Introduction shakespearean comedies

Buffoonery in Shakespearean Comedy

Buffoonery is another feature of Shakespearean comedy. Every single comedy of Shakespeare has got a fool or a clown, who provides humour in the play. Fool is a special kind of character in a typical Shakespearean comedy, who has got the gift of gab. They are witty and they know how to reply a person during an argument. They speak in such a way that they are able to get the better of people. Shakespeare uses them to create fun, humour and laughter in his comedies. They are very much like jokers and jesters, who amuse people through their witty and funny remarks. One of the best purposes of using clowns in comedies is that they act as a messenger and mediator between various characters. We observe in The Merchant of Venice that the clown is used to exchange messages between the lovers, i.e., Lorenzo and Jessica. Thus, we have Feste in Twelfth Nigh, Launcelot in The Merchant of Venice and Touchstone in As You Like It.

All of Shakespearean comedies end on a happy note. It is pertinent to mention here that most of the Shakespearean comedies end in marriage. In the end main characters got married to their beloved. In Twelfth Night, you might have observed that Duke Orsino marries Viola and Olivia marries Sebastian. Similarly, The Merchant of Venice also ends on a happy note. Antonio is saved from giving one pound flesh of his body to Shylock. Thus, every Shakespearean comedy ends happily and the issues are resolved.