Shakespearean Comedy Project
You will be arranged in groups of 4 – 6. Each group will choose a different Shakespearean comedy. You will be given class time to read independently and to work on a group presentation. Refer to the class calendar for reading days, work days, and presentation date.
Comedies for consideration:Consider reading the Reduced Shakespeare Company's tweet synopses of the plays.
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Quick Summaries from Audible/LoyalbooksIn a tiny French dukedom, a younger brother usurps his elder brother's throne. Duke Senior is banished to the Forest of Arden along with his faithful retainers, leaving his lovely daughter Rosalind behind to serve as a companion for the usurper's daughter, Celia. However, the outspoken Rosalind soon earns her uncle's wrath and is also condemned to exile. The two cousins decide to flee together and join Duke Senior in the forest. Meanwhile, a young nobleman, Orlando is thrown out of his home by his cruel older brother Oliver. He too finds his way into the forest. What follows is absolutely captivating and a typical Shakespearean comedy! - As You Like It Summer nights, romance, music, comedy, pairs of lovers who have yet to confess their feelings to each other, comedy and more than a touch of magic are all woven into one of Shakespeare's most delightful and ethereal creations – A Midsummer Night's Dream. Written around the middle of his career, Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare's great festive comedies. The men are back from the war, and everyone is ready for romance. The dashing young Claudio falls for Hero, the daughter of Leonato, governor of Messina, and his friend Don Pedro helps him secure her affection. These youthful lovers are contrasted with the more experienced (and more cynical) Benedick and Beatrice, who have to be tricked into falling in love. Don Pedro's bastard brother, Don John, provides the intrigue, and the dimwitted constable Dogberry provides the laughs. - Much Ado About Nothing The Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeare's earliest comedies, and was inspired by classical Roman comedy and the Italian commedia dell'arte. Baptista Minola, a rich gentleman of Padua, has two daughters: Katherina, renowned for her sharp tongue, and Bianca, who is sought after by multiple suitors. Baptista decides that Bianca cannot marry until her elder sister finds a husband. Enter Petruchio, who has come to "wive it wealthily in Padua," and who is convinced by Bianca's suitors to woo Katherina. The play ultimately poses the question of who is the bigger shrew: Kate or Petruchio. The subplot involves the subterfuge employed by Lucentio to woo the lovely Bianca. - The Taming of the Shrew Shakespeare's great festive comedy, probably written and first performed around 1601, follows the adventures of twins Viola and Sebastian, who are separated from each other by a shipwreck. Viola, believing her brother dead, disguises herself as a page in order to serve the lovesick Duke Orsino, who has been rejected by the Countess Olivia. The ensemble cast includes a roster of wonderfully comic characters: Olivia's drunken uncle Sir Toby Belch, his foolish friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek, the witty serving woman Maria, the social-climbing steward Malvolio, and the clever, riddling clown Feste. - Twelfth Night |
Part 1: Independent analysis of the play
- Find an online version of your group's play from Open Source Shakespeare.
- Before reading the play proper, consider reading Charles Lamb's children's story of it to give yourself context.
- Read the actual play AND complete an active reading guide based on your reading.
Part 2: Group presentation of play or scene
As a group you will create a video that offers an overview of the comedy and teaches us about the significant literary devices at work within it.
Choose one of the following formats:
Include a literary device analysis and showcase:
Your performance will be interrupted by five “commercial breaks” where a specific literary element is taught based on an actual example from the play. These should be approximately 30 seconds in length each. This will add about 2 ½ minutes onto the allotted 6 – 8 minutes for the scene for a film that’s between 8 ½ - 10 ½ minutes in length.
Choose one of the following formats:
- presents a "Reduced Shakespeare Company" style re-telling of the play in its entirety.
- presents once scene that is done completely (with a preface and a post script, so we know the context).
- presents several small excerpts from the play that are performed that show an overview of the entire play.
Include a literary device analysis and showcase:
Your performance will be interrupted by five “commercial breaks” where a specific literary element is taught based on an actual example from the play. These should be approximately 30 seconds in length each. This will add about 2 ½ minutes onto the allotted 6 – 8 minutes for the scene for a film that’s between 8 ½ - 10 ½ minutes in length.
You may listen to an audio recording of the play, but I want you to follow along in the text as you do so.
Remember, this is practice for the exam where you would have to be able to analyze the written text, not the movie-version of a Shakespearean passage.