The simplest answer to your question is that quick action, a fast pace, is a key component in a Comedy. It is the potential mix-ups, mistaken identities, and fast, witty banter that make a Comedy funny. Shakespeare makes this even more possible in Act II, by having it be one long scene without break.
Act Two seals the engagements of both Kate (to Petruchio) and Bianca (to Lucentio...though it is Tranio pretending to be Lucentio who "wins" her hand. Meanwhile, Bianca has fallen in love with the right Lucentio, disguised as Cambio.) And these events happen quickly because, as the audience, we aren't meant to sit and ponder the logic of the events, just enjoy the speed and chaos that swirls about, complicating the action.
This makes the happy ending of the play and the marriages that ensue, all the more fun. When all the knots and comic entanglements have been unravelled, the audience is as relieved as the characters at the tranquil "happy" ending.
No comments:
Post a Comment