While Great Expectations and Gulliver's Travels were not written as comedy, humor is seen in them. The comedy in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night can be related to the comedy in those writings, although Shakespeare used a variety of comedic techniques, not used in either Great Expectations or Gulliver's Travels. The comedy in Twelfth Night varies greatly from the comedy in Great Expectations and Gulliver's Travels at times. Irony is a common comedic element seen in all three works. Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels is commonly known as a satire, therefore it uses improbable irony as a tool. The misfortune, ridiculousness and contradict of Gulliver's adventures is funny. For instance, he, an almighty human, was tied down and restrained by people the size of his finger. In Twelfth Night irony is also used. For example, Olivia fell in love with the woman, viola, dressed as a man, Cesario, who was to woo Olivia, for the duke. It is an unexpected, contradicting turn, mostly because of the couple's gender, but also because of the going-ons during which it happened. In the following Viola finds out of Olivia's love:
"Viola: I left no ring with her. What means this lady?
Fortune forbid my outside have not charmed her!
She made good view of me, indeed so much
That sure methought her eyes had lost her tongue,
For she did speak in starts distractedly.
She loves me, sure! The cunning of her passion
Invites me in this churlish messenger."
(Shakespeare, Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 15 and 20)
The love triangle Shakespeare uses to twist the plot is ironic. In Great Expectations is the main comedic tool, although it is not a satire. It is ironic how Estella, who was out to break Pip's heart at the beginning, has her own heart broken and seems to reconcile with him in the end, appearing to intend to never again part,
"I took her hand in mine, and we went out of the ruined place; and as the morning mists had risen long ago when I first left the forge, so the evening mists were rising now, and in all the broad expanse of tranquil light they showed to me, I saw no shadow of another parting form her." (Dickens, 516)
Because common aspects from Shakespeare's writing can be seen in Great Expectations and Gulliver's Travels, and similar comedic techniques were used in the writings, the works' comedy can be compared and contrasted with the play, Twelfth Night.
Twelfth Night was an excellent play by William Shakespeare. Although there are many opinions about the play's nature, it is commonly seen as an influential comedy. In the play, two twins are shipwrecked on the coast of an ideal country, like Disneyland, called Illyria.
They are separated, neither knowing the other is alive. The female, Viola, pretends to be a male page and works for the duke Orsino. Her job is to woo the lady he likes, Olivia. Viola is wooing for Orsino, pretending to be Cesario, and Olivia falls in love with her! Meanwhile, a man called Antonio is helping her twin, Sebastian. In the end Viola and Sebastian meet, the Duke marries Viola, and Sebastian marries Olivia. There are many comedic aspects of this play, one is Maria's letter. Maria, a helper of Olivia, writes a letter to trick Malvolio into making a fool of himself by making him think Olivia likes him. Maria's letter says: "If this fall into thy hand, revolve. In my stars I am above thee, but be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon em. Thy Fates open their hands. Let thy blood and spirit embrace them. And, to inure thyself to what thou art like to be, cast thy humble slough and appear fresh. Be opposite with a kinsman, surly with servants. Let thy tongue tang arguments of state. Put thyself into they trick of singularity. She thus advises thee that sighs for thee. Remember who commanded thy yellow stockings and wished to see thee ever cross-gartered. I say, remember. Go to, thou art made, if thou desir'st to be so; if not, let me see thee a steward still, the fellow of servants, and not worthy to touch Fortune's fingers. Farewell. She that alter services with thee, The Fortunate Unhappy"
(Shakespeare, Act 2, Scene 5, Lines 125-140)
While irony can be seen in Twelfth Night, many other types are used. In this play, Shakespeare is known for using almost every comedy type. He uses crude humor, represented in Maria, almost portrayed as a whore. He sometimes uses this humor invoking, sexuality and drunkenness. Another common humor technique used by Shakespeare was wit. In Twelfth Night he uses wit. Usually wit helps develop the character and help you get a sense for what part they act in the play. Wit is used as comic relief by Maria here:
"Maria: Now, sir, thought is free. I pray you, bring your hand to the buttery-bar and let it drink.
Sir Andrew: Wherefore, sweetheart? What's your metaphor?
Maria: It's dry, sir.
Sir Andrew: Why, I think so. I am not such an ass, but I can keep my hand dry. But what's your jest?
Maria: A dry jest, sir.
Sir Andrew: Are you full of them?
Maria: Ay, sir, I have them at my fingers' ends. Marry, now I let go your hand, I am barren."
(Shakespeare, Act 1, Scene 3, Lines 55-70)
These forms of comedy are very different then the ones used in Great Expectations and Gulliver's Travels. Through all these forms of comedy, however, Shakespeare infers that humans are quite selfish. It occasionally portrays the human race as idiots, but mostly shows us as witty, conniving things out for the good of ourselves only. All Viola cares about is protecting herself as a male and not being discovered, while Antonio is worried about his money, Orsino his personal happiness, and Olivia her grief. None of them have concern for others. While Antonio does lend his money to Sebastian, he quickly wants it back. Although Viola reveals herself in the end, only under safety, Orsino simply changes his taste, and Olivia decides not to be sad. Certainly, Twelfth Night is a great comedy that truly reveals some of the selfish sides of human nature.
Lemuel Gulliver is doctor, traveling around the seas in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. He goes many places, like Lilliput, where small people enslave him. After breaking free, he adventures again and lands in Brobdingnag, after a shipwreck. Here, he is used by giants as a circus money-maker' by the farmer who finds him. The farmer then sells him to the court. He is continued to be looked after by the farmer's daughter. After accidentally being carried off by a seagull, he eventually ends up in Laputa, a land filled with academics and theoreticians. After leaving he is mutinied by a ship he was captain of, he lands in a place ruled by horses, who were conscious like humans, they were called Houyhnhnms. In Gulliver's Travels irony is used as a source of comedy. In Gulliver's first adventure, h plans to bring back tiny Lilliputian animals and make money off of them. "The short time I continued in England, I made a considerable profit by showing my cattle to many persons of quality, and others: And before I began my second voyage, I sold them for six hundred pounds." (Swift, 59) Ironically, this is exactly what happens to him in the land of the giants,
"My master alighted at an Inn which he used to frequent; and after consulting a while with the Inn-keeper, and making some necessary preparations, he hired the cryer, to give notice through the town, of a strange creature (Gulliver) to be seen at the sign of the Green Eagle, in every part of the body resembling an human creature; could speak several words, and perform an hundred diverting tricks." (Swift, 76).
Truly, irony is a large part of Gulliver's Travels. Shakespeare's influence can be seen in Gulliver's Travels. In Twelfth Night Shakespeare, gave Olivia, a woman, the largest influence on everyone in the play, she had the real power. Similarly, Gulliver would have died if the farmer's daughter, Glumdalclitch, hadn't cared for him and saved him form her father's plan to work Gulliver to death. Here, the woman in the book had the power over life, and death, just as Olivia had power over the characters in Twelfth Night. Also, Gulliver's adventure is always initiated by a sea voyage, just as Twelfth Night's adventure began when the twins' boat crashed. Jonathan Swift while being influenced by Shakespeare was trying to influence society himself. Gulliver's Travels is a satire. Allan Gedalof, explains how Gulliver views himself as a great man. Hw looks at European society and sees it as all-powerful, a wonderful civilization. What Jonathan Swift has to say about human nature is that humans, Europe especially is not all knowing and best in everything. As a matter of fact, Swift mocks humans' power over animals in his last adventure to the Houyhnhnms, here he shows that even that power isn't ours. Cleary, forms of comedy and satire are seen in Gulliver's Travels.
In Great Expectations, Pip is a young boy aspiring to be in a higher class, he eventually gets there, but only unknowingly through the help of a convict, surprisingly. Estella, is a girl he loves in a higher class, who is raised to be awful to men and then breaks Pip's heart. Pip goes on a journey truly showing human arrogance as he turns from a young, innocent child to an arrogant young man forgetting his past friends. Dickens obviously emphasizes human arrogance and tendency to think themselves above others for bad reasons in this novel. It being the only kind of humor used in this book, irony is common. For example, Mrs. Joe, is the head of the household, she controls everything, (yet again referring to influence from Shakespeare about women being in control) yet, she is still referred to as Mrs. Joe, "I knew Mrs. Joe's housekeeping to be of the strictest kind, and that my larcenous researches might find nothing available in the safe." Miss Havisham still provides more irony. She is very bitter and hateful about the event that happened on her wedding day, yet she constantly forces herself to be reminded of it, "There was a clock in the outer wall of this house. Like the clock in Miss Havisham's room, and like Miss Havisham's watch, it has stopped at twenty minutes to nine." (Dickens, 83). With Miss Havisham, Dickens takes the opportunity to point out how humans tend to dwell in the past and how doing that prevents future. This is also seen in Twelfth Night with Orsino dwelling on Olivia. Another idea Great Expectations has in common with Twelfth Night is the general plot. The book's general theme can be seen as influence from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, when Malvolio was invoked by Maria's letter, he expected Olivia to be interested in him.
"Olivia: God comfort thee! Why doust thou smile so, and kiss they hand so off?
Maria: How do you, Malvolio?
Malvolio: At your request! Yes, nightingales answer daws!
Maria: Why appear you with this ridiculousness before my lady?
Malvolio: Be not afraid of greatness.' Twas well writ.
Olivia: what meanest thou by that, Malvolio?"
(Shakespeare, Act 3, Scene 4, Lines 25 and 30)
Clearly, Great Expectations uses irony and has traits influenced by Shakespeare.
Shakespeare's Twelfth Night offers comedy in every scene. It has obviously influenced some of today's literature and common comedic aspects can by seen in all three works. Each novel clearly has human insight to offer, all true is certain circumstances. Certainly, Great Expectations and Gulliver's Travels has been influenced by Shakespeare's writing.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
The theory of Carnivalesque was presented by a Russia critic Mikhail Bakhtin, his theory proposed that the nature of Carnivalesque liberates the assumptions of the higher class through humour and chaos, in other words the nature of Carnivalesque mocks the behaviour of those higher in authority and presents them as an everyday fool whereas in reality they are regarded as far more intelligent than others and they rarely possess a foolish thought, as they depict a jester to be foolish, but in fact his intelligence is shown in the play ‘Twelfth Night’…
- 1312 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
Dramatic irony is a literary technique that occurs when an event happens in the story that the audience understands, but the story’s characters cannot grasp. William Shakespeare uses this device throughout a numerous amount of his plays, whether it be a comedy or tragedy. This particular element, in Shakespearian tragedies, is used in order to add a tragic element of not knowing to the story. It is also used to engage the audience and to help reveal the tragic flaw that evidently leads to the hero's downfall. In Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, dramatic irony is a key piece to the stories unveiling of the major plot. It occurs many times throughout the play and all have an essential purpose.…
- 565 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In the first scene of Act 1 we are introduced to Orsino. This whole scene is dedicated towards advocating his love for Olivia, a countess. It seems that Duke Orsino’s lust for Olivia is more ideal than actual. It is depicted as a self-indulgent emotion; he is more engulfed by the image and concept of love as opposed to its actual entailments. This is supported by the fact he talks about love for a long time without even mentioning Olivia’s name, reflecting the fake obsession. Orsino is also depicted as a fake courtly lover (aristocratic love) as he believes it imperative he sends a servant to declare his love for Olivia. Real love is impetuous as actions are taken without thought of consequence or judgement. The fact alone that Orsino sending a servant to declare his love emanates the truth that he is in love with the idea of love - as opposed to actually being in love with Olivia. Duke Orsino uses hyperbolic speech: ‘if music be the food of love play on, give me excess of it, that surfeiting, the appetite may sicken and so die’. Here Duke Orsino is expressing his moody, romantic temperament amongst his static lovesick atmosphere. He is saying that if music fuels love he wants to be drowned in it to end his hopeless obsession of love as it sickens him. This quote implies love is starving him of all other emotion and that it is making everything else inconsequential; he cannot function whilst its presence is not declared. However if he was honestly in love with Olivia he would make the effort to declare this himself, despite tradition of sending a servant. Orsino is clearly detached from the meaning of love as he sees it more as a promotion in status hierarchy. This obsession with love moves on to introduce one of the key themes in the play – madness.…
- 1255 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
Shakespeare is an author that is known to pair comedy and tragedy together as foils. Susan Snyder, a scholar author has stated, “The source tales of Romeo and Othello would, I think, suggest quite readily to Shakespeare the possibility of using comic convention as a springboard for tragedy” (Snyder 123). In most of Shakespeare’s works, he uses elements of comedy to lead into a tragic event that will soon happened. Shakespeare also enjoys using tragedy to contrast the comedic elements in his writing. A large reason for the comedy contrasted to the tragedy is done in order to keep an audience entertained. According to Leech, “Shakespeare was bound to draw on his earlier treatments of love in comedy, but would need to make a major departure too” (Leech 1). In Romeo and Juliet, comedy and tragedy are used as foils of each other, which is shown through Mercutio’s…
- 1493 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
If there is one literal device to explain the play by Shakespeare Twelfth Night, or What You Will, it is dramatic irony. Not only does Twelfth Night have dramatic irony repeated in almost every act, but even the ending is one dramatic irony – but instead of the irony directed towards a character, it’s directed to the audience of the play. Furthermore, dramatic irony is used effectively, because of not only adding comedic relief but also to elaborate the story line.…
- 441 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Trevor Nunn's adaptation of "Twelfth Night" is a masterpiece of insight and nuance. Instead of simply playing this gender-bending comedy of mistaken identity, the director highlights the dark undertones of the plot which show surprising depth. There are some alterations from the original text, but those who are less familiar with Shakespeare among the audience can appreciate the story being more easy to follow. For example, when Duke Orsino utters the famous opening line of the play, "If music be the food of love, play on," ten minutes have already elapsed. But what takes place in those ten minutes sets up the plot and brings the characters to life.…
- 1877 Words
- 6 Pages
Powerful Essays -
‘Comedy relies on familiar sources of misunderstanding’. To what extent are mistaken identities and misunderstanding central to the comedy of ‘Twelfth Night’?…
- 1829 Words
- 8 Pages
Good Essays -
Shakespeare uses a variety of literary techniques to propagate interesting and complicated characters, themes, and plot lines in Hamlet. One of the most prominent and carefully crafted instances of this is his focus on irony. He uses irony as a driving force for the developing relationships between characters and each audience member’s individual understanding of who the characters are. Sarcasm, situational irony, and dramatic irony found in Hamlet add interest and complexity to the play and develop many varied opinions of Hamlet as a character. Shakespeare uses irony and sarcasm to paint many pictures of Hamlet, ultimately leading to several understandings of Hamlet’s nature and morality.…
- 1859 Words
- 8 Pages
Powerful Essays -
The idea of deception resonates from the definition of deceiving; to mislead by a false appearance or statement. Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night tells the story of a shipwreck survivor Viola, who disguises herself as her brother for a job on the Duke’s estate. Similarly, Some Like it Hot tells the story of two musicians Larry and Joe, who dress as women to join an all women’s jazz band, in order to escape their neighborhood mob. The theme of deception through appearance can apply to Some Like it Hot, which is a natural descendant of Twelfth Night.…
- 598 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
largely about, the need for a balance in life, that you should not judge on…
- 2039 Words
- 9 Pages
Better Essays -
Universal values are attached to Shakespeare’s comedies that make them classics in the literature world. Although these types of plays go on to entertain audiences, these plays are not comedies in the modern sense of the word. In fact, comedy long ago is very different that our modern comedy. There are certain feature of the Shakespearean comedy that makes it distinctive than Shakespeare’s tragedies and histories.…
- 533 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
“Infirmity that decays the wise doth ever make a better fool” – though uttered by one of his own characters Shakespeare does not seem to conform to this ideal. The fools carved by Shakespeare in his plays showed no resemblance to the mentally and physically challenged people who were treated as pets and used for amusement during the medieval period. Rather Shakespeare’s fools appear to be in the best of their wits when they are in possession of the wisest minds. Fools whether in their rustic vigour displaying grotesque humour or in the forms of the sophisticated court jesters with their polished puns occupied a substantial position in his plays. Not only they added the element of humour but often alluded a deeper context under their apparent comic facade. Shakespeare’s plays embodied a varied range of comic characters whose treatment obviously differs in those produced by the mature playwright to those depicted in his earlier works. In which we find certain nonsensical clowns appearing just to create ludicrous entertainment. In ‘Love’s Labour Lost’ we find three such characters Costard, Dull and Adrian de Armado who are of very little importance to the plot but as we move on to the ‘Mid Summer Night’s Dream’, Bottom the daft artisan though intended to project humour for his supreme vanity, we see this same attribute of his being exploited by Oberon the king of the fairies to teach his queen a lesson. In this way we notice in Shakespeare’s comic characters a gradual pattern of upgradation from those included just for the sake of insipid humour to the ones actually taking part in the plot. As Shakespeare proceeds to incorporate his oeuvres with further comic elements he chooses humorists over clowns. His comic characters reveal more contemplative and methodical homour which actually camouflages underneath the unsavoury truths. These personas were not only part of his comedies but also his tragedies. In ‘Hamlet’ the two Grave-diggers…
- 1856 Words
- 8 Pages
Better Essays -
In this essay I will be reviewing two versions of the famous play 'Twelfth Night' and comparing the differences and similarities of them. Originally, it was written by William Shakespeare in around 1601-2 but a more recent version of this play was turned into a movie, directed and written by Trevor Nunn these are the two versions that will be reviewed.…
- 425 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Geoffrey Chaucer uses irony as a way to convey his ideas in a more effective manner. Two stories from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales that demonstrate this use of irony are "The Pardoners Tale" and "The Nun's Priest's Tale." Although these two stories are very different, they both use irony to teach a similar lesson.…
- 856 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Twelfth Night is a comedy written by William Shakespeare in the early 1600’s. This comedy was written for the entertainment of the close of the Christmas season. Twelfth Night includes musical interludes as well as extreme disorder through out the entire play. Many plot elements from Twelfth Night have been taken from the short story of Of Apollonius and Silla by Barnabe Rich. The first live performance of this Shakespeare comedy took place on February 2, 1602 at Candlemas, however, this play was not published until 1623.…
- 670 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays