-
8/9/2019 British Literature - Final Paper
1/5
Simpson 1
Jason Simpson
Professor Hanratty
Literature 221
11 November 2012
Comedy: A Comparison of Two !i"abet#an ra P!ays
T#e name of $i!!iam S#a%espeare is we!! %nown t#rouout urope and
Nort# Ameri'a(
but( at t#e time period of #is !ife( anot#er p!aywrit was )ust
as famous( if not more so*
C#ristop#er +ar!owe wrote on!y seven p!ays before #e died( but
is sti!! 'onsidered one of t#e
best !i"abet#an p!aywrits from t#at time period* S#a%espeare,s
Twelfth Night,a romanti'
'omedy( is about severa! '#ara'ters, sear'# for !ove and t#e
dis&uises and tri'%ery t#at
'omp!i'ate everyt#in&* +ar!owe,s The Tragical History of
Doctor Faustus,a tra&edy( is about
one man,s sear'# for %now!ed&e t#at !eads to a dea! wit# t#e
devi! and t#e eventua! destru'tion of
t#e tit!e '#ara'ter* -ot# p!ays #ave simi!ar 'omedi' e!ements(
in'!udin& t#e use foo!s( t#e spe'ifi'
sty!e of t#e '#ara'ters, dia!o&ue( t#e uses of pran%s( and
t#e use of 'onfusion( or !a'% of it* ven
t#ou bot# p!ays use simi!ar forms of 'omedy( t#e different uses
wit#in ea'# p!ay are entire!y
different( !endin& to t#e idea t#at two p!ays 'an be
entire!y different even wit# t#e same e!ements
in t#em based on #ow t#e e!ements are used and to w#at
e.tent*
S#a%espeare,s Twelfth Nightis set durin& t#e end of t#e
C#ristmas season w#en t#e status
of many peop!e wou!d be reversed( 'ausin& 'onfusion
amon& everyone( w#i'# t#e p!aywrit
uses as one form of 'omedy* T#is is often 'a!!ed t#e 'omedy of
error sin'e numerous
mis'on'eptions dis&uise t#e true p!ots of t#e p!ay and even
add to t#e 'omp!e.ity of t#e story*
$at'#in& t#e '#ara'ters attempt to unrave! t#e various
in'onsisten'ies t#rouout t#e p!ay wou!d
#ave drawn some smi!es from t#e 'rowd( spe'ifi'a!!y w#en
Sebastian meets /!ivia and s#e as%s
-
8/9/2019 British Literature - Final Paper
2/5
Simpson 2
#im to marry #er* T#is 'aused Sebastian to be!ieve #imse!f to be
eit#er 'ra"y or in a dream 123
a't 4( s'* 15* 6n t#e !ast a't( any 'onfusion is undone and
e.p!ained* T#is wou!d #ave !ed t#e
audien'e to !au at t#e end of t#e 'onfusion and ref!e't ba'% at
t#e tria!s of ea'# '#ara'ters
misunderstandin&*
Additiona! 'onfusion o''urred wit# severa! '#ara'ters, uses of
dis&uises* T#ese in'!uded
p#ysi'a! dis&uises( su'# as w#en 7io!a p#ysi'a!!y dresses as
t#e youn& man and pretends to be a
boy 'a!!ed Cesario( but a!so psy'#o!o&i'a! dis&uises(
su'# as t#e foo!( 8este( bein& t#e smartest
of t#e &roup rat#er t#an t#e idiot* T#e tradin& of
p!a'es( t#e foo! bein& smart or t#e !ady
pretendin& to be a man( was '#ara'teristi' of t#e twe!ft#
nit of Cand!emas( w#en t#e statuses
of many were swit'#ed*
T#e use of a foo! in Twelfth Nightis very different from t#e
typi'a! idea of a foo! dressed
in brit 'o!ors and a )ester,s #at* 8este is dressed as a foo!(
but is t#e wittiest( and !i%e!y t#e
smartest( of t#e '#ara'ters* His inte!!i&en'e is first s#own
by #is se9uen'e of !o&i' !eadin& to t#e
statement t#at #is !ady /!ivia is a foo! for mournin& for
#er brot#er 12241223 a't 1( s'* 5*
Anot#er foo!( t#ou stated as a %nit( is t#e opposite of 8este*
6t is e.pe'ted t#at t#e %nit( Sir
Andrew( wou!d be stron& and smart( but #e is rea!!y t#e on!y
true foo! of t#e p!ay* T#rouout a't
t#ree( Sir Toby and 8abian tri'% Sir Andrew into attemptin&
a fit wit# Cesario( in rea!ity )ust
anot#er pran% or'#estrated by Sir Toby*
T#e !an&ua&e used by t#e '#ara'ters in Twelfth Nightis
t#e most 'ommon form of
'omedy( usin& wit( pun( and parody to ma%e t#e audien'e !au*
An e.amp!e is w#en +a!vo!io is
!o'%ed in a dar% room( after appearin& to be mad durin&
a't four s'ene two* He is ta!%in& wit#
8este and 'omments t#at #e is no more mad t#an 8este is* T#is
wou!d #ave been 'omi'a! to t#e
audien'e( 'onsiderin& t#ey %new 8este to be a foo!( w#i'#
were 'onsidered to be 'ra"y( at !east to
-
8/9/2019 British Literature - Final Paper
3/5
Simpson ;
some de&ree* Additiona!!y( t#e 'onversations between t#e
'#ara'ters were fu!! of #idden
meanin&s and )ests at ot#ers* At t#e be&innin& of
a't t#ree( in a 'onversation between 7io!a and
8este( S#a%espeare p!ays on t#e meanin& of to ma%e a
!ivin&
by,( but 8este uses t#e meanin& >to !itera!!y #ave a
#ouse by, 124;3 a't ;( s'* 15*
ven t#ou t#ere is no rea! 'onfusion in +ar!owe,sDr. Faustus(
wat'#in& 8austus, !ife
and mora!s deteriorate so 9ui'%!y w#i!e #e i&nores it is
anot#er form of 'omedy( t#ou we!!
#idden wit#in t#e tra&i' e!ements* $#en 8austus summons
+ep#ostop#i!is( 8austus deve!ops a
mis'on'eption about #is powers( !eadin& to an in'reased
e&o and be!ief t#at #e is in 'ontro! of t#e
ma&i' bein& performed around #im( rat#er t#an t#e true
ma&i'ian( +ep#ostop#i!is* T#is
'onfusion 'omes to a #ead w#en( at t#e end of t#e p!ay( 8austus
fina!!y a''epts t#at #e was not
rea!!y in 'ontro!( but was bein& tri'%ed by +ep#ostop#i!is*
Sandra 8is'#er and Timot#y +i!!er
stated t#at 8austus be!ieved
-
8/9/2019 British Literature - Final Paper
4/5
Simpson 4
6n +ar!owe,sDr. Faustus( t#e foo! is e.a't!y w#at t#e p!ay
attendees wou!d #ave
e.pe'ted* /ne( C!own( is witty wit# #is words( but sti!! runs up
and down 'ryin& at t#e sit of
two demons 11203 a't 1( s'* 45* Later( in a't two( t#e C!own(
now 'a!!ed @obin( and anot#er
foo!( ?i'%( attempt to summon a demon and are far !ess witty
t#an t#e foo!s were portrayed
ear!ier( not to mention t#ey were bare!y !iterate* T#ey ma%e
'rude 'omments about ea'# ot#er
and( !ater( one tries to avoid payin& for a &ob!et by
summonin& a demon( w#i'# ba'%fires w#en
+ep#ostop#i!is does appear( but atta'%s t#em wit# firewor%s and
s'ares t#em into submission
11;11403 a't ;( s'* 45*
ven t#ou often 'onsidered #is best 'omedy(
-
8/9/2019 British Literature - Final Paper
5/5
Simpson
$or%s Cited
Crane( +i!ton* Twe!ft# Nit and S#a%espearian Comedy* Shakespeare
QuarterlyB*1 15:
1*JSTOR* $eb* 4 Nov* 2012*
?amros'#( ?avid( and Devin J*H* ?ettmar( eds* The Log!a "thology
of #ritish Literature*
New Eor%: 2010* Print
8is'#er( Sandra D*( and Timot#y C* +i!!er* ?o'tor 8austus*
+asterp!ots( 4t#ed* 20105: 1*
$#S%O Literary Referece %eter* $eb* Nov* 2012*
+ar!owe( C#ristop#er*
