Critical Anthology - Marriage in Shakespeare’s Comedies Flashcards
What is central to Shakespearean comedy according to Lisa Hopkins?
Marriage
Marriage emphasizes social bonds and continuity, contrasting with the individual focus of tragedy.
In which plays do multiple marriages provide comic closure?
- As You Like It
- Love’s Labour’s Lost
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- Twelfth Night
- Much Ado About Nothing
- Two Gentlemen of Verona
In these plays, four, three, and two couples respectively marry or are expected to marry.
What role does marriage play in The Merry Wives of Windsor?
It serves as the mainspring of the comedy
The title itself highlights the importance of marriage.
Which plays also feature a marital relationship as central?
- The Comedy of Errors
- The Merchant of Venice
- The Taming of the Shrew
These plays incorporate marriage as a significant plot element.
How does marriage provide closure in comedy?
It focuses on the experience of the group
This contrasts with the isolationist emphasis of tragedy.
What does the tragic hero typically experience?
Loneliness and separation from God, society, and surroundings
This is a fundamental aspect of the tragic narrative.
What is the significance of offspring in marriage according to Elizabethan customs?
It symbolizes renewed life
Offspring are expected as a product of heterosexual marriage.
How does Shakespearean comedy reflect conservatism?
It often reinforces traditional gender roles and social hierarchy
Characters return to their societal roles after temporary disruptions.
What is the traditional view of marriage in comedy?
It provides comic closure
This expectation is frequently subverted in Shakespeare’s plays.
What does the term ‘telos’ refer to?
Ultimate purpose
In the context of comedy, it often refers to the goal of marriage.
True or False: Shakespeare’s comedies consistently achieve the expected ending of marriage.
False
The expected goal of marriage is rarely attained within the plays.
What does the term ‘patriarchal order’ refer to?
A social organization where a man is the head of the family
It traces family history through the male line.
Fill in the blank: In Shakespearean comedy, marriage is often seen as a _______.
provider of closure.
What is meant by ‘renunciation’ in the context of Shakespeare’s comedies?
Formal declaration giving up past beliefs or behaviors.
What is the impact of characters returning to their societal roles in Shakespeare’s comedies?
It reinforces the existing social and patriarchal order.
