The Dromio twins, The Comedy of Errors
Shakespeare’s comedies invite audiences into a world of mistaken identity, romantic entanglements, disguise and deception, and exploration of complex issues of relationships and identity. Featuring pirates, bumbling constables, mismatched couples, separated-at-birth twins, a boisterous weaver who believes he’s a stage star, and a dog—the comedies offer a view of the world that seems like a simple romp but also explores human nature.
Historian and Shakespeare scholar Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger explores how Shakespeare uses fools, confusion, and magic to upend expectations about society. She traces how the playwright shifts his focus over his career, from early plays that rely on slapstick humor to later works that offer hope of reconciliation and reunion.
10–11 a.m. Early Comedies: Mistaken Identity and Witty Wordplay (The Comedy of Errors, The Taming of the Shrew, Love’s Labour’s Lost)
Shipwrecks, family drama, and pledges of celibacy gone wrong (or right?) shape the first of Shakespeare’s comedies. The playwright doubles down on twins and confusion, stages a full-on battle of the sexes, and brings temptation to four self-proclaimed scholars as he begins to explore complications of expectations and identity.
11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Romantic Comedies: Love and Marriage (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Twelfth Night)
Romance takes center stage, with threats of violence lurking nearby, in Shakespeare’s next comedies. These plays challenge the assumption that fathers arrange their daughter’s marriages with some of Shakespeare’s most determined women demanding choice in their future. Comedic episodes based on overheard conversations and the device of a play within a play makes these some of Shakespeare’s most beloved works.
12:15 to 12:45 p.m. Break
12:45 to 1:45 p.m. Problem Plays: When Things Get Complicated (The Merchant of Venice, Measure for Measure, Troilus and Cressida)
Not all of Shakespeare’s “comedies” fit neatly into that category. Certainly not tragedies or histories, these plays also push back against comedic conventions by taking on betrayal, deception, tyranny, and war. Unable to question the culture of his own time, Shakespeare uses stories like these to question the power of the state, legal cases, and honor. Less often performed, these plays signal a shift in Shakespeare’s work and focus.
2 to 3 p.m. Further Complications: The Tragicomedies (Pericles, The Winter’s Tale, The Tempest)
Shakespeare’s later comedies are darker and resist the typical assumption of a happy ending. Using riddles and rumors, forbidden relationships, and magic, Shakespeare challenges assumptions of life and theatre. He explores and raises questions about marriage, friendship, and obsession. Can forgiveness and reunion create unity and redemption in Shakespeare’s final years and works?
Lloyd-Stanger, author of The Tudors by Numbers and Courting the Virgin Queen, lectures internationally on the Tudor period and Shakespeare.
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