Tragicomedy Flashcards

1
Q

How would the Classical dramatist treat genre?

A

Would not confuse genre. Treated as distinct.

Audiences unable to keep tragical, historical, pastoral etc all in their minds at once

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2
Q

What is tragicomedy?

A

Tragicomedy is the mingling of comic and tragic pleasues - it does not allow hearers to fall into excessive tragic melancholy or comic relaxation

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3
Q

Name the conventions of tragedy and comedy…

A

Comedy: concerns men of lower fortunes, comic order, marriage, feigned complication and happy reversal

Tragedy: great persons but not great actions, versimilar plot but not true and passions are moved

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4
Q

What does the confusion of tragedy achieve?

A
  1. Collision of two different things can seem natural and miraculous
  2. Tragic view of life is corrected by the comic and vice versa
  3. Tragicomedy is more appropriate than either one as it is more expressive of human experience
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5
Q

How does The Winter’s Tale use self-conscious theatrics?

A

Uses self conscious theatrics to create tragicomic perspective + audience feels sense of power as allowed to share in the playwright’s control of action
Artificial devices create distance - audience aware of illusory nature

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6
Q

How does Shakespeare develop character as a result of merging the two genres together?

A

Allows for expanded characters with a depth of vision, as seen in Leontes.

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7
Q

How is Leontes fully human?

A

Leontes reflects the best and worst of humanity: he is fully human.

First three acts Leontes jealousy assumed awesome proportions as speculates about Hermoines adultorous relationship with Polixenes.

He ignores oracle, council and wife as a result of childish jealousy: human flaw

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8
Q

What is the quote that exemplifies Leontes’ refusal to listen to the oracle?

A

Act i,ii, 190-93:

Yet shall the oracle/ Give rest to th’ mind of others…/ Whose ignorant reality will not/ Come up to the truth”

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9
Q

How is Leontes used as a dramatic structure by which to maintain comic and tragic vision for the spectator?

A

16 years later, in Act V, Leontes’ repentence is confirmed.

“Destroy’d the sweetest companion that ever man/ Bred his hopes out of…”

Acknowledges destruction is all his own doing. Paulina articulates love before statute and it comes to life: material found in comedy

Comic order restored

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10
Q

Explain Leontes’ experience between make belief and the reality of human experience…

A

Tragic acts and tragic flaws of humanity + comic resolution and a plot that encroaches death but never becomes

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11
Q

What has happened to characterisation as a result of fusion of genre?

A

Characterisation reaches realistic depths through confusion of genre. Characters surrounding him are static, as in Hermoine.

So tragic + comic

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12
Q

What did Guarini say?

A

Pity and laughter can only be aroused in different parts or by different characters

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13
Q

How does Shakespeare move beyond Guarini?

A

Creates a quintessentially tragicomic character:

Tormented inner consciousness
Comic implications of his behaviour to defuse tragic potential for suffering

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14
Q

How is Paulina used as a tragicomic device in Act 2, scene 2?

A

She is established as powerful comic counterforce to Leontes. She burts in upon Leontes in solitude nosily to present him with his baby daughter,

Her shrewish behaviour is not in itself comic but makes Lords and Leontes look ridiculous

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15
Q

What does Paulina do to Leontes?

A

Turns him from tragically dangerous to comic fugure by mocking unjustified jealousy

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16
Q

What does Shakespeare do with genre in Act 3, scene 3?

A

Doesn’t modulate between tragic to comic subtly. Brings together tragedy and comedy, death and new life, fear and laughter, in one big confrontation

17
Q

How is the bear a highly stylised device?

A

Creates laughter - laughter creates distance - distance detaches audience involvement

Bear is both an agent of comedy and tragedy

18
Q

Why do we forget Leontes and Hermoine in Act 3, scene 3?

A

Because the tragic no longer informs our conscious response to the play. We forget Siclian events and become prepared for an emotionally fortunate ending.

Dislocation of genre

19
Q

Why is Measure for Measure a problem play?

A

Integrates tragic and comic effects. But doesn’t wholly embrace either, borders on both.

No one dies, major characters only suffer for a couple of days, Duke’s presence assures audience of fortunate resolution

20
Q

How are MFM and TWT alike?

A

Both experience shap break between tragic and comic experience

BUT,

tragicomic devices which fortunate conclusions reached are visible in MFM

21
Q

How is the Duke the manipulator of the plays action?

A

Gurantor of happy endings
Flawed and comedic problem solving methods
Borders on edge of both tragedy and comedy

22
Q

How does the plot itself border on the edge of tragedy and comedy?

A

Characters of high rank
But involved in private affiars
Mingle with lower class ranks
Presents danger of death but not the death itself

23
Q

What is the Lear quote in 1.1?

A

By all the operations of the orbs

From whom we do exist and cease to be,

Here I disclaim all my paternal care,

Propinquity and property of blood,

And as a stranger to my heart and me

Hold thee from this for ever. (1.1)

23
Q

Tragic and comic moderate one another but…

A

tragic potential is always suboridnated by comic order