Shakespeare's Change From Tragedy to Dramatic Romance

Abstract

Scholars have long noted a difference in the type of play represented in the various periods of Shakespeare's career. Three types were commonly recognized as the chief on the Elizabethan stage: comedy, tragedy, and history. Later a somewhat distinctive type, called tragicomedy, became familiar. Shakespeare's first editors classified all his plays under the three forms above indicated; modern critics find it convenient to distinguish some as "tragicomedies," or (a term of more recent use) as "dramatic romances." So soon as one notes these distinctions of type, it becomes obvious that in his earliest period Shakespeare experimented with history, comedy, and tragedy, doing rather more work in the first -named form than in either of the others; that somewhat later he devoted himself increasingly to comedy; that somewhat later, again, to tragedy; and that his final period was one of new experimentation in the tragic-comic form. These facts have led to a common practice of dividing his plays, and their author's career, among four distinctive periods, roughly dated 1590-1594, 1594-1601,1601-1608, and 1608-1613. This arrangement of Shakespeare's playwriting activity has given rise to a discussion, now long-continued, as to whether the succession of his various kinds of drama was due mainly to changes in the popular demand, to the influence exerted by fellow-dramatists, or to some cause to be found in the poet's emotional or spiritual history. The discussion in question has centered chiefly around the provenance of the plays of Shakespeare's last period, that of the dramatic romances, from 1608-1613. Previously, from 1601 -1608, the dramatist's dominant artistic interest was undeniably tragic. During these years he was immersed in the problem of presenting dramatically the results of certain elements of weakness and vice in human character. After 1608, approximately, the tone changes. In the so -called dramatic romances we continue to see the suffering brought about by sin and weakness; but the colors used are less somber, and in the end the evil men turn from their ways and live. The dominant characters are men of good will, and the motto of the group is Prospero's saying: “The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance." Moreover, these dramatic romances do not generally demand the intense emotional and intellectual concentration which the tragedies require. They prefer an easier sort of theatrical excitement. They depend for their effect upon complicated situations, upon violent contrast of character, upon masques and other stage spectacles, and upon sheer surprise. Above all, the romances contain effective denouements. The ending is happy, although the passions displayed in the first part of these works are such as would normally lead to tragedy. It is the purpose of this thesis to collect the views of critics, chiefly of the present century, relative to the cause, or causes, of Shakespeare's changing from the writing of tragedies to dramatic romances in order to make clear the present state of scholarly opinion on this question. Accordingly, Chapter II will have to do with the critical conception that the final plays of Shakespeare are a reflexion of his own emotional development. Chapter III will deal with those critics who hold that Shakespeare in writing these last plays was responding to the changing demands of his audience. Chapter IV will list the opinions of those who maintain that the influence of Beaumont and Fletcher was responsible for Shakespeare's turning to dramatic romances. In Chapter V will be presented the views of those critics who minimize or deny entirely such influence of Beaumont and Fletcher, and who find the germ of the dramatic romances in previous plays of Shakespeare. Chapter VI will provide a recapitulation of critical opinion and put forward certain conclusions of the writer of the thesis.