International Youth Theater Network

Archive for February, 2008

Historians speculate that “The Merchant of Venice” was created by William Shakespeare some time between 1596 and 1598. Although this play is considered a comedy, some elements of its plot have led critics to classify it as a romantic comedy. As one of the Bard’s well-known plays, this had been adapted into several television movies.

“The Merchant of Venice” is classified as one of Shakespeare’s “problem plays.” Unlike his other plays, the most prominent figure in this story is not the title character, Antonio. Rather, the spotlight is on Shylock, the Jewish moneylender and the play’s main antagonist. This was considered a problem play because it is up to the audience to decide whether they should sympathize or feel disdain for Shylock. Determining whether this character is the tormentor or the tormented will depend largely on the interpretation of the director and the actors. Some actors presented the character of Shylock as a man who wants to exact revenge. Others present him as a man whose actions are dictated by his pride. As pointed out by many, it is but normal that Shylock should feel hatred for Antonio since the week previously, the latter spat on his face and insulted him for being a Jew.

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Among the best-known plays written by William Shakespeare, “Hamlet” is considered by many critics as his greatest play. It is also one of the most-performed plays in the list of Royal Shakespeare Company since 1879. Even during the Shakespeare’s most productive years in theater, “Hamlet” was among his popular plays. According to critics, Shakespeare created the role of Prince Hamlet, the lead protagonist of the story, especially for his friend and colleague in the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, Richard Burbage. Burbage was also the leading tragedy actor during their time. The play centers on the how Prince Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, took revenge on his uncle for killing his father. His father was the former king and upon his death, the throne went to his uncle.

This tragedy by William Shakespeare features a play within the play. In the story, Prince Hamlet wanted to prove that his uncle had a hand in his father’s death. He intended to do this by watching his uncle’s reaction as he watches the play, “The Murder of Gonzago”, which Prince Hamlet will stage with the help of a troupe of actors. The play is actually a reenactment of how the former king was killed.

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William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice

“Romeo and Juliet” is undeniably one of the most popular plays of William Shakespeare. Through this play, literary critics praised his potential as a dramatist through his development of minor characters and subplots to embellish the plot. Contrary to what many people think, this play was not an original story of the playwright. Shakespeare developed his plot of “Romeo and Juliet” based on the narrative poem of Arthur Brooke in 1562 entitled “The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet” and its prose version written by William Painter in 1582. Painter wrote his adaptation in prose which was entitled “The goodly History of the true and constant love of Rhomeo and Julietta.” He published it as one of the stories featured in the “Palace of Pleasure,” a collection of Italian tales.

The plot of “Romeo and Juliet” centers on the lives of two teenage lovers who belonged to two feuding families, the Capulets and the Montagues. Juliet Capulet is the play’s female protagonist while Romeo Montague is the male protagonist. These families eventually reconciled after the tragic deaths of the two lovers. Young love is considered to be the dominant theme of this story. At present, the characters of Romeo and Juliet have become emblems of those who die young for the sake of love.

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The 1993 film, “Much Ado About Nothing” which featured the all-star acting ensemble of Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Robert Sean Leonard, Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves, Michael Keaton and Kate Beckinsale was actually the film version of a comedy written by William Shakespeare. The play centers on the romance of two couples, Claudio and Hero, the main protagonists and their comic counterparts, Benedick and Beatrice.

A common motif in “Much Ado About Nothing” is the use of the words “nothing” and “noting” which were homophones or words that were spoken in the same way during the time of Shakespeare. Double-entendre and some mild sexual innuendoes were also evident in some lines of the play. Interestingly, the word “nothing” was used by the playwright as a euphemism for female genitals. This led many to conclude that the play’s title could also mean “Much Ado about Female Genitalia.” A recurring theme in the story is the generic distrust of males in the fidelity of women. In the play, Don John, the lead antagonist, used Claudio’s fear of being cheated to dissuade the latter from marrying Hero in the first wedding scene. Regardless of its theme, motif and symbolism, this play continues to be one of the most enduring stage plays of the Bard of Avon.

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