Shakespeare 101
Shakespeare is known as one of the most influential playwrights to the English language as well as one of the most revered dramatists in theatre and performance history. In spite of the fact that he was alive nearly 400 years ago, much of his work is still performed today (like this show).
Click on either video to learn more about Shakespeare's life and work, as well as his legacy and staying power in the consciousness of people today.
New to Shakespeare? Don't Sweat it!
Given the style of language used by Shakespeare and how old the text is, the things he writes can seem a little intimidating at first. However, thanks to to the work of countless actors and scholars, it's now more easy than ever to understand the Bard with little to no trouble. Just click any of the links below to get started!
(Also shout out Laurie and the UWL Dramaturgy guide for giving such a nice starting point for this!!)
Clowning Around: A Look At Shakespeare's Fools and Clowns
One of the most recognized tropes that is found in Shakespeare's work is the archetype of the clown/fool. The clown/fool is a character used to either bring levity to a serious play or to provide a secondary plot line to comedies. In general, Shakespearean clowns are amoral and primarily interested in amusing themselves-- often at the cost of the other characters or their intellect. That being said, unlike Shakespearean villains, clowns/fools don't pose any serious threat to the protagonist and/or their goals in the story.
Dogberry and the Watch are some of the more unique characters that fall into the clown/fool category of Shakespeare's characters. Dogberry was the last character in the clown archetype that was characterized as a bumbling fool, but unlike his predecessors (and a good number of the clowns who came after him), he notably doesn't make use of crude comedy and is actually one of the more moral characters in the show.
Shakespeare and Publication
One of the most interesting things about Shakespeare and his plays is their publication history. Given that copywright wasn't invented yet, anyone who could memorize a play could-- in theory-- recreate it for themselves. It wasn't until after Shakespeare's death that there would be proper documentation of his work that was more accessible.