MEG-02(ASSIGNMENT 1)
1. a) Dark comedy blends humor with morbid or serious
themes like death, violence, or existential despair. *The
Playboy of the Western World* can be considered a dark
comedy as it uses irony and absurdity to explore themes of
patricide, identity, and social hypocrisy, creating humor
from disturbing subject matter.
b) Faustus’ greatest sin is his willful rejection of divine grace
and pursuit of forbidden knowledge. Despite opportunities
for repentance, he chooses pride and ambition over salvation,
ultimately sealing his damnation. His pact with the devil
represents hubris and a fatal disregard for the eternal
consequences of his actions.
c) A soliloquy is a dramatic speech in which a character
speaks their thoughts aloud, typically alone on stage. Two
important soliloquies in *Hamlet* are “To be, or not to be,”
where Hamlet contemplates life and death, and “O, what a
rogue and peasant slave am I,” expressing self-loathing and
frustration.
d)If Hermia refuses to marry Demetrius, as per Athenian law
in *A Midsummer Night’s Dream*, she faces two options:
death or lifelong confinement in a nunnery. Her father Egeus
invokes this law to force her compliance, highlighting the
conflict between personal choice and patriarchal authority.
e)Ben Jonson introduced the ‘comedy of humours’ into
English literature with his play *Every Man in His Humour*
(1598). This form of comedy is based on characters
dominated by specific personality traits or “humours,”
creating exaggerated behaviors that drive the plot and reflect
human folly.
2. a) Elizabethan drama flourished during the late 16th and
early 17th centuries, marked by its poetic language, complex
characters, and exploration of human nature and political
power. Key features include the use of blank verse, elaborate
soliloquies, and themes of love, ambition, betrayal, and
supernatural elements. The plays often blended tragedy and
comedy and were performed in open-air theaters like The
Globe. This era saw the emergence of the professional
playwright and actor. William Shakespeare is the most
prominent playwright of this period, known for masterpieces
like *Hamlet*, *Macbeth*, and *Romeo and Juliet*, which
continue to influence literature and theater today.
b)Restoration Comedy emerged in the late 17th century,
following the restoration of the monarchy under Charles II. It
is characterized by its witty dialogue, satirical portrayal of
manners, sexual innuendo, and commentary on aristocratic
society. These comedies often featured plots revolving
around marriage, infidelity, and mistaken identities. Women
were allowed to perform on stage for the first time, adding a
new dimension to theatrical representation. Restoration
Comedy reflected the loosened moral standards of the time
and aimed to entertain and critique societal norms.
Prominent playwrights include William Congreve (*The Way
of the World*) and George Etherege (*The Man of Mode*).
c) The "Angry Young Men" movement emerged in the 1950s
in Britain, driven by a group of working- and middle-class
writers and dramatists who expressed frustration with the
conservative social and political climate. They rejected the
elitism and complacency of the British establishment and
gave voice to the disillusionment of post-war youth. In
drama, their work featured gritty realism, anti-heroic
protagonists, and themes of class conflict and alienation. The
movement helped revolutionize British theater by
emphasizing authenticity and social critique. John Osborne’s
play *Look Back in Anger* (1956) is a seminal work of the
movement, capturing its rebellious and confrontational tone.
d) The Angry Young Men movement in British drama was
defined by themes of class struggle, disillusionment with
traditional institutions, social stagnation, and existential
frustration. The plays often featured working-class or lower-
middle-class protagonists who were emotionally volatile,
intelligent, but alienated from society. Their dissatisfaction
was directed at the rigid class system, lack of opportunity,
and superficiality of modern life. The dialogue was often raw
and direct, aiming to reflect real speech and genuine human
emotion. John Osborne, author of *Look Back in Anger*, was
a key figure of the movement. His work brought a new
realism and emotional intensity to British theater.
3.a) Aristotelian vs. Shakespearean Tragedy (200 words):**
Aristotle's concept of tragedy, as outlined in *Poetics*,
defines it as an imitation of a serious, complete action with a
certain magnitude, written in elevated language, and
arousing pity and fear to achieve a catharsis of emotions. The
Aristotelian tragic hero is a noble figure who suffers a
downfall due to *hamartia* (a tragic flaw or error in
judgment), often leading to a reversal of fortune
(*peripeteia*) and recognition (*anagnorisis*) of the truth.
Unity of time, place, and action is also emphasized in
classical tragedy.
Shakespeare’s tragedies, while sharing key elements such as
the noble hero and tragic flaw, deviate significantly from
Aristotle’s strict structure. Shakespearean tragedy often
blends comic elements and subplots, disregards the unities,
and incorporates supernatural elements. Moreover,
Shakespeare’s tragic heroes—like Hamlet, Macbeth, and
Othello—exhibit complex psychological depth, making their
internal struggles as central as their external fates. His
tragedies explore themes of political ambition, existential
angst, and moral ambiguity, often with a more chaotic or
cosmic perspective on human suffering. While Aristotle sees
tragedy as a moral and emotional purgation, Shakespeare
presents it as a multifaceted reflection of human complexity,
driven by internal conflicts and the unpredictability of fate
and choice.
b) The Split Personality of Doctor Faustus (200 words):**
Doctor Faustus, in Christopher Marlowe’s *Doctor Faustus*,
embodies a profound psychological conflict that reflects the
Renaissance tension between medieval theology and
emerging humanism. Faustus is a scholar who initially seeks
knowledge and power beyond human limits, making a pact
with Lucifer in exchange for 24 years of magical abilities.
However, his character is marked by a constant inner
turmoil between repentance and pride.
This duality creates a split in Faustus’ personality. On one
side, he represents the overreaching Renaissance man,
confident and ambitious, aspiring to god-like status through
forbidden knowledge. On the other, he remains haunted by
fear and guilt, aware of the damnation awaiting him. Despite
moments when his conscience urges him to
repent—encouraged by the Good Angel and biblical
warnings—Faustus is repeatedly swayed by pride, desire,
and the persuasive Mephistopheles.
His inability to reconcile these opposing forces results in
tragic paralysis. He neither fully enjoys the fruits of his
bargain nor seizes opportunities for redemption. This
psychological conflict intensifies his tragic downfall. Faustus
is not merely a sinner; he is a deeply divided soul, a man at
war with himself. His split personality underscores the moral
and existential struggles of a changing world caught between
faith and individual aspiration.
c) Social Realism in *The Alchemist* by Ben Jonson (200
words):**
Ben Jonson’s *The Alchemist* is a satirical comedy that
masterfully portrays social realism by exposing human
follies, greed, and pretensions in Jacobean London. Set
during a time of plague, when wealthy citizens fled the city,
the play centers on a trio of con artists—Face, Subtle, and Dol
Common—who exploit the absence of their master and
transform his house into a hub of fraudulent schemes.
The characters who fall prey to these deceptions—ranging
from a greedy Puritan, a vain nobleman, a druggist, to a
widow seeking a husband—represent a cross-section of
society. Each is blinded by personal ambition or vice, making
them easy targets. Jonson portrays these figures not as
isolated fools but as representatives of larger societal flaws:
hypocrisy, materialism, and the relentless pursuit of status.
Through sharp dialogue and exaggerated characterization,
Jonson critiques a society obsessed with alchemy, fortune-
telling, and get-rich-quick schemes, highlighting the
gullibility of people in all social classes. His use of London as
a setting reinforces the urban character of social vice. In
*The Alchemist*, Jonson crafts a vivid social commentary,
making the audience laugh while holding up a mirror to the
ethical corruption and opportunism prevalent in
contemporary life.
d) The Mechanicals’ Play and Its Significance (200 words):**
In Shakespeare’s *A Midsummer Night’s Dream*, the
“Mechanicals”—a group of Athenian craftsmen—prepare
and perform a play titled *Pyramus and Thisbe* as
entertainment for Duke Theseus’ wedding. The play is a
parody of tragic love, telling the story of two lovers who die
tragically due to a misunderstanding. The performance is
intentionally amateurish, full of malapropisms, overacting,
and comedic errors, making it a humorous highlight of the
play.
The significance of the play-within-the-play is manifold. First,
it offers comic relief by contrasting the serious romantic
entanglements of the main characters with the bumbling
efforts of the working-class actors. Second, it functions as a
meta-theatrical device, allowing Shakespeare to satirize
theatrical conventions, particularly melodrama and overly
earnest performances. Third, *Pyramus and Thisbe* mirrors
the theme of love's irrationality and tragic potential, albeit in
a farcical way, reinforcing the main play’s exploration of
love's complexities.
Moreover, the Mechanicals' sincerity and enthusiasm add a
layer of charm, underscoring Shakespeare’s celebration of
creativity and theater itself. Their earnest failure contrasts
with the nobles’ polished world, subtly suggesting that art
and imagination can belong to everyone, not just the elite.
Thus, the Mechanicals' play enriches the comedy while
deepening the play’s thematic resonance.
4.a) Hamlet as a ‘Revenge Tragedy’ (300 words):**
William Shakespeare’s *Hamlet* is one of the most enduring
examples of the revenge tragedy genre, a form popularized
in Elizabethan and Jacobean drama. Revenge tragedies
typically center on a protagonist who seeks to avenge a
grievous wrong, often involving murder, betrayal, and moral
dilemmas. *Hamlet* follows this formula but also transcends
it through its psychological depth and philosophical inquiry.
At its core, *Hamlet* is driven by the young prince’s mission
to avenge his father’s murder by killing his uncle, King
Claudius, who has seized the throne and married Hamlet’s
mother. The ghost of King Hamlet explicitly charges his son
with revenge, setting the narrative in motion. However,
unlike traditional revenge heroes, Hamlet is introspective
and hesitant, plagued by doubts and moral uncertainty. His
famous soliloquies—particularly “To be or not to be”—reflect
his existential struggle with the ethics of vengeance, life, and
death.
The play includes many elements typical of the revenge
tragedy: feigned madness, a play-within-the-play to expose
the murderer, and a bloody climax in which most of the
major characters die. Yet Shakespeare complicates the genre
by delving into themes of madness (both real and feigned),
the corrupting nature of revenge, and the uncertainty of
truth.
Unlike more straightforward revenge plays, *Hamlet*
questions whether revenge can be morally justified or
spiritually fulfilling. Hamlet’s delay is not merely a plot
device but a reflection of his internal conflict—torn between
action and contemplation. In the end, his revenge is achieved,
but at great personal and communal cost.
Thus, *Hamlet* fulfills the structural expectations of a
revenge tragedy while expanding the genre to explore
complex human psychology and moral ambiguity. It remains
a profound study of a man caught between duty, conscience,
and the chaotic consequences of revenge.
b) *The Playboy of the Western World* as an ‘Extravagant
Comedy’ (300 words):**
J.M. Synge’s *The Playboy of the Western World* can be
considered an extravagant comedy due to its heightened
language, absurd situations, and bold challenge to societal
norms and expectations. Unlike conventional comedies that
rely on realistic scenarios and familiar character types,
Synge’s play uses exaggerated actions and poetic dialogue to
satirize and subvert traditional notions of heroism, morality,
and community.
The central premise—Christy Mahon gaining admiration by
claiming to have killed his father—defies moral logic but
fuels the comedy’s extravagant tone. Instead of being
shunned, Christy is celebrated as a daring and romantic
figure by the villagers, particularly the women, who are
enamored by his supposed bravery. This inversion of moral
values adds a farcical dimension, revealing the absurdity of
idealizing violence and rebellion.
Synge’s language is lyrical and richly idiomatic, infusing
ordinary speech with poetic rhythm and wit. The characters,
though drawn from rural Irish life, speak in a heightened,
musical register that elevates their banter to theatrical art.
This stylistic excess adds to the play’s extravagant flavor,
blending realism with fantasy.
Furthermore, the villagers’ shifting reactions—from
admiration to outrage when Christy’s father appears alive,
and again to admiration when Christy appears to kill him a
second time—highlight the fickleness and performative
nature of public opinion. The comedy lies in these
exaggerated emotional turns and the community’s
contradictory values.
The play also mocks romanticized notions of masculinity and
rebellion, portraying Christy as both a hero and a fool. His
rise and fall mirror the absurdity of a society that prizes
image over substance.
In essence, *The Playboy of the Western World* is
extravagant in its structure, language, and themes. It
stretches the boundaries of comedy to offer sharp social
critique, delivered with theatrical flair, linguistic richness,
and a bold, irreverent spirit.
