Shakespearean
Farce
by Alex Andy Phuong
William Shakespeare is
oftentimes regarded as the greatest writer who
has ever lived. Part of the appeal of his
dramatic plays is how the compelling narratives
reveal fundamental themes about life itself.
Even though practically all of his plays have
been hailed as literary classics, it is a bit
unusual that a lot of Shakespeare's work might be
rated "PG-13" or even receive an "R"
rating if they were cinematic films released in
the 21st century. It is also possible to
say that the Elizabethan performers had to use
crude body language in order to perform the Bard's
bawdy language. Even when the plays are
very dark, deep, and dismal, there is still
plenty of moments that could be classified as
"dark humour." Sarcasm, verbal
irony, and innuendo are prevalent throughout
Shakespeare's writing. Puns that
Shakespeare used are even sometimes phallic!
The controversial "Best Picture" winner
Shakespeare in Love (1998) might have been
advertised as a romantic comedy, but not much is
known factually about William Shakespeare himself.
Did he ever fool around when his wife Anne
Hathaway was not around? Could the lost
love(rs) of Shakespeare ever be found? How
did Shakespeare know so much about poetry while
also being very naughty? (Maybe Shakespeare
"did it" a lot throughout his life, and
maybe even before and after his marriage to Anne
Hathaway). After all, a man like
Shakespeare could not have known much about farce
without doing something with his (insert profane
rhyming term here please). Thank you, and
on with the show!
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