Romantic Comedy in A Midsummer Night's Dream

One of the most popular film genres of today’s movies was also popular in the time of William Shakespeare. The romantic comedy is an all-time favorite of modern movie watchers seeking light hearted entertainment. Literary Terms and Definitions defines a romantic comedy as being a “sympathetic comedy that presents the adventures of young lovers trying to overcome social, psychological, or interpersonal constraints to achieve a successful union.” Wikipedia also defines the romantic comedy and says that they have “light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles.” Writers use the romantic comedy style or genre to deliver a message while entertaining the audience with humor but also a love a story. Shakespeare didn’t refer to a play of this type as a romantic comedy but instead called it a love comedy. Shakespeare’s love comedy plays were in fact the original “rom-coms.” Love comedies were plays that ended happily, usually in a marriage. Shakespeare writes in the format of a romantic comedy in his play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” to better communicate his themes of love while entertaining his audience.

            Shakespeare uses all the elements of a romantic comedy throughout his play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” including humor, a theme of love, and a happy ending. The theme of this play was delivered by the struggles that the main characters encountered. In the opening act, it is obvious that the main characters are facing obstacles in their love lives. Lysander said, “The course of true love never did run smooth,” (1.1.136). This quote completely sums up the motifs and struggles that the main characters saw. Serious parts like this were dissolved by comic relief inserted to break tension brought on by the hardships of love. As the main characters were struggling with their love lives, Shakespeare would have Bottom and his friends lift the mood with their mix up of words. One of the funniest parts of the play was the play within a play that that craftsmen performed. In the final act Bottom says, “No, in truth, sir, he should not. “Deceiving me” is Thisbe’s cue. She is to enter now and I am to spy her through the wall,” (5.1.196-198). Bottom was speaking directly to the audience, out of character from the play; something so absurd that it was funny. This and other events and lines throughout the play upheld the humorous aspect of Shakespeare’s play. Like any good romantic comedy, the play ended happily with a wedding. Theseus says, “For in the temple by and by with us/These couples shall eternally be knit,” (4.1. 187-188). The problems that the lovers faced were resolved in the end as the Duke invited them to join him in his wedding. The love themes and motifs of love being blind and irrational, along with the humor, were topped off with a happy ending making “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” a true romantic comedy.

            In modern media, such as movies and novels, romantic comedies are a common source of entertainment just as they were in Shakespeare’s day. One modern romantic comedy is the movie 27 Dresses. In this film, when the two main characters first met  they did not like each other, but despite their initial impression, they fell in love. The movie concludes with the unlikely couple getting married, just as “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” does. The overall theme of this movie is that love knows no boundaries, and this is portrayed not only by the pains that the main characters see in their situation, but also by the humor in the story, and the “happily ever after” ending. Some romantic comedies are novels that take on a different twist from the original love comedies that Shakespeare wrote. These stories are still humorous and focused on love, but rather than ending in a marriage they conclude happily but open-ended. Most books by the teen author Sarah Dessen are this type of romantic comedy. Rather than ending in the traditional marriage, Dessen concludes her novels with the main characters finally overcoming their ordeals and finding love. The movie Sweet Home Alabama uses the romantic comedy approach to get across the theme that it’s never too late for love. In the end, a couple that drifted apart reunites and the two lovers get married in the end. The list of romantic comedies goes on and on, all of them having a few things in common: humor, love, ordeals, and a happy ending.  Modern romantic comedies sometimes take on a different form, but writers and producers use this genre for the same reasons that Shakespeare did.

            William Shakespeare wrote many plays including one of his most famous, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” in the format of a romantic comedy to effectively deliver the motifs and themes of his play. In modern television, writing, and cinema, romantic comedies are a societal favorite, just as they were in the Elizabethan Era. Shakespeare used the romantic comedy to communicate themes and morals in a way that wasn’t heavy and emotionally investing to the public. This format that includes romance combined with humor and a happy ending results in  happy lighthearted entertainment. The same goes for modern movies, novels, and other entertainment sources. Many people enjoy romantic comedies, but not everyone knows that they were used in the same way and for the same reasons by none other than William Shakespeare.

Works Cited

"Literary Terms and Definitions R." Literary Terms and Definitions R. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. <http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/lit_terms_R.html>.

"Romantic Comedy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Jan. 2013. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romantic_comedy>.