Write
a note on Shakespeare's dark or sombre comedies.
Ans. The dark or sombre
comedies of Shakespeare include All's well That Ends well, Measure
for Measure, and Troilus and Cressida. Though comedies in the sense
that they end 'happily', their tone is sombre and tragic. They reflect a
cynical, disillusioned attitude to life, and a fondness for objectionable
characters and situations. In them Shakespeare displays a savage desire to
expose the falsity of romance and to show the sordid reality of life.
Troilus and Cressida,
All's
well that Ends Well, Measure for Measure are known as dark or sombre or
gloomy comedies because of certain features which mark
off from other comedies.
It may be assumed that these plays were composed later than the early and the
middle comedies culminating in Twelfth Night during the period when Shakespeare
was engaged in grappling with the problem of evil in four mature comedies. For
these plays, though they are ordinarily classed as comedies, have a touch of
sombreness and cynicism which are expected from tragedies.
In Troilus and Cressida,
both the ancient Greek ideal of heroism and the medieval ideal of romantic love
are ridiculed in foul language. Shakespeare shows that heroes are no more than
beasts and their ideals are hollow.
All's well that Ends
well and Measure for Measure represent women
in sexual relationships with unwilling husbands who do not know who their
Partners are. These plays are realistic in the sense that in them Shakespeare
shows a tendency to reveal the more revolting aspects of life. Achilles and
Ajax are superhuman personages but Shakespeare lays stress on the Subhuman
beastiality lurking behind their mask of greatness. Shakespeare seems to
discover the comedy in a vulgar world where honour and dignity fetch a low
price. Helena has to employ her extraordinary power to get a scamp Of a
husband, and Isabella can gain her brother's life and save her Own honour by
devising a plan for accommodating a lecherous man. Shakespeare draws the
picture of a world in which vice retains all its foulness but is partly
redeemed when given its proper place in a scheme of things. It shows both the
light and shade of human life
These plays are called
dark comedies or sombre comedies because have nothing of the gay spirit of
comedy and describe dark aspects and reveal a mood of cynicism. In Measure
for Measure, Angelo, the demands sexual relationship with Isabella as a
price for saving her life. Claudio, the brother wants his sister to sacrifice
her honour. Isabell saves her honour by substituting Marina for herself in
Angelo's bed. Marina is Angelo's wife. The darkness is redeemed by the Punishment
that overtaxes the wrong-doers and by the mercy that permeates the play.
In All's well that Ends well,
Helena is in love with a haughty Youngman, Bertram. Bertram unwillingly marries
her at the kings command, but he seduces her hostess's daughter Diana in
Florence persuades her to take her place in bed at night. She is got with child
by Bertram, and secures his ring in exchange for one given her by the king She
is thus able to claim Bertram as her husband.
Thus the wives have to
adopt tricks to vindicate their positions. The comic is derived form the
juxtaposition of different attitudes. Its tragic undertone and bitter satire
distinguish these plays from comedy. These plays including Hamlet are known as
problem plays. Shakespeare introduces us to
an artificial rotten society and
suggests problems. But Shakespeare keeps the audience in a stage of unresolved
mystery.
In conclusion we can
say that the dask or sombre comedies are not light and comic but serious and cynical.
In these comedies Shakespeare stopped taking interest in light, comic and
exciting events of life and history
and penetrated the human heart and brought
out the hidden weaknesses and worthiness of human nature.
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