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Jeffrey Strickland

Shakespeare Final Exam

Shakespeare repeats many different plots, motifs, and ideas throughout many of his plays.

In, Shakespeare’s early years as a writer, he mainly focused on historical plays. As Shakespeare

developed as a writer like all the greats do, he began to add in little things like motifs more often.

The play I will be talking about relates to the majority of plays that we have read this year.

Romeo and Juliet is a tragic play based on two loves from completely different worlds. From the

first time they laid eyes on each other, they knew. The main themes I will be discussing about

this play are love, death, and society and social class. This play has many connections to the

other plays that include these on a multitude of levels.

Love is one of the most prevalent plot ideas/ themes throughout many of Shakespeare’s

plays. Romeo and Juliet is the classic love story when one thinks about Shakespeare. The play

before it even begins tells the reader or audience how the play is going to begin and end. “From

forth the fatal loins of these two foes a pair of star-crossed lovers take their life, whose

misadventured piteous overthrows doth with their death bury their parents’ strife” (P.5-8). These

lines are the some of the first lines during the prologue before Act 1, scene 1. This describes two

loves that come from two completely opposite families, fall in love. This love will end with them

dead and as a cause of their deaths two factions with end the strife between them. These two

family factions are the Capulets and Montagues. Romeo sees Juliet outside on her balcony and

runs to her. “But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the

sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief that thou,

her maid, art far more fair than she,” as Juliet is unaware of Romeo’s presence. (2.1.44-49)

Juliet responses with, “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse

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thy name, or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and ill no longer be a Capulet” (2.1.74-78).

They are expressing their love for one another. Juliet asks Romeo to revoke his name as a

Montague and if he cannot she will revoke hers so that they can love each other. This is closely

correlated with A Midsummer Night’s Dream because Lysander and Hermia love each other, but

Egeus, her father, has forbid Hermia to marry Lysander. Therefore, Lysander tells Hermia, “Ay

me, for aught that I could ever read, could ever hear by tale or history, the course of true love

never did run smooth…” (1.1.132-134). Telling her that as long as there has been true love, there

has been difficulties to challenge this love. Egeus threatens Hermia that if she disobeys him then

the law will come into place, this means death for Hermia for breaking a law. Another set of

lover that come from different “worlds” are also in The Winter’s Tale. On the other hand, they

really only think they are from different worlds because of how Perdita was raised. She was

abandoned as a child because of her father’s jealousy and raised by shepherds. During the party

at the Shepherd’s cottage, Florizel tells Perdita These your unusual weeds to each part of you do

give a life: no shepherdess, but Flora peering in April's front. This your sheep-shearing is as a

meeting of the petty gods, and you the queen on't” (4.4.1-5). Declaring that he would like to

marry her and make her the queen should deserves to be. Undying love is something most people

treasure and hopefully the mutual feeling is followed. In the Tempest, Miranda begins to weep

and Ferdinand asks her “Wherefore weep you?” (3.1.76) Miranda responses with “At mine

unworthiness, that dare not offer what I desire to give, and much less take what I shall die to

want. But this is trifling, and all the more it seeks to hide itself the bigger bulk it shows. Hence,

bashful cunning, and prompt me, plain and holy innocence. I am your wife, if you will marry me.

If not, I’ll die your maid… but I’ll be your servant whether you will or no” (3.1.77-86). At this

point, Miranda professes her love and no matter if he will take her or not she shall always love

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and serve him. Much Ado About Nothing has three pair of lovers throughout the play. During

Act 2, Benedick overhears Claudio, Leonato, and Don Pedro talking about Beatrice’s feelings

towards him. At this time, Benedick is completely alone and says, “They say the lady is fair. ‘tis

a truth, I can bear them witness. And virtuous- ‘tis so, I cannot reprove it. And wise, but for

loving me. By my troth, it is no addition to her wit- nor no great argument of her folly, for I will

be horribly in love with her” (2.3.204-208). Benedick decides that he will love Beatrice back;

however, the word choice of “horribly” could mean that he doesn’t agree with his feelings about

her. This questionable “love” is related to Cordelia in King Lear. In the beginning King Lear

asks all three of his daughters to show how much they love him. Cordelia is the only one that

expresses how much she actually loves him by saying, “Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave my

heart into my mouth. I love your majesty according to my bond; no more nor less” (1.1.90-92).

Love exists on many different levels and can come from anywhere at any time as Shakespeare

shows us in his many plays.

Grim may it be; the inevitable end of death comes to all at some point during their

lifetime. Romeo and Juliet share a common theme of death with other plays. During the play of

Romeo and Juliet there are many different people die. Lady Montague dies of Grief during the

play. Mercutio is killed by Tybalt and then in retaliation Romeo kills Tybalt. Before Romeo

enters the crypt to see Juliet, he is stopped by Paris. Romeo and Paris fight in front of the crypt

and Paris is killed. In the crypt, Romeo finds Juliet laying there and unable to move. Romeo not

knowing the full plan that Friar Laurence came up with, ends up killing himself because he

believes Juliet to actually be dead. Moments later, Juliet awakes from her slumber and sees

Romeo dead lying next to her. Therefore, Juliet decides to grab Romeo’s dagger from him and

stab herself and facing death twice. Suicide is relatable with some of Shakespeare’s plays during

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his later writings. At the end of plays, characters seem to want to be remembered for the good

they have done in life not the bad. Therefore, Othello gives his speech about how he wants to be

remembered. “… Perplexed in the extreme; of one whose hand, like the base indian, threw a

pearl away richer than all his tribe; of one whose subdued eyes, albeit unused to the melting

mood, drop tears as fast as the Arabian trees… Where a malignant and a turbaned Turk beat a

Venetian and traduced the state, I took by th’ throat the circumcised dog and smote him thus”

(5.2.341-354). In the end of his speech he describes himself and the only for he has left to

conquer is himself and then stabs himself. In Antony and Cleopatra, Cleopatra commits suicide

in the end of the play because her love Antony died. The speech she gives before her death is

“Nay, ‘tis most certain, Iras. Saucy lictors will catch at us like strumpets, and scald rhymers

ballad us out o’ tune. The quick comedians extemporally will stage us, and present our

Alexandrian revels. Antony shall be brought drunken forth, and I shall see some squeaking

Cleopatra boy my greatness I’ th’ posture of a whore” (5.2.210-217). Cleopatra dies from

poisonous snakes instead of being taken captive to Rome. Like Cleopatra dying from poison so

does Queen Gertrude, King Claudius, and Laertes. Laertes and Hamlet begin to dual with poison

tipped blades. Hamlet is unknowing of the plot between Claudius and Laertes to kill him.

However, Hamlet strikes first blood on Laertes in the dual. While this is going on, Queen

Gertrude picks up the cup that Hamlet refuses to drink from and takes a sip. Her final breath to

Hamlet was, “No, no, the drink, the drink, O my dear Hamlet, the drink, the drink! I am

poison’d” (5.2.305-306). Afterwards, Hamlet locks the door to seek out the reason behind the

poison. Laertes spills everything he knows to Hamlet because he did not want to be responsible

for the queen’s death. Therefore, Hamlet exclaims “The point!-envenom’d too! Then, venom, to

thy work,” then turns and stabs King Claudius. (5.2.317-318) As Claudius is lying there helpless,

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Hamlet makes him drink the rest of the poison so that he could join his mother. Soon after,

Laertes dies from the poison that was on the blades tip. Death is never easy to deal with, but no

man should ever have to bury his child or children. In King Lear, Lear is betrayed by his

daughters. In this scene Lear is finally coming out prison near the end of the play. Cordelia is

killed while she is in prison. Lear comes out of prison with his daughter in his arms. King Lear

says, “Howl, howl, howl, howl! O, you are men of stones: Had I your tongues and eyes, I’d use

them so that heaven’s vault should crack. She’s gone forever! I know when one is dead, and

when one lives; she’s dead as earth” (5.3.256.260). Soon after this event, Lear dies of grief at

Cordelia’s death. A question is brought up by Falstaff during 1 Henry IV. During the Battle at

Shrewsbury, Falstaff is contemplating what honor is and whether someone who is dead has

honor. “What is honour? A word. What is that word ‘honour’? Air. A trim reckoning! Who

hath it? He that died o’ Wednesday. Doth he feel it? No. Doth he hear it? No. Is it insensible,

then? Yea, to the dead. But will it not live with the living? No. Why? Detraction will not suffer

it. Therefore I’ll none of it. Honour is a mere scutcheon; and so ends my catechism” (5.1.132-

36). In the conclusion of this speech, Falstaff says that if in order to have honor one must die

then he would rather have none of it. Everyone faces the music at some point and whether it is

there time or not only time can tell.

Society and social class are intertwined with many of Shakespeare’s plays because of the

time period he came from. Back then and even now today, both these ideas play a main role in

how things happen round the nation. However, during Shakespeare’s time period there weren’t

many people that defined the social class they grow up in. Romeo and Juliet pits two lovers

going against what the normality is between the two factions. Romeo is a Montague and Juliet is

a Capulet, therefore, society and their rules demands these two factions must stay separate. In

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King Lear, Lear goes from being the King to being a nothing in his country! Lear tries to give his

daughters the legitimate right to role (by title), but he tries to stay in power by making the

decisions. However, as soon as he relinquishes his title to them, they take everything from him.

By law, it is illegal back in the day to disobey orders that come from those higher up or that hold

more power. During 1 Henry IV, King Henry demands that plans to Jerusalem be put off;

therefore, his subjects follow orders. “But I have sent for him to answer this; and for this cause

awhile we must neglect our holy purpose to Jerusalem. Cousin, on Wednesday next our council

we will hold at Windsor; so inform the lords: But come yourself with speed to us again; for more

is to be said and to be done than out of anger can be uttered” (1.1.99-106). Henry has sent for

Hotspur to explain why he disobeyed a direct order from him. In Act 1, Henry V position is put

into question and made to be an example of by the Dauphin. “Your Highness, lately sending into

France, did claim some certain dukedoms in the right of your great predecessor, Kind Edward…

In answer of which claim, the prince our master says that you savor too much of your youth and

bids you be advised there’s naught in France that can be with a nimble galliard won. You cannot

revel into dukedoms there… This tun of treasure, and, in lieu of this, desires you let them

dukedoms that you claim hear no more of you…” (1.2.270-282). The Dauphin sends Henry a

chest full of tennis balls in order to mock him and show him that he believes him to still be

childish and not worthy of French lands. Consequently, Henry decides to show the Dauphin that

he deserves to be in the position of power that he is in. Henry begins to conquer French lands. In

The Winter’s Tale, the social class of Perdita is hidden to her by the shepherds that raised her.

Up until, Polixenes disrobes his disguise at the party in the shepherd’s cottage. Florizel and

Perdita fell to Sicilia in faith of love. To find out that Perdita is actually the King’s daughter that

he forsake to the elements in the beginning of the play. The most prevalent quotes about society

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and social class comes from 1 Henry VI. “Each hath his place and function to attend. I am left

out; for me nothing remains. But long I will not be Jack-out-of-office. The King from Eltham I

intend to steal, and sit at chiefest stern of public weal” (1.1.176-180). Winchester is trying to

figure out where she belongs.

There are three themes that are most prevalent in many of Shakespeare’s plays love,

death, and society and social class. One cannot just simply look for love in order to find it

because love is a random thing that is proven. Shakespeare describes love in any different ways

in his plays. Love can come from first sight like Romeo and Juliet to love coming from the

necessity to love because of family like Cordelia in King Lear. No matter where love comes

from the need to go out of one’s way is prevalent in all forms of Shakespeare’s writings. What is

one thing that no one can escape? The answer to that question is death. Death follows closely

behind during most of Shakespeare’s tragedies, however, it is the inevitable end. Whether the

death comes from natural causes, self-inflicted, or due to others. Society and social class effects

many people’s decisions. Society and social class is presented to us in a variety of plays that we

have read throughout the year.

Widdicombe defines five kinds of humor in Shakespeare’s work: Crude, cultural,

linguistic, slapstick, and cosmic. Shakespeare has spread many different kinds of humor

throughout his plays. The most prevalent of multiple kinds of humor that I can think of is A

Midsummer Night’s Dream. Throughout this play, there are signs of linguistic, slapstick, and

crude. This play has a lot of irony as well through and through. A Midsummer Night’s Dream

has a play within a play that adds more humor than expected.

Linguistic humor can come from the wording of something or just how something is said.

During this play there is a character that goes by the name of Nick Bottom; who is one of the

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men that are planning a performance to celebrate the wedding of Duke Theseus and Queen

Hippolyta. The fact that his name is Bottom is hilarious because Puck replaces Bottom’s head

with a horse/donkey’s head. Therefore, he is really considered to be a bottom. In the play, there

is a character called Snug the Joiner. This is funny because he is the one that’s supposed to fit

things together. This is one of Shakespeare’s sexual innuendos in this play. According to Don L.

F. Nilsen, “Quince is a play on the word quointes which in England means cunt.” (Nilsen) The

carpenter’s name is Quince and works with wood for a living. During the play, Bottom messes

up his lines when he says, “Thus die I, thus, thus, thus. Now am I dead. Now am I fled. My soul

is in the sky. Tongue, lose thy light. Moon, take thy flight. Now die, die, die, die, die” (5.1.283-

290). Theseus responds with, “With the help of a surgeon he might yet recover and prove an ass”

(5.1.294-295). Shakespeare had many different linguistic humorous ploys throughout this play.

Slapstick humor can be defined as the funny things that are done or events that happen.

Bottom’s role in the play within the play is going to be Pyramus but Bottom has other ideas. He

asks the others if he could also play Thisbe, Lion, and Wall. Doing so, he is telling everyone that

he wants to put on the play all by himself. “Let me play the lion too. I will roar, that I will do any

man’s heart good to hear me. I will roar, that I will make the duke say, ‘Let him roar again. Let

him roar again’” (1.2.31-34). Bottom wants to impress the Duke during this play. While the play

is being performed Pyramus tells Thisbe, “Oh, kiss me through the how of this vile wall!” and

Thisbe responds, “I kiss the wall’s hole, not your lips at all” (5.1.194-195). This is another kind

of sexual innuendo because the wall is another character in the play. In this instance, the wall is

slapstick humor because of the actions he performs throughout the play within the play. Pyramus

is asking Thisbe to kiss the wall’s hole and in term kissing him thought it. Because of A

Midsummer Night’s dream slapstick is easily noticed through the actions of the characters.

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Crude humor can be anything that is considered vulgar or rude to the audience or reader.

Puck in this play decides to switch Bottom’s head with the head of a donkey. A potion has been

placed on Titania’s eyes; therefore, she falls in love with Bottom no matter the circumstance.

The more “crude” humor comes from the sexual jokes that Shakespeare puts into the play within

Midsummer Night’s Dream. As discussed earlier, Sung the Joiner is a sexual reference because

he works with Quince the carpenter. In this play, one could even say that Shakespeare is making

fun of his own profession because of the way the he wrote the play that was going to be put on to

honor the Duke and his new wife. At the end of the play, Puck says, “If we shadows have

offended, think but this, and all is mended, that you have but slumber’d here while these visions

did appear. And this weak and idle theme, no more yielding but a dream, gentles, do not

reprehend: if you pardon, we will mend: and, as I am an honest Puck, if we have unearned luck

now to ‘scape the serpent’s tongue, we will make amends ere long; Else the Puck a liar call; so,

goodnight unto you all. Give me your hands, if we be friends, and Robin shall restore amends”

(5.1.383-398). Puck is apologizing to the audience if they have offended anyone during this play.

Humor is hard to define because everyone thinks different things are funny. However,

these are things that are still considered to be funny even as time has passed. Linguistic humor is

the easiest to notice because it could be just a play on words or the way something is said. Like

the name of Bottom and an ass’s head. Meanwhile, you have slapstick humor which is a little

harder to define because it’s based on actions or events. Like the wall being a character within

the play added a comedic relief. Crude humor is always read between the lines. Thanks to

Nilsen, I understood more about why some of the character’s names were for a comedic point.

He showed me a more in-depth version of Shakespeare that I would have not thought of if I

wouldn’t have read from him.

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Harold Bloom wrote a book titled Shakespeare – the Invention of the Human. Within this

book there are many statements about why Shakespeare did the things he did. “Shakespeare, who

clearly preferred his women characters to his men… subtly suggest that women have the truer

sense of reality” (35). Outside of Falstaff, Bloom is saying that Shakespeare preferred his women

characters over his men. This could be because Shakespeare lived during the Queen Elizabeth

Era, therefore, he began to put on emphasis on the females in his writings. This could also be

because he could show that women have many different influences on men. In some of

Shakespeare’s writing he shows women to be strong and independent and sometimes even

stronger than me.

Portia during the Merchant of Venice is upset over her father’s will and what he requests.

However, she comes up with a way to “rig” the contest so that she doesn’t have to marry

someone that she doesn’t want to. Her father requests that Portia marry the person that picks the

“right” casket out of the three: gold, silver, and lead. Lead is the correct answer because it shows

that she will not be marrying someone because they want her money. Nerissa says, “If he should

offer to choose, and choose the right casket, you should refuse to perform your father’s will, if

you should refuse to accept him” (1.1.84-86). Portia responds with putting a glass of red wine on

the wrong casket, so if the temptation kicks in they will choose the one the wine lay on.

Shakespeare made a character that could rival Talbot which was a female that went by the name

of Joan of Arc. Joan was the first person to ever beat Talbot in hand to hand combat. She could

have killed him during their first altercation if she felt the need. Talbot the general that put fear

into France was defeated by a woman! King Lear thought he could trust his daughters with his

title while he ruled the kingdom, but they had other plans in store for him. Shakespeare wrote a

plot in Twelfth Night that revolves around a female main role. “… I prithee – and I’ll pay thee

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bounteously – conceal me what I am, and be my aid for such disguise as haply shall become that

form of my intent. I’ll serce this duke. Thou shall present me as an eunuch to him. It may be

worth thy pains, for I can sing and speak to him in many sorts of music that will allow me very

worth his service… Only shape thou thy silence to my wit” (1.2.49-58). Viola is asking the

Captain for his assistance because she wants to become the Duke’s servant. Viola just wants to

make her own way through the world without having to rely on others. She becomes the fulcrum

of this plot that tosses and turns. The captain replies with, “Be you his eunuch, and your mute I’ll

be. When my tongue blabs, then let mine eyes not see” (1.2.59-60). Viola ends up in a love

triangle during the play and still holds her composure. Viola begins to fall in love with Orsino,

but cannot tell him that she is really a woman because he knows her to be a man. Olivia falls in

love with Viola as Cesario. However, Orsino loves Olivia to make matters even stranger! Rulers

are considered to normally be men, however, in Antony and Cleopatra, Cleopatra is the ruler of

Egypt. She holds much power and influence over many! Antony is no exception, “Upon her

landing Antony sent to her, invited her to supper. She replied it should be better he became her

guest, which she entreated. Our courteous Antony, whom ne’er the word of ‘No’ woman heard

speak, being barbered ten times o’er, goes to the feast, and for his ordinary pays his heart for

what his eyes eat only” (2.2.225-237). This is before Antony and Cleopatra have even met face

to face. Cleopatra insists that he become her guest instead of her becoming his guest. Cleopatra

refuses to be his guest to show dominance over Antony. Antony even agrees with on request.

Shakespeare prefers his women characters over his men characters. They can have a truer

sense of reality and what is going on. Portia knows that she doesn’t just want to marry anyone

like her father’s will suggests. Therefore, she did little things to draw others eyes to the wrong

caskets until the one she wanted to marry came in. Up until that point she dropped small hits as

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to which casket he should pick. Joan of Arc was the only one to ever beat the feared Talbot. She

let the enemy live in hopes of facing him again in the future. King Lear gives his title away to his

daughters thinking they would still do what he wanted, but not long after flipped what he thought

was going to happen on its head. Twelfth Night was centered around a woman named Viola that

wanted to make her own way in the world. Cleopatra was a cunning woman that was the ruler of

Egypt. These examples of women in Shakespeare’s plays that outperformed their male

counterpart in different ways.

Out of all of Shakespeare’s play, I believe that The Winter’s Tale would be one of the

most difficult live stage productions. The scenery would be one of the hardest parts of this play

for many different reasons. The little things that are going on during this play can change the

way people see the performance as a whole. Sound effects help tie everything together from

scenery to seriousness of the scene. Costumes are always a critical part of any play. The director

can always make small changes to the way things are and that could throw one person’s idea of

how the play is going to go all off.

In Winter’s Tale the first scene tends to be one of the least detailed out of them all. In this

first scene, the audience is shown King Leontes thrown room. This scene at the least must have

Leontes’s thrown and his wife Hermione’s thrown. These chairs must look and be decorated as

such high class a royalty deserves. For more upscale productions there should be a good looking

back drop. King Polixenes is convinced in this scene by Hermione to stay longer. This throws

Leontes into a jealous rage because he did not say yes when he himself offered. In the next

scene, Hermione is thrown in jail because Leontes thinks she has been unfaithful to him. I think

when characters are starting to go back and forth between Leontes and the imprisoned Hermione

that these scenes should be side by side in order to get the full effect. The Black Friars made it to

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where the jail was on the second floor behind the curtains, so one couldn’t really see what all

was going on. You didn’t get to experience the happiness the Hermione felt when she had her

child and the sadness of Hermione when Leontes threatened to send Perdita off. Leontes son

Mamilius, is another change that the director could make. During the Black Friars performance,

there was a woman in what looked to be young children’s clothes, but the director could have

just as easily made him into a young male just reaching his teenage years or younger. Mamilius’s

bedroom would be the easiest scene in this play to produce because all you technically need is a

bed. Leontes sends Antigonus to place his daughter to fend for herself and off to gods will.

Before Leontes even docks there is a storm brewing. The sound effects that the Black Friars used

sounded like an air cannon and metal sheets, but one can go even further to make the storm

sound realistic. Also, it depends on the size of the venue that it is being produced because then

you would have to amplify the sound so it can carry. Antigonus places a chest full of gold on the

ground and baby Perdita near it. I think the chest should be more than just a box that has some

metal object in it. The chest should actually look like a chest unlike in the Black Friars

performance. In the stage directions of the play, during this scene is when the bear enters. The

bear could be a trained bear or just a person in the costume, but for this scene to follow in line

with the story it needs to be there. If the play was larger in scale or more expensive, I think it

would be really interesting to have a live bear walk around on stage. During the beach scene,

there should be a back ground or some kind of indication of where they are. The shepherds come

and find Perdita and bring her back to their cottage. The cottage scene should make you imagine

like an older country cottage. For this to be possible, lots of work would need to be done to

produce the aged look. The party at the cottage is considered a happy time, therefore, there

should be bright colored decorations and flowers in this scene. Costumes for a production is

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going to always be one of have hardest things to come up with for many different reasons. If you

think psychologically, colors can trigger emotions and memories from the past. Warm and bright

colors can trigger happiness and lighter times. Meanwhile, darker colors like blacks and deep

reds are typically grief or sadness.

These are the reasons, that I think The Winter’s Tale would be a hard to stage in live

production. The scenes can be demanding to stage an accurate representation of the scenery. The

little things like the chest, props, and age can change the way the production attracts the audience

to emotionally invest more than just their time. Clothing the characters are wearing are important

because you don’t want someone to be wearing bright colors when Hermione dies of grief.

Another example is that it wouldn’t look right if Florizel and Perdita were wearing darker colors

when professing their love for each other.

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Word Citied

Nilsen, Don L. F. “Shakespeare’s Humor, Irony, and Language Play.” Dec. 2011.

www.public.asu.edu/~dnilsen/documents/shakespeare-humor.pptx. PowerPoint presentation.