Dramatic Literature, Criticism and Theory Commons^™

Shakespeare's Twist: The Tragic Within Some Comedies, Susan Dettweiler Wilhide

Theses & Honors Papers

Shakespeare creatively intermingled comic and tragic motifs throughout each comedy. In doing so, the audience remembers the joyous reunions and unions rather than the potential tragedies of these plays. However, the comic portions are dependent upon the tragic portions and vice versa. The audience understands the tragic situations the characters face, yet laughs at the comic motifs causing these occurrences. The audience also shares in the joy of the characters as everything works out positively in the end.