Pyramus and Thisbe
In A Midsummer Night's DreamThe workmen's Lamentable Comedy can be seen as a parody (silly copy) of Romeo and Juliet. There are obvious similarities in the plot (can you say what these are?) but not in the theatrical qualities of the two pieces. In Pyramus and Thisbe we see how not to do things which are done much better elsewhere in A Midsummer Night's Dream,in Romeo and Juliet or in other plays by Shakespeare. (These include depicting wild animals, a wall, moonlight and killing on stage). Comment on how these things are done both in Pyramus and Thisbe and in the plays proper. Comment on how hard or easy it is for actors to speak the dialogue in Shakespeare's plays generally, and to speak the verse we meet in Pyramus and Thisbe (look at the end of the Prologue, and the dying speeches of the two lovers). Explain how the workmen's play is a good commentary on young lovers who take themselves too seriously.
The plays in performance
Comment on how the plays were presented in the versions you have seen. Was it a cinema, TV or stage performance? Comment on such things as costume, props and action; you may also refer to lighting, music, SFX, and anything else which caught your interest. If you were to direct (in a given medium - stage, TV, cinema) how would you approach these things?
Conclusion
Explain what you like about either play or both. Say how well they work in performance, and what kind of response they provoke in the audience.
Remember to present your work attractively, with illustrations (for eaxmple, to show costume or props) and any diagrams (ideas for staging) to clarify your ideas.
III. Conclusion
1.3 Studying Romeo and Juliet - criteria for assessment
The headings below show how details of the play relate to the broad headings for assessment of work on Shakespeare.
1 Nature of play/implications/moral or philosophical significance
This refers to the ideas or themes in the play - what it is about but not its story. In Romeo and Juliet this means at least the following:
Love - the difference between Romeo's pretended love (affectation) for Rosaline and real love.
Fortune: "a greater power than we can contradict" - how we are not always or fully in control of our own lives
Authority - of parents · of the law; · of the Prince.
Tragedy - what does this mean? Does the play show general or universal truths about tragic love?The causes of tragedy.
2 Stagecraft/appeal to audience
Characterization - this is not description of characters but how they are presented.
The structure of the play.
Important props (swords, the Friar's drugs, the poison, Romeo's dagger).
Contrast - light and dark · fate and free will · love and hate · death and life · appearance and reality · public and private lives.
Oppositions of time - youth and age · past and present · fast and slow · real time and dream time
3 Language
Important figures of speech (metaphor/simile).
Descriptive language for things we can't see - Romeo's description of Juliet's beauty (essential in a theatre where Juliet is played by a boy Mercutio's Queen Mab speech.
Forms of verse and prose for dialogue: blank verse; · occasional rhymed verse (often at the end of a scene); · sonnet forms - the Prologue, the lovers' meeting
Stichomythia (alternating one-liners) and other patterned language in the characters' speeches.
Puns and other verbal humour
Language showing attitudes to class - villain, My man, second-person pronoun form: you/your (polite/formal) or thou/thee/thy (derogatory or informal).
IV. Bibliography
1. William Shakespeare Tragedies, Comedies, Sonnets, Chronicles in 47 volumes Yale University Press, Yale New Haven 1958, pp.1, 3-5, 7-9, 23-26, 45-87
2. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. The Shakespeare Head Press Edition. The Wordsworth Poetry library. 1994 by Wordsworth Edition Ltd. Hertfordshire. Vols 1,3,4,6,10,11, 16-18
3. Г. Брандес "Шекспир. Жизнь и произведения" Серия "Гений в искусстве", М.: "Алгоритм", 1997. стр. 117, 127, 139-143
4. "Вильям Шекспир. Сонеты". Перевод с английского И.М. Ивановского.— СПб.: "Тесса", 2001.
5. Комарова В.П. "Творчество Шекспира".-- СПб.: Филологический факультет Санкт-Петербургского государственного университета, 2001.
6. W. Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet New Folger library 1978
7. Alfred Bates The Drama: Its History, Literature and Influence on Civilization, vol. 13. ed.. London: Historical Publishing Company, 1996. pp. 152-157.
8. Вильям Шекспир Комедии, хроники, трагедии. Собр. соч. в 2тт., Т.1 М. ИХЛ. 1988 стр7-31 Т.2 стр. 48-49, 79-126, 149, 216, 442-451
9. Д.Урнов Шекспир М. ИПЛ. Стр.23-27
10. Ю.Г. Зеленецкий Шекспир и время М. Рипол-классик 2000 стр.23
11. G. Bargons “Translation of the tragedies” Yale University Press, New Haven 1958, pp.1, 3-5, 7-9, 23-26, 45-87
12. Alfred Bates The Drama: Its History, Literature and Influence on Civilization, vol. 13. ed.. London: Historical Publishing Company, 1996. pp. 152-157.
13. Вильям Шекспир Комедии, хроники, трагедии. Собр. соч. в 2тт., Т.1 М. ИХЛ. 1988 pp. 7-31
14. Д.Урнов Шекспир М. ИПЛ. Стр.23-27
15. Adams J. Q. A Life of William Shakespeare. New York; Houghton-Mifflin Co., 1923.p.345
16. Alexander P., Shakespeare. London: Oxford University Press, 1964 p.34
17. Barber C. L. Shakespeare's Festive Comedy. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1959 p.67
18. Bentley G. E. Shakespeare, a Biographical Handbook. Theobold Lewis, ed. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1961 p.78
19. Bethell S. L. Shakespeare and the Popular Tradition. London: King and Staples, 1944 p.158-160
20. Parrott Th. M. Shakespearean Tragedy. New York: Oxford University Press, 1949 p.220-221
21. Clemen W. The Development of Shakespeare's Imagery. London: Methuen and Co., 1951 p.35
22. Craig H. An Interpretation of Shakespeare. New York: Dryden Press, 1948 p.300-304
23. Ellis-Fermor M. Shakespeare the Dramatist. London: Geoffrey Cumberlege, 1948 p.84-86
24. Palmer J. Comic Characters of Shakespeare. London: The Macmillan Company, 1946 p.110-111
25. Internet: http://www.shakespeareantheatre.com
26. World Book Encyclopedia Chicago 1993 Vol. 16 p.442-443
[1]The full list of works and authors is mentioned in bibliography to this qualification paper
[2]Here and futher we quote the following issue: William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet Bantam Doubleday Day Publishing Co Inc. New York 1996
[3]See: T. Coelridge To Shakespere’s Memory Chicago 1997 Col. of works Vol.14 p.343
[4]See: В.Г.Белинский Мой Пушкин М. ИХЛ 1969 р.178
[5] See: G. Bargons “Translation of the tragedies” Yale University Press, New Haven 1958, pp. 23-26
[6] Quoted from: Alexander P., Shakespeare. London: Oxford University Press, 1964 p.34
[7] Quoted from the book: Alfred Bates The Drama: Its History, Literature and Influence on Civilization, vol. 13. ed.. London: Historical Publishing Company, 1996. pp. 152-157.
[8]Found in Internet: http://www.shakespeareantheatre.com
[9]Based on the screenversions: B. Luhrmann Romeo and Juliet Rome 1996 Bantam Doubleday Dell Pub. NewYork