Shakespeare’s comedies. “Taming of the Shrew”, “Twelfth Night”, “A Midsummer Night’s dream”, “Merchant of Venice”.

The comedies of Shakespeare did not establish a lasting literary tradition in the theatre, as did those of Ben Jonson or Moliere, in which the authors portrayed the everyday life of their time, and the characters were exaggerated almost into satirical grotesque.

Shakespeare’s comedies are based on different principles. The scene is usually set in some imaginary country but in this fairy-tale setting we find characters that are true to life and they are depicted with the deep insight into human psychology for which Shakespeare is famed. In each comedy there is the main plot and one or more subplots. The comic characters always have an English flavour, even if the scene is laid in some distant or imaginary place. All these plays are written easy flowing verse and light prose; the texts are full of jokes and puns. The comedies tell of love and harmony, at first disturbed but finally restored.

In the merry farse play “Taming of the Shrew” there appeared such bright characters as those of Catherin and Petrucio. They are distinguished among pragmatic citizens of Padua. Catherine is famous for her shrew character whereas her sister is known obedient. Rudeness of Catherine is the way to defend her dignity, a way to resist her father’s despotic practicism. Catherine is irritated by the blind obedience of her sister with usual rudeness she meets Petrucio. A long competition between them resulted in marriage. They both felt that they are equal in energy, spirit, liveliness and wits, that they are worthy of each other in sense and spirit.

The idea of life and love triumph is revealed in the comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. The poetic world of the comedy is in the fantastic mixture of reality and fairy tale. In this comedy Shakespeare enlights the theme of love in lyrical – humouristic perfective. The young characters’ love is a pure feeling. It wins inspite the all caprices of human character and behaviour.

In Shakespearean comedy there are deep dramatic conflicts and even tragic themes. In this regard the comedy “Merchant of Venice” is a good example. In the background of a merry carnival atmosphere of Venice there happens a conflict between the world of joy, confidence and generosity and the world of cruelty, greediness and avarice. in this play Shakespeare contrasts those who appreciated human friendship (Portia, Antonio, Bassanio and those who subdue human relations to pragmatic interests. Antonio borrows money at Shejilock to help his friend Bassanio, who loves Portia. Antonio didn’t manage to return the money in time and has to stand the court’s trial. Shejilock demands a pound of his flesh Portia, disguised as a lawyer, defends Antonio. So the young people win Shejilock.

The image of Shejilock presented in the comedy not only as an embodiment of evil. He is greedy, smart, witty and in the same time he loves his child. There is something tragic in him. He is shown as a greedy, revengeful, but in the same time as a person who suffers his inferior position in the society. He says that people are equal in spite of nationalities.

The setting of “Twelfth Night” is the court of Orsino, Duke of Illyria, and the house of the wealthy Countess Olivia, whom is courting. He uses as a go-between his page Cesario, really a girl, Viola, disguised as a boy. This page has already fallen in love with Orsino, and sentiments on love so eloquently to Olivia that the Countess believes herself in love, but the page, not with the Duke. Meanwhile, Viola’s twin brother, Sebastian, turns up, wearing the same style of clothes that his sister has chosen to wear as Cesario; he has been rescued from shipwreck by a sea – captain, Antonio, who feels a deep affection for him. The possibility of confusion is clearly various and great, and every possible confusion occurs.

A subplot centures on Olivia’s drunken kinsman, Sir Toby Belch, and her conceited Steward Malvolio; sir Toby Belch takes revenge on Malvolio for an insult and incidentally gets mixed up in the confusion occurring round Viola and Sebastian by playing a trick on his friend. His interference ends in a clearing-up of the confusions of identity and a subsequent suitable pairing off Orsino and Viola, Sebastian and Olivia.