The Original Women of Comedy
Before there was Lorelei Gilmore of The Gilmore Girls , Emily from The Bob Newhart Show , or even Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show there was the willful wonderful women in William Shakespeare’s comedies. They are the original women of comedy. None of these women were doormats; rather they made their presence known with intelligence, thus holding a prominent part in their male dominated world. Women create tension. They are adversaries to the male characters. They add romance to the story. They help heighten the stakes of the story. They also add humor to the storylines. In this paper I will be comparing and contrasting the personalities and roles of female characters in Shakespeare’s comedic plays. I will also be explaining how those female characters have been adapted into film versions. These are the following stories I will be focusing on: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night , and Much Ado About Nothing . I am a fan of Shakespeare’s comedies. I do enjoy his traged...