In this play the Harlequin was Petruchio’s servant, Grumio. He did just what any Harlequin was supposed to do. He provided comic relief in the play with his silly antics and kept the play not only funny, but a bit more interesting. In an historical context, these servants were not only kept as a kind of slave, but to entertain the people that they work for. It is no wonder how similar it was for King’s to have jesters. They were there to serve and entertain, and the same goes for these wacky characters. This is no wonder the better performance troupes performed in actual theaters in front of the royal courts, they probably found it funny and very relatable.22
This play very much embodied the art of Commedia dell’Arte with its most notable …show more content…
It has a very intriguing plot with a twist. In this play, there are two innamarta lead characters, Beatrice and Hero, who happen to be cousins. Hero is the daughter of the pantalone Leonato, who also happens to be Beatrice’s uncle. When Leonato invites his old friends Don Pedro, Claudio and Benedick from the war to stay with him for a while, things get interesting. When the male love interest, Claudio, comes into town and falls in love with Hero, they immediately plan to be wed but wait a week until the actual wedding. To pass time, Hero and Claudio are on a mission to put Beatrice and Claudio’s friend and fellow soldier Benedick together. The two have always been at odds, in a comical and witty way, but deep down, they love and care for each other deeply. So the two lovebirds Hero and Claudio plant love notes on both Beatrice and Benedick that the two wrote for each other even though it was Hero and Claudio all along. Unfortunately, the plan is put on hold when the other guest, the Brighella character Don John, brother to Don Pedro, tries to split Hero and Claudio up. And it works because Claudio believes that Hero was sexually involved with Don John although that is false because it was really Hero’s Columbina who he saw outside of the window with another man, unintentionally helping Don
This play very much embodied the art of Commedia dell’Arte with its most notable …show more content…
It has a very intriguing plot with a twist. In this play, there are two innamarta lead characters, Beatrice and Hero, who happen to be cousins. Hero is the daughter of the pantalone Leonato, who also happens to be Beatrice’s uncle. When Leonato invites his old friends Don Pedro, Claudio and Benedick from the war to stay with him for a while, things get interesting. When the male love interest, Claudio, comes into town and falls in love with Hero, they immediately plan to be wed but wait a week until the actual wedding. To pass time, Hero and Claudio are on a mission to put Beatrice and Claudio’s friend and fellow soldier Benedick together. The two have always been at odds, in a comical and witty way, but deep down, they love and care for each other deeply. So the two lovebirds Hero and Claudio plant love notes on both Beatrice and Benedick that the two wrote for each other even though it was Hero and Claudio all along. Unfortunately, the plan is put on hold when the other guest, the Brighella character Don John, brother to Don Pedro, tries to split Hero and Claudio up. And it works because Claudio believes that Hero was sexually involved with Don John although that is false because it was really Hero’s Columbina who he saw outside of the window with another man, unintentionally helping Don