, and "age andhis %ife reali7e their mistake in not havinglistened to the %ishes of their daughter. 4alstaff

is pleased that their plan to humiliate him


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backfired partially in the marriage of Anne and4enton. +hey ad>ourn to celebrate the marriageand invite 4alstaff to >oin them.

ALL


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fight for him.

Clo"# An old servantof the 3ountess, %hoserves as a messengerand en>oys coarse,se'ual humor.

Ste"! , Anotherservant of the 3ountess.

MEASURE FORMEASURE

+he main source ofthe play is @eorge !hetstone s 15L# lengthy t%o partcloset drama Promos and Cassandra . !hetstone took thestory from 3inthio s Hecatommithi , %hich$hakespeare seemsto have consulted,as %ell as adramati7ation of thestory, also by3inthio.

+he t it le , %hichappears as a line ofdialogue in the play,may be related tothe Bible , &atthe% L:

+he setting is in0ienna.

I&! ell! +he maincharacter, Isabella, is avery virtuous and chasteyoung %oman %ho facesa difficult decision %henher brother is sentencedto death for fornication-unla%ful se' . Isabelladoes not approve of herbrother s actions at all,but she pleads for his lifeout of loyalty and sisterlydevotion. Isabella is aspiritual person %hostarts off %anting tobecome a nun.

T%e Du9e +he othercentral figure is the uke,%ho spends most of histime dressed as a friar inorder to observe %hat ishappening in hisabsence. +he uke isunfailingly virtuous, good,and kind hearted.

Cl!u,io Isabella sbrother 3laudio is ayoung man sentenced todeath for impregnating an

unmarried %oman.

$hakespeare s .easure for .easure centersaround the fate of 3laudio , %ho is arrested by2ord Angelo , the temporary leader of 0ienna.

Angelo is left in charge by the uke, %hopretends to leave to%n but instead dresses as afriar to observe the goings on in his absence.

Angelo is strict, moralistic, and un%avering inhis decision making9 he decides that there is toomuch freedom in 0ienna and takes it uponhimself to rid the city of brothels and unla%fulse'ual activity. 2a%s against these behaviorsand institutions already e'ist, and Angelo simplydecides to enforce them more strictly. 3laudio isarrested for impregnating )uliet , his lover, beforethey %ere married. Although they %ere engagedand their se'ual intercourse %as consensual,3laudio is sentenced to death in order to serveas an e'ample to the other 0iennese citi7ens.

Isabella , 3laudio s sister, is about to enter anunnery %hen her brother is arrested. $he isunfailingly virtuous, religious, and chaste. !henshe hears of her brother s arrest, she goes to

Angelo to beg him for mercy. e refuses, butsuggests that there might be some %ay tochange his mind. !hen he propositions her,saying that he %ill let 3laudio live if she agreesto have se'ual intercourse %ith him, she isshocked and immediately refuses. er brotheragrees at first but then changes his mind.Isabella is left to contemplate a very important

decision.

It discusses serious issues ofthe abuses of po%er andauthority.

In $hakespeare s time,se'ual harassment %as none'istent, but today it remainsa large issue. &easure for&easure deals %ith thisharassment in therelationship bet%een Isabellaand Angelo. +o gain herbrother s freedom, Isabellahas to make the choice of%hether to sleep %ith Angeloor let her brother die. +heultimatum is something that%ould be illegal today.

A leader being above the la%is another ma>or theme thatruns rampant through thestory. +hough 3laudio issentenced to death forsleeping %ith his fiancTe%hom he loves, Angelo takesadvantage of being in po%er,and sleeps %ith Isabella.8ven though he has attacksof conscience, Angelo stille'pects to get a%ay %ith his
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Lo , A#.elo Angelo isthe villain of the play, aman %ho rules strictlyand %ithout mercy. ehas his o%n %eaknesses,ho%ever, and he isloathsome more for hishypocrisy than foranything else.

E&$!lu& 8scalus is a%ise lord %ho advises

Angelo to be moremerciful.

Lu$io 2ucio, describedby $hakespeare as aKfantastic,K is aflamboyant bachelor %hoprovides much of theplay s comedic content.

M! i!#! &ariana %assupposed to marry

Angelo, but he called the%edding off %hen she losther do%ry in a ship%reckthat killed her brother.

Mi&t e&& O*e ,o#e &istress *verdone runs abrothel in 0ienna.

Pom-e' "ompey is aclo%n %ho also %orks for&istress *verdone.

P o*o&t +he provostruns the prison and isresponsible for carryingout all of Angelo s orders.

Isabella is, in a %ay, let off the hook %hen theuke, dressed as a friar, intervenes. e tells herthat Angelo s former lover, &ariana , %asengaged to be married to him, but heabandoned her %hen she lost her do%ry in aship%reck. +he uke forms a plan by %hichIsabella %ill agree to have se' %ith the Angelo,but then &ariana %ill go in her place. +he ne'tmorning, Angelo %ill pardon 3laudio and beforced to marry &ariana according to the la%. 8verything goes according to plan, e'cept that

Angelo does not pardon 3laudio, fearingrevenge. +he provost and the uke send himthe head of a dead pirate, claiming that itbelonged to 3laudio, and Angelo believes thathis orders %ere carried out. Isabella is told thather brother is dead, and that she should submita complaint to the uke, %ho is due to arriveshortly, accusing Angelo of immoral acts. +he uke returns in his usual clothes, sayingthat he %ill hear all grievances immediately.Isabella tells her story, and the uke pretendsnot to believe her. 8ventually, the uke revealshis dual identity, and everyone is forced to behonest. Angelo confesses to his misdeeds,3laudio is pardoned, and the uke asks Isabellato marry him.

crime because of the positionhe holds. +he ma>ormetaphor in the play %as alsoa person of po%er. +he ukein disguise stands as a @odlike %atcher figure %ho fi'esthe %rongs the charactersmake, >udges those %hodeserve to be >udged, andre%ards those %ho are loyaland virtuous. +he uke useshis po%er to help, not tohinder those around him as$hakespeare may haveperceived his @od to be.
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statue of ermione has been recently finished.+he sight of his %ife s form makes 2eontesdistraught, but then, to everyone s ama7ement,the statue comes to life it is ermione, restoredto life. As the play ends, "aulina and 3amilloare engaged, and the %hole companycelebrates the miracle.

t ime takes a%ay i t %illultimately restore.

THE COMEDY OFERRORS

Eey plot elementsare taken from t%o(oman comedies of"lautus.

4rom .enaechmi comes the mainpremise of mistakenidentity bet%eenidentical t%ins %iththe same name, plussome of the stockcharacters such asthe comic courtesan.In .enaechmi one ofthe t%ins is from8pidamnus 9$hakespearechanges this to8phesus andincludes manyallusions to $t "aul s8pistle to the 8phesians .

4rom *mphitruo heborro%s the t%inservants %ith the

same name, plus the

T%e &etti#. o T%eCome,' o E o & i&E-%e&u&8 i# - e&e#t0,!' Tu 9e'8 "%i$%"!& ! le!,i#. t !,e$e#t e i# !#$ie#ttime&2

A#ti-%olu& o S' !$u&e +he t%in brother of

Antipholus of 8phesusand the son of 8geon

A#ti-%olu& o E-%e&u& +he t%in brother of

Antipholus of $yracuseand the son of 8geon9 heis a %ell respectedmerchant in 8phesus and

Adriana s husband.

D omio o S' !$u&e+he bumbling, comicalslave of Antipholus of$yracuse. e is the t%inbrother of romio of8phesus.

D omio o E-%e&u&+he bumbling, comicalslave of Antipholus of8phesus. e is the$yracusan romio s t%inbrother.

A, i!#! +he %ife of Antipholus of 8phesus,she is a fierce, >ealous%oman.

Lu$i!#! Adriana sunmarried sister and the

ob>ect of Antipholus of

8geon, a merchant of $yracuse, is condemnedto death in 8phesus for violating the ban againsttravel bet%een the t%o rival cities. As he is ledto his e'ecution, he tells the 8phesian uke,$olinus , that he has come to $yracuse in searchof his %ife and one of his t%in sons, %ho %ereseparated from him 5 years ago in aship%reck. +he other t%in, %ho gre% up %ith8geon, is also traveling the %orld in search ofthe missing half of their family. -+he t%ins, %elearn, are identical, and each has an identicalt%in slave named romio. +he uke is somoved by this story that he grants 8geon a dayto raise the thousand mark ransom that %ouldbe necessary to save his life.

&ean%hile, unkno%n to 8geon, his son Antipholus of $yracuse -and Antipholus slave

romio is also visiting 8phesus %here Antipholus missing t%in, kno%n as Antipholus of8phesus , is a prosperous citi7en of the city.

Adriana , Antipholus of 8phesus %ife, mistakes Antipholus of $yracuse for her husband anddrags him home for dinner, leaving romio of$yracuse to stand guard at the door and admitno one. $hortly thereafter, Antipholus of8phesus -%ith his slave romio of 8phesusreturns home and is refused entry to his o%nhouse. &ean%hile, Antipholus of $yracuse hasfallen in love %ith 2uciana , Adriana s sister, %hois appalled at the behavior of the man she thinksis her brother in la%. +he confusion increases %hen a gold chain

ordered by the 8phesian Antipholus is given to

I,e#tit'+hat this is a play aboutidentity is heralded by thepresence of t%o sets ofidentical t%ins %ho have beenseparated since they %erebabies.

De tebt is a theme that arises inalmost every scene of theplay. It appears in t%o forms:material debt -money andgoods and social or maritalobligations. +he entire themeof debt is that of a cruellybinding chain of cause andeffect that ties the charactersup in fear, deception, distressand >ealousy, and banisheslove, forgiveness, andfriendship.

Lo*e !#, m! i!.e+his theme is e'plored in therelationship bet%een Adrianaand her husband, Antipholus8., and in the debate onmarriage bet%een Adrianaand 2uciana.

Ge#,e i&&ue&+he theme of gender
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scene in Act < %herea husband is shutout of his house%hile his %ifemistakenly dines%ith a look alike.

+he frame story of8geon and 8miliaderives from

*pollonius of Tyre ,also a source forTwelfth ight andPericles0 Prince of Tyre .

$yracuse s affections.

Soli#u& +he uke of8phesus9 a >ust butmerciful ruler.

E.eo# A $yracusanmerchant, husband of the

Abbess -8milia , and thefather of the t%o Antipholi

A e&& 8milia, thelong lost %ife of 8geonand the mother of the t%o

Antipholi.

B!lt%!&! A merchantin $yracuse.

A#.elo A goldsmith in$yracuse and a friend to

Antipholus of 8phesus.

Me $%!#t An8phesian friend of

Antipholus of $yracuse.

Se$o#, Me $%!#t Atradesman to %hom

Angelo is in debt.

Do$to Pi#$% Aschoolteacher, con>urer,and %ould be e'orcist.

Lu$e Also called ?ell. Antipholus of 8phesusprodigiously fat maid andromio of 8phesus %ife.

Cou te&!# Ane'pensive prostitute and

friend of Antipholus of

Antipholus of $yracuse. Antipholus of 8phesusrefuses to pay for the chain -unsurprisingly,since he never received it and is arrested fordebt. is %ife, seeing his strange behavior,decides he has gone mad and orders him boundand held in a cellar room. &ean%hile,

Antipholus of $yracuse and his slave decide toflee the city, %hich they believe to beenchanted, as soon as possible only to bemenaced by Adriana and the debt officer. +heyseek refuge in a nearby abbey.

Adriana no% begs the uke to intervene andremove her KhusbandK from the abbey into hercustody. er real husband, mean%hile, hasbroken loose and no% comes to the uke andlevels charges against his %ife. +he situation isfinally resolved by the Abbess , 8milia, %hobrings out the set of t%ins and reveals herself tobe 8geon s long lost %ife. Antipholus of8phesus reconciles %ith Adriana9 8geon ispardoned by the uke and reunited %ith hisspouse9 Antipholus of $yracuse resumes hisromantic pursuit of 2uciana, and all ends happily%ith the t%o romios embracing.

overlaps %ith the theme oflove and marriage. 3riticaldebate of this issue centersaround Adriana and 2uciana,in terms of their respectiveattitudes to marriage andmen.
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8phesus.

CYMBELINE

+he plot ofCymbeline is loosely

based on a tale by@eoffrey of

&onmouth about thereal life British

monarch3unobelinus. $hakespeare,

ho%ever, freelyadapts the legend to

a large e'tent andadds entirely originalsub plots. Iachimo s

%ager andsubsequent hidingplace %ithin a chest

in order to gatherdetails of Imogen sroom derive from

story II.O of @iovanniBoccaccio secameron.

T%e &etti#.& oC'm eli#e ! eA#$ie#t E#.l!#,86!le& !#, Rome2

Imo.e# 3ymbeline sdaughter, the Britishprincess. $he is %ise,beauti

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