Mingling of Tragic and Comic Elements of Shakespeare.
There is an allegation goes on about Shakespeare that he is not mindful about mixing tragic and comic elements in the same play. Johnson takes the point to defend Shakespeare. He totally does not denied that Shakespeare's plays cannot considered directly as comedy and tragedy. His plays are exceptional in nature in which he reflects real stage of life. Life is not formed with thoroughly happiness and sorrow. Rather, it is the combination of both sorrow and happiness. In order to show the true state of nature one cannot reflect happiness or sorrow consistently, the loss of one is replaced by another. A man can be beaten by the frailty and frolic of another. He/She can be harmed of helped as the person who is responsible for this happening, has not the intend to do so. The poets of old age used to cover their writings with foolishness lighter incidents, terrors of distress and joy of prosperity and consistently used them in several plays. This is the way in which tragedy and comedy are treated. But, we hardly see any single example of depicting the tragedy and comedy in the same plays. Even the Greek or Roman have not practiced this theory. But, Shakespeare is the only genius who depicts both joy and sorrow on the same play which rear one. His plays have all the elements of real life absurdities, seriousness and sorrow and sometimes happiness and laughter.
If you go through the rules of dramatic writing, Shakespeare mingling of tragedy and comedy do not keep pace with them. But, rules are less important than the reflection of real nature. So, rules can be sacrificed in order to get the greater pleasure. Poetry has got a specific aim that is to please and instruct the readers. So, if we make a comparison with mingled drama and pure drama we will clearly find out that mingled drama is more pleasurable and instruct able than pure drama, because the former is dealt with the reality. Passions is intensified by the mingling of tragedy and comedy. In the major cases, mingled drama provide us greater pleasure as the pleasure derives from the variety of plays.
No comments:
Post a Comment