TITLE/

INFLUENCES
SETTING CHARACTERS PLOT THEMES/SYMBOLS/
MOTIFS
ROMEO AND
JULIET
Romeo and Juliet
belongs to a tradition
of tragic romances
stretching back to
antiquity. Its plot is
based on an Italian
tale, translated into
verse as The
Tragical History of
Romeus and Juliet
by Arthur Brooke in
156, and retold in
prose in Palace of
Pleasure by !illiam
"ainter in 15#.
$hakespeare
borro%ed heavily
from both, but
developed
supporting
characters,
particularly &ercutio
and "aris, in order to
e'pand the plot.
(omeo and )uliet
borro%s from a
tradition of tragic
love stories dating
back to antiquity.
*ne of these is
"yramus and
+hisbe, from *vid,s
&etamorphoses,
SETTINGS (TIME)
(enaissance
-fourteenth or
fifteenth
century.
SETTINGS (PLACE)
/ 0erona and &antua
-cities in northern Italy.
Romeo 1 +he son and
heir of &ontague and
2ady &ontague. A young
man of about si'teen,
(omeo is handsome,
intelligent, and sensitive.
Juliet 1 A beautiful
thirteen1year1old girl and
the daughter of 3apulet
and 2ady 3apulet.
Fi! L!"e#$e 1 A
4ranciscan friar, friend to
both (omeo and )uliet.
5e is kind, civic1minded,
a proponent of
moderation, and al%ays
ready %ith a plan.
Me$utio 1 A kinsman to
the "rince, and (omeo6s
close friend.
T%e Nu&e 1 )uliet6s
nurse, the %oman %ho
breast1fed )uliet %hen
she %as a baby and has
cared for )uliet her entire
life.
T'(!lt 1 A 3apulet,
)uliet6s cousin on her
mother6s side. 5e is vain,
fashionable, and
supremely a%are of
courtesy and the lack of
it.
In the streets of 0erona another bra%l breaks
out bet%een the servants of the feuding noble
families of 3apulet and &ontague. Benvolio, a
&ontague, tries to stop the fighting, but is
embroiled %hen the rash 3apulet, +ybalt,
arrives on the scene. After citi7ens outraged by
the constant violence beat back the %arring
factions, "rince 8scalus, the ruler of 0erona,
attempts to prevent any further conflicts
bet%een the families by decreeing death for any
individual %ho disturbs the peace in the future.

(omeo, the son of &ontague, runs into his
cousin Benvolio, %ho had earlier seen (omeo
moping in a grove of sycamores. After some
prodding by Benvolio, (omeo confides that he is
in love %ith (osaline, a %oman %ho does not
return his affections. Benvolio counsels him to
forget this %oman and find another, more
beautiful one, but (omeo remains despondent.

&ean%hile, "aris, a kinsman of the "rince,
seeks )uliet6s hand in marriage. 5er father
3apulet, though happy at the match, asks "aris
to %ait t%o years, since )uliet is not yet even
fourteen. 3apulet dispatches a servant %ith a
list of people to invite to a masquerade and
feast he traditionally holds. 5e invites "aris to
the feast, hoping that "aris %ill begin to %in
)uliet6s heart.

(omeo and Benvolio, still discussing (osaline,
encounter the 3apulet servant bearing the list of
invitations. Benvolio suggests that they attend,
since that %ill allo% (omeo to compare his
beloved to other beautiful %omen of 0erona.
(omeo agrees to go %ith Benvolio to the feast,
but only because (osaline, %hose name he
T%eme&
T%e Fo$e)ul#e&& o) Lo*e
-+he play focuses
on romantic love,
specifically the
intense passion that
springs up at first
sight bet%een
(omeo and )uliet.
In (omeo and
)uliet, love is a
violent, ecstatic,
overpo%ering force
that supersedes all
other values,
loyalties, and
emotions..
Lo*e !& ! C!u&e o)
+iole#$e -2ove, in
Romeo and Juliet,
is a grand passion,
and as such it is
blinding9 it can
over%helm a
person as
po%erfully and
completely as hate
can..
T%e I#,i*i,u!l *e&u&
So$iet' -&uch of
Romeo and Juliet
involves the lovers6
struggles against
public and social
%hich contains
parallels to
$hakespeare,s story:
the lovers, parents
despise each other,
and "yramus falsely
believes his lover
+hisbe is dead.+he
8phesiaca of
;enophon of
8phesus, %ritten in
the <rd century, also
contains several
similarities to the
play, including the
separation of the
lovers, and a potion
%hich induces a
deathlike sleep.
C!-ulet 1 +he patriarch
of the 3apulet family,
father of )uliet, husband
of 2ady 3apulet, and
enemy, for une'plained
reasons, of &ontague.
L!,' C!-ulet 1 )uliet6s
mother, 3apulet6s %ife.
Mo#t!.ue 1 (omeo6s
father, the patriarch of the
&ontague clan and bitter
enemy of 3apulet.
L!,'
Mo#t!.ue 1 (omeo6s
mother, &ontague6s %ife.
P!i& 1 A kinsman of the
"rince, and the suitor of
)uliet most preferred by
3apulet.
Be#*olio 1 &ontague6s
nephe%, (omeo6s cousin
and thoughtful friend.
Pi#$e E&$!lu& 1 +he
"rince of 0erona. A
kinsman of &ercutio and
"aris.
Fi! Jo%# 1 A
4ranciscan friar charged
by 4riar 2a%rence %ith
taking the ne%s of )uliet6s
false death to (omeo in
&antua.
B!lt%!&! 1 (omeo6s
dedicated servant, %ho
reads on the list, %ill be there.

In 3apulet6s household, young )uliet talks %ith
her mother, 2ady 3apulet, and her nurse about
the possibility of marrying "aris. )uliet has not
yet considered marriage, but agrees to look at
"aris during the feast to see if she thinks she
could fall in love %ith him.

+he feast begins. A melancholy (omeo follo%s
Benvolio and their %itty friend &ercutio to
3apulet6s house. *nce inside, (omeo sees
)uliet from a distance and instantly falls in love
%ith her9 he forgets about (osaline completely.
As (omeo %atches )uliet, entranced, a young
3apulet, +ybalt, recogni7es him, and is enraged
that a &ontague %ould sneak into a 3apulet
feast. 5e prepares to attack, but 3apulet holds
him back. $oon, (omeo speaks to )uliet, and
the t%o e'perience a profound attraction. +hey
kiss, not even kno%ing each other6s names.
!hen he finds out from )uliet6s nurse that she is
the daughter of 3apulet=his family6s enemy=
he becomes distraught. !hen )uliet learns that
the young man she has >ust kissed is the son of
&ontague, she gro%s equally upset.

As &ercutio and Benvolio leave the 3apulet
estate, (omeo leaps over the orchard %all into
the garden, unable to leave )uliet behind. 4rom
his hiding place, he sees )uliet in a %indo%
above the orchard and hears her speak his
name. 5e calls out to her, and they e'change
vo%s of love.

(omeo hurries to see his friend and confessor
4riar 2a%rence, %ho, though shocked at the
sudden turn of (omeo6s heart, agrees to marry
the young lovers in secret since he sees in their
love the possibility of ending the age1old feud
bet%een 3apulet and &ontague. +he follo%ing
day, (omeo and )uliet meet at 4riar 2a%rence6s
cell and are married. +he ?urse, %ho is privy to
institutions that
either e'plicitly or
implicitly oppose
the e'istence of
their love. $uch
structures range
from the concrete to
the abstract:
families and the
placement of
familial po%er in the
father9 la% and the
desire for public
order9 religion9 and
the social
importance placed
on masculine
honor..
T%e I#e*it!(ilit' o) F!te
-+he mechanism of
fate %orks in all of
the events
surrounding the
lovers: the feud
bet%een their
families9 the horrible
series of accidents
that ruin 4riar
2a%rence6s
seemingly %ell1
intentioned plans at
the end of the play9
and the tragic
timing of (omeo6s
suicide and )uliet6s
a%akening. +hese
events are not mere
coincidences, but
rather
manifestations of
brings (omeo the ne%s
of )uliet6s death, una%are
that her death is a ruse.
S!m-&o# /
Ge.o' 1 +%o servants
of the house of 3apulet,
%ho, like their master,
hate the &ontagues.
A(!m 1 &ontague6s
servant, %ho fights %ith
$ampson and @regory in
the first scene of the play.
T%e A-ot%e$!' 1 An
apothecary in &antua.
Pete 1 A 3apulet servant
%ho invites guests to
3apulet6s feast and
escorts the ?urse to meet
%ith (omeo.
Ro&!li#e 1 +he %oman
%ith %hom (omeo is
infatuated at the
beginning of the play.
the secret, procures a ladder, %hich (omeo %ill
use to climb into )uliet6s %indo% for their
%edding night.

+he ne't day, Benvolio and &ercutio encounter
+ybalt=)uliet6s cousin=%ho, still enraged that
(omeo attended 3apulet6s feast, has
challenged (omeo to a duel. (omeo appears.
?o% +ybalt6s kinsman by marriage, (omeo
begs the 3apulet to hold off the duel until he
understands %hy (omeo does not %ant to fight.
Aisgusted %ith this plea for peace, &ercutio
says that he %ill fight +ybalt himself. +he t%o
begin to duel. (omeo tries to stop them by
leaping bet%een the combatants. +ybalt stabs
&ercutio under (omeo6s arm, and &ercutio
dies. (omeo, in a rage, kills +ybalt. (omeo flees
from the scene. $oon after, the "rince declares
him forever banished from 0erona for his crime.
4riar 2a%rence arranges for (omeo to spend
his %edding night %ith )uliet before he has to
leave for &antua the follo%ing morning.

In her room, )uliet a%aits the arrival of her ne%
husband. +he ?urse enters, and, after some
confusion, tells )uliet that (omeo has killed
+ybalt. Aistraught, )uliet suddenly finds herself
married to a man %ho has killed her kinsman.
But she resettles herself, and reali7es that her
duty belongs %ith her love: to (omeo.

(omeo sneaks into )uliet6s room that night, and
at last they consummate their marriage and their
love. &orning comes, and the lovers bid
fare%ell, unsure %hen they %ill see each other
again. )uliet learns that her father, affected by
the recent events, no% intends for her to marry
"aris in >ust three days. Bnsure of ho% to
proceed=unable to reveal to her parents that
she is married to (omeo, but un%illing to marry
"aris no% that she is (omeo6s %ife=)uliet asks
her ?urse for advice. $he counsels )uliet to
proceed as if (omeo %ere dead and to marry
fate that help bring
about the
unavoidable
outcome of the
young lovers6
deaths..
Moti)&
2ightCAark Imagery
*pposite "oints of 0ie%

S'm(ol&
Poi&o# -"oison is not
intrinsically evil, but
is instead a natural
substance made
lethal by human
hands..
T%um(0(iti#. -+he thumb1
biting, as an
essentially
meaningless
gesture, represents
the foolishness of
the entire
3apuletC&ontague
feud and the
stupidity of violence
in general..
1uee# M!(


"aris, %ho is a better match any%ay. Aisgusted
%ith the ?urse6s disloyalty, )uliet disregards her
advice and hurries to 4riar 2a%rence. 5e
concocts a plan to reunite )uliet %ith (omeo in
&antua. +he night before her %edding to "aris,
)uliet must drink a potion that %ill make her
appear to be dead. After she is laid to rest in the
family6s crypt, the 4riar and (omeo %ill secretly
retrieve her, and she %ill be free to live %ith
(omeo, a%ay from their parents6 feuding.

)uliet returns home to discover the %edding has
been moved ahead one day, and she is to be
married tomorro%. +hat night, )uliet drinks the
potion, and the ?urse discovers her, apparently
dead, the ne't morning. +he 3apulets grieve,
and )uliet is entombed according to plan. But
4riar 2a%rence6s message e'plaining the plan to
(omeo never reaches &antua. Its bearer, 4riar
)ohn, gets confined to a quarantined house.
(omeo hears only that )uliet is dead.

(omeo learns only of )uliet6s death and decides
to kill himself rather than live %ithout her. 5e
buys a vial of poison from a reluctant
Apothecary, then speeds back to 0erona to take
his o%n life at )uliet6s tomb. *utside the 3apulet
crypt, (omeo comes upon "aris, %ho is
scattering flo%ers on )uliet6s grave. +hey fight,
and (omeo kills "aris. 5e enters the tomb, sees
)uliet6s inanimate body, drinks the poison, and
dies by her side. )ust then, 4riar 2a%rence
enters and reali7es that (omeo has killed "aris
and himself. At the same time, )uliet a%akes.
4riar 2a%rence hears the coming of the %atch.
!hen )uliet refuses to leave %ith him, he flees
alone. )uliet sees her beloved (omeo and
reali7es he has killed himself %ith poison. $he
kisses his poisoned lips, and %hen that does not
kill her, buries his dagger in her chest, falling
dead upon his body.

+he %atch arrives, follo%ed closely by the
"rince, the 3apulets, and &ontague. &ontague
declares that 2ady &ontague has died of grief
over (omeo6s e'ile. $eeing their children6s
bodies, 3apulet and &ontague agree to end
their long1standing feud and to raise gold
statues of their children side1by1side in a ne%ly
peaceful 0erona.
TROILUS AND
CRESSIDA
$hakespeare dre%
on a number of
sources for this
plotline, in particular
3haucer,s version of
the tale, +roilus and
3riseyde, but also
)ohn 2ydgate,s +roy
Book and 3a'ton,s
translation of the
(ecuyell of the
5istoryes of +roye.
+he story of the
persuasion of
Achilles into battle is
dra%n from 5omer,s
Iliad -perhaps in the
translation by
@eorge 3hapman.,
and from various
medieval and
(enaissance
retellings.
+he story %as a
popular one for
dramatists in the
early 16DDs and
$hakespeare may
It is set in the city of
+roy and surrounding
plains in north%estern
Anatolia, a region in the
Asia &inor that is part
of modern1day +urkey.
+he action takes place
in +roy and the @reek
camp outside the %alls
of +roy. Anatolia is %est
of @reece -across the
Aegean $ea. and north
of 8gypt -across the
&editerranean $ea..
+he time is about <,DD
years ago in recorded
history,s infancy.
Toilu& 1 A prince of
+roy. +he younger
brother of 5ector and
"aris, he is a valiant
%arrior and an honorable
man.
Ce&&i,! 1 A beautiful
young +ro>an %oman.
+he daughter of 3alchas,
a +ro>an priest %ho
defected to the @reek
camp, she becomes
+roilus,s lover.
He$to 1 A prince of
+roy. +he greatest %arrior
on the +ro>an side11and
matched in might only by
Achilles himself11he is a
hero to his entire city and
is respected even by his
enemies.
Ul'&&e& 1 *ne of the
@reek commanders. A
highly intelligent, even
philosophical man, he is
reno%ned for his cunning.
P!#,!u& 1 3ressida,s
uncle. 5e serves as a go1
bet%een for +roilus and
3ressida, acting as a kind
In the seventh year of the +ro>an !ar, a +ro>an
prince named +roilus falls in love %ith 3ressida,
the daughter of a +ro>an priest %ho has
defected to the @reek side. +roilus is assisted in
his pursuit of her by "andarus, 3ressida,s uncle.
&ean%hile, in the @reek camp, the @reek
general, Agamemnon, %onders %hy his
commanders seem so do%ncast and
pessimistic. +he %ise and crafty Blysses informs
him that the army,s troubles spring from a lack
of respect for authority, brought about by the
behavior of Achilles, the greatest @reek %arrior,
%ho refuses to fight and instead spends his time
sitting in his tent %ith his comrade -and lover.
"atroclus, mocking his superiors. $hortly
thereafter, a challenge to single combat arrives
from "rince 5ector, the greatest +ro>an %arrior,
and Blysses decides to have A>a', a headstrong
fool, fight 5ector instead of Achilles, in the
hopes that this snub %ill %ound Achilles,s pride
and bring him back into the %ar.
In +roy, the sons of Eing "riam debate %hether
it is %orth%hile to continue the %ar11or %hether
they should return 5elen to the @reeks and end
the struggle. 5ector argues for peace, but he is
%on over by the impassioned +roilus, %ho
%ants to continue the struggle. In the @reek
camp, +hersites, A>a',s foul1mouthed slave,
abuses everyone %ho crosses his path. 5is
master, mean%hile, has been honored by the
commanders over the sulking Achilles, and is to
fight 5ector the ne't day.

T%eme&
I.#o!#$e (ee,&
me,io$it'2 +he central
characters in the play do not
understand themselves and
do not learn from their
mistakes. 3onsequently, they
do not gro% or change
radically9 they remain small
and mediocre.
Lo*e i& (li#,2 +roilus falls in
love %ith 3ressida %ithout
due heed to her faults.
F!me !#, .lo' !e )!l&e
.o,&2 +he @reeks and
+ro>ans kill for glory, bragging
rights, and eternal fameFfalse
gods that entice them onto
the path of self1destruction.
It i& )oll' to )i.%t ! "! )o !
ti*i!l e!&o#2 +he @reeks
and +ro>ans %ent to %ar after
"aris took 5elen from Eing
&enelaus, bruising @reek
pride and honor. After seven
years of %ar, the combatants
stubbornly continue to fight.
A--e!!#$e& !e ,e$ei*i#..
have been inspired
by contemporary
plays. +homas
5ey%ood,s t%o1part
play +he Iron Age
also depicts the
+ro>an %ar and the
story of +roilus and
3ressida, but it is not
certain %hether his
or $hakespeare,s
play %as %ritten first.
In addition, +homas
Aekker and 5enry
3hettle %rote a play
called +roilus and
3ressida at around
the same time as
$hakespeare, but
this play survives
only as a
fragmentary plot
outline.
of cheerful, ba%dy pimp
for his niece.

T%e&ite& 1 A deformed
slave serving A>a' %ho
has a vicious, abusive
tongue.

A$%ille& 1 +he greatest
of the @reek %arriors, he
is also an arrogant,
vicious thug, %ho refuses
to fight in the %ar
%henever his pride is
in>ured.

A3!4 1 A @reek %arrior,
he is as proud as
Achilles, but less
intelligent and less skilled
in battle.

A.!mem#o# 1 +he
@reek general, and the
elder brother of
&enelaus.

Diome,e& 1 A @reek
commander %ho seduces
3ressida.

P!i& 1 A prince of +roy.
5is theft of &enelaus,s
%ife, 5elen, precipitated
the +ro>an !ar.

Me#el!u& 1 A @reek
commander,
Agamemnon,s brother,
and the abandoned
husband of 5elen.

Hele# 1 &enelaus,s %ife.
+hat night, "andarus brings +roilus and
3ressida together, and after they pledge to be
forever true to one another, he leads them to a
bedchamber to consummate their love.
&ean%hile, 3ressida,s father, the treacherous
+ro>an priest 3alchas, asks the @reek
commanders to e'change a +ro>an prisoner for
his daughter, so that he may be reunited %ith
her. +he commanders agree, and the ne't
morning11to +roilus and 3ressida,s dismay11the
trade is made, and a @reek lord named
Aiomedes leads 3ressida a%ay from +roy. +hat
afternoon, A>a' and 5ector fight to a dra%, and
after 5ector and Achilles e'change insults,
5ector and +roilus feast %ith the @reeks under
a flag of truce. As the camp goes to bed,
Blysses leads +roilus to the tent of 3alchas,
%here the +ro>an prince %atches from hiding as
3ressida agrees to become Aiomedes,s lover.

+he ne't day, in spite of unhappy premonitions
from his %ife, sister, and his father, 5ector takes
the field, and a furious and heartbroken +roilus
accompanies him. +he +ro>ans drive the @reeks
back, but "atroclus is killed, %hich brings a
vengeful Achilles back into the %ar, finally.
Achilles is unable to defeat 5ector in single
combat, but he later catches him unarmed and,
together %ith a gang of @reek %arriors,
slaughters him. Achilles then drags 5ector,s
body around the %alls of +roy, and the play
ends %ith the +ro>an %arriors retreating to the
city to mourn their fallen hero.
*ut%ardly, 3ressida and
5elen are beautiful and
charming9 the various
%arriors, handsome and
mighty. In%ardly, they are all
ugly, spiteful, %eak, andCor
depraved.
5er elopement %ith "aris
led to the +ro>an !ar.

C!l$%!& 1 A +ro>an
priest, and 3ressida,s
father. 5e defected to the
@reeks in the early days
of the %ar.

Ae#e!& 1 A +ro>an
commander.

Ne&to 1 +he oldest of
the @reek commanders.

C!&&!#,! 1 A +ro>an
princess and prophetess9
she is considered mad.

P!to$lu& 1 A @reek
%arrior. Achilles,s best
friend11and, it is
suggested, his lover.

Pi!m 1 +he king of
+roy, and the father of
5ector, "aris, and
+roilus, among others.

A#te#o 1 A +ro>an
commander, he is
e'changed for 3ressida
after his capture by the
@reeks.

Hele#u& 1 A prince of
+roy.

A#,om!$%e 1 5ector,s
%ife.
TAMING OF THE SETTINGS (TIME)
5!t%ei#e 1 +he Gshre%H
of the play6s title,
I? +58 8?@2I$5 3*B?+(I$IA8, a poor tinker named
3hristopher $ly becomes the target of a prank
T%eme&
SHRE6
+he basic elements
of the story are
present in the 1Jth1
century 3astilian tale
by Aon )uan &anuel
of the Kyoung man
%ho married a very
strong and fiery
%omanK. +he play,s
subplot, involving the
characters Bianca
and 2ucentio,
derives from
2udovico Ariosto,s I
Suppositi, either
directly or through
@eorge @ascoigne,s
8nglish version
Supposes
-performed 1566,
printed 15L<..
/ Bnspecific, though
presumably sometime
during the Italian
(enaissance

SETTINGS (PLACE)
/ "adua, a city1state in
Italy prominent during
the (enaissance
Eatherine, or Eate, is the
daughter of Baptista
&inola, %ith %hom she
lives in "adua.
Petu$$io 1 "etruccio is
a gentleman from
0erona. 2oud, boisterous,
eccentric, quick1%itted,
and frequently drunk, he
has come to "adua Gto
%ive and thrive.H
Bi!#$! 1 +he younger
daughter of Baptista. $he
is soft1spoken, s%eet,
and unassuming.
B!-ti&t! 1 &inola
Baptista is one of the
%ealthiest men in "adua,
and his daughters
become the prey of many
suitors due to the
substantial do%ries he
can offer. 5e is good1
natured, if a bit
superficial.
Lu$e#tio 1 A young
student from "isa, the
good1natured and intrepid
2ucentio comes to "adua
to study at the city6s
reno%ned university.
T!#io 1 2ucentio6s
servant %ho is %ry and
comical.
Gemio !#, Hote#&io
1 +%o gentlemen of
"adua. @remio and
by a local lord. 4inding $ly drunk out of his %its
in front of an alehouse, the lord has his men
take $ly to his manor, dress him in his finery,
and treat him as a lord. !hen $ly recovers, the
men tell him that he is a lord and that he only
believes himself to be a tinker because he has
been insane for the past several years. !aking
in the lord6s bed, $ly at first refuses to accept
the men6s story, but %hen he hears of his G%ife,H
a pageboy dressed in %omen6s clothing, he
readily agrees that he is the lord they purport
him to be. $ly %ants to be left alone %ith his
%ife, but the servants tell him that a troupe of
actors has arrived to present a play for him. +he
play that $ly %atches makes up the main story
of The Taming of the Shrew.
In the Italian city of "adua, a rich young man
named 2ucentio arrives %ith his servants, +ranio
and Biondello, to attend the local university.
2ucentio is e'cited to begin his studies, but his
priorities change %hen he sees Bianca, a
beautiful, mild young %oman %ith %hom
2ucentio instantly falls in love. +here are t%o
problems: first, Bianca already has t%o suitors,
@remio and 5ortensio9 second, Bianca6s father,
a %ealthy old man named Baptista &inola, has
declared that no one may court Bianca until first
her older sister, the vicious, ill1tempered
Eatherine, is married. 2ucentio decides to
overcome this problem by disguising himself as
Bianca6s 2atin tutor to gain an e'cuse to be in
her company. 5ortensio disguises himself as
her music teacher for the same reason. !hile
2ucentio pretends to be Bianca6s tutor, +ranio
dresses up as 2ucentio and begins to confer
%ith Baptista about the possibility of marrying
his daughter.

+he Eatherine problem is solved for Bianca6s
suitors %hen 5ortensio6s friend "etruccio, a
brash young man from 0erona, arrives in "adua
to find a %ife. 5e intends to marry a rich %oman,
M!i!.e !& !# E$o#omi$
I#&titutio#
The Taming of the Shrew
emphasi7es the
economic aspects
of marriage=
specifically, ho%
economic
considerations
determine %ho
marries %hom.
Re#!i&&!#$e It!l' -omote&
i#e7u!lit' o) )em!le& ('
)o$i#. t%em i#to
&u(mi&&i*e ole&2
The Taming of the Shrew is a
comedy that satiri7es silly and
unfair social customs and
behaviors that favor males.
3onsider that Baptista &inola
treats his daughters, Bianca
and Eatharina, like
marionettes, e'pecting them
al%ays to do his bidding. It is
he %ho decides %hom Bianca
%ill marry -the richest
bachelor., and it is he %ho
orders Eatharina,s betrothal
to "etruchio, a man she says
she despises. 3onsider, too,
that "etruchio forces
Eatharina to ackno%ledge
that he is al%ays right, even
%hen he says the sun is the
moon. At the end of the play,
all of the husbands brag
about %hat they apparently
believe is an important quality
of a %ife: submissiveness.
Some "ome# mu&t (e
5ortensio are Bianca6s
suitors at the beginning of
the play.
Gumio 1 "etruccio6s
servant and the fool of
the play=a source of
much comic relief.

Bio#,ello 1 2ucentio6s
second servant, %ho
assists his master and
+ranio in carrying out
their plot.

C%i&to-%e Sl' 1 +he
principal character in the
play6s brief Induction, $ly
is a drunken tinker,
tricked by a mischievous
nobleman into thinking
that he is really a lord.
and does not care %hat she is like as long as
she %ill bring him a fortune. 5e agrees to marry
Eatherine sight unseen. +he ne't day, he goes
to Baptista6s house to meet her, and they have a
tremendous duel of %ords. As Eatherine insults
"etruccio repeatedly, "etruccio tells her that he
%ill marry her %hether she agrees or not. 5e
tells Baptista, falsely, that Eatherine has
consented to marry him on $unday. 5earing this
claim, Eatherine is strangely silent, and the
%edding is set.

*n $unday, "etruccio is late to his o%n
%edding, leaving Eatherine to fear she %ill
become an old maid. !hen "etruccio arrives,
he is dressed in a ridiculous outfit and rides on a
1broken1do%n horse. After the %edding,
"etruccio forces Eatherine to leave for his
country house before the feast, telling all in
earshot that she is no% his property and that he
may do %ith her as he pleases. *nce they reach
his country house, "etruccio continues the
process of GtamingH Eatherine by keeping her
from eating or sleeping for several days=he
pretends that he loves her so much he cannot
allo% her to eat his inferior food or to sleep in his
poorly made bed.

In "adua, 2ucentio %ins Bianca6s heart by
%ooing her %ith a 2atin translation that declares
his love. 5ortensio makes the same attempt
%ith a music lesson, but Bianca loves 2ucentio,
and 5ortensio resolves to marry a %ealthy
%ido%. +ranio secures Baptista6s approval for
2ucentio to marry Bianca by proposing a huge
sum of money to lavish on her. Baptista agrees
but says that he must have this sum confirmed
by 2ucentio6s father before the marriage can
take place. +ranio and 2ucentio, still in their
respective disguises, feel there is nothing left to
do but find an old man to play the role of
2ucentio6s father. +ranio enlists the help of an
old pedant, or schoolmaster, but as the pedant
t!me,8 li9e "il, !#im!l&2
"etruchio uses the same
tactics to tame Eatharina that
he uses to tame hunting birds
and other animals.
Mo#e' m!9e& t%e m!#:!#,
"om!#2 2ucentio gets Bianca
because he has the most
money. Eatharina gets a
suitor, "etruchio, because
she has a handsome do%ry.
Lo*e !t )i&t SIGHT2 !hen
they first meet, Eatharina and
"etruchio engage in a battle
of insults. It is clear during
their e'change that opposites
attract and that they are
destined to marry and
become strange bedfello%s.
Do#;t ,i#9 !#, ,o"&e2 In
the induction, 3hristopher $ly
do7es on the side of a road in
the 8nglish countryside after
getting drunk. &ischievous
passersby play an elaborate
trick on him deceiving him
into believing that he is a lord
%ho has >ust come through
15 years of insanity. All of
%hich proves that in vino,
there is no veritas.
5ill "it% 9i#,#e&&2 Bsing
reverse psychology,
"etruchio praises, pampers,
and coddles Eatharina in
order to rob her of occasion
to complain and thereby kill
her scolding tongue.
speaks to Baptista, 2ucentio and Bianca decide
to circumvent the comple' situation by eloping.

Eatherine and "etruccio soon return to "adua to
visit Baptista. *n the %ay, "etruccio forces
Eatherine to say that the sun is the moon and
that an old man is really a beautiful young
maiden. $ince Eatherine6s %illfulness is
dissipating, she agrees that all is as her
1husband says. *n the road, the couple meets
2ucentio6s father, 0incentio, %ho is on his %ay
to "adua to see his son. In "adua, 0incentio is
shocked to find +ranio masquerading as
2ucentio. At last, Bianca and 2ucentio arrive to
spread the ne%s of their marriage. Both
0incentio and Baptista finally agree to the
marriage.

At the banquet follo%ing 5ortensio6s %edding to
the %ido%, the other characters are shocked to
see that Eatherine seems to have been
GtamedH=she obeys everything that "etruccio
says and gives a long speech advocating the
loyalty of %ives to their husbands. !hen the
three ne% husbands stage a contest to see
%hich of their %ives %ill obey first %hen
summoned, everyone e'pects 2ucentio to %in.
Bianca, ho%ever, sends a message back
refusing to obey, %hile Eatherine comes
immediately. +he others ackno%ledge that
"etruccio has %on an astonishing victory, and
the happy Eatherine and "etruccio leave the
banquet to go to bed.
T%e E))e$t o) So$i!l Role&
o# I#,i*i,u!l
H!--i#e&& +he
primary e'citement
in The Taming of
the Shrew stems
from its permeable
social boundaries,
crisscrossed
continually by those
%ho employ a
disguise or a clever
lie. In the end,
ho%ever, the
conventional order
reestablishes itself,
and those
characters %ho
harmoni7e %ith that
order achieve
personal happiness.
Moti)&
Aisguise
Aomestication
4athers and their 3hildren
S'm(ol&
Petu$$io<& 6e,,i#.
Co&tume -+he
ridiculous outfit
"etruccio %ears to
his %edding %ith
Eate symboli7es his
control over her.
$imply by %earing
the costume, he is
able to humiliate
her. +he outfit also
symboli7es the
transient nature of
clothing..
T%e H!(e,!&%e<& C!- !#,
T!ilo<& Go"# -+he cap and
go%n that "etruccio denies
Eatherine, despite the fact
that she finds them truly
appealing, symboli7es yet
again his po%er over her. +he
outfit functions as a kind of
bait used to help convince
Eate to recogni7e and comply
%ith "etruccio6s %ishes. *nly
he has the po%er to satisfy
her needs and desires, and
this lesson encourages her to
satisfy him in return..
THE TEMPEST
The Tempest may
take its overall
structure from
traditional Italian
commedia dell'arte,
%hich sometimes
featured a magus
and his daughter,
their supernatural
attendants, and a
number of rustics.
+he commedia often
featured a clo%n
kno%n as Arlecchino
-or his predecessor,
Manni. and his
partner Brighella,
SETTING (TIME) / +he
(enaissance

SETTING (PLACE) / An
island in the
&editerranean sea,
probably off the coast
of Italy
Po&-eo 1 +he play6s
protagonist, and father of
&iranda. +%elve years
before the events of the
play, "rospero %as the
duke of &ilan.
Mi!#,! 1 +he daughter
of "rospero, &iranda %as
brought to the island at
an early age and has
never seen any men
other than her father and
3aliban, though she dimly
remembers being cared
for by female servants as
an infant.
Aiel 1 "rospero6s spirit
helper. 5e is mischievous
and ubiquitous, able to
traverse the length of the
A $+*(& $+(IE8$ A $5I" carrying Alonso, 4erdinand,
$ebastian, Antonio, @on7alo, $tefano, and
+rinculo, %ho are on their %ay to Italy after
coming from the %edding of Alonso6s daughter,
3laribel, to the prince of +unis in Africa. +he
royal party and the other mariners, %ith the
e'ception of the unflappable Boats%ain, begin
to fear for their lives. 2ightning cracks, and the
mariners cry that the ship has been hit.
8veryone prepares to sink.
+he ne't scene begins much more quietly.
&iranda and "rospero stand on the shore of
their island, looking out to sea at the recent
ship%reck. &iranda asks her father to do
anything he can to help the poor souls in the
ship. "rospero assures her that everything is all
right and then informs her that it is time she
learned more about herself and her past. 5e
reveals to her that he orchestrated the
ship%reck and tells her the lengthy story of her
past, a story he has often started to tell her
T%eme&
T%e Illu&io# o) Ju&ti$e
The Tempest tells a fairly
straightfor%ard story involving
an un>ust act, the usurpation
of "rospero6s throne by his
brother, and "rospero6s quest
to re1establish >ustice by
restoring himself to po%er.
Fo.i*e !#, )o.et2 +hough
"rospero has been %ronged,
he reconciles %ith his
%rongdoers.
Re-e#t 'ou &i#&2 All of
"rospero,s %rongdoers
repent at the end and achieve
%ho bear a striking
resemblance to
$tephano and
+rinculo9 a lecherous
?eapolitan
hunchback named
"ulcinella, %ho
corresponds to
3aliban9 and the
clever and beautiful
Isabella, %hose
%ealthy and
manipulative father,
"antalone,
constantly seeks a
suitor for her, thus
mirroring the
relationship bet%een
&iranda and
"rospero.
*ne of @on7alo,s
speeches is derived
from &ontaigne,s
essay Of the
Canibales, %hich
)ohn 4lorio
translated into
8nglish in 16D<, that
praises the society
of the 3aribbean
natives.
In addition, much of
"rospero,s
renunciative speech
is taken %ord for
%ord from a speech
by &edea in *vid,s
poem
&etamorphoses.
island in an instant and to
change shapes at %ill.
C!li(!# 1 Another of
"rospero6s servants.
3aliban, the son of the
no%1deceased %itch
$ycora', acquainted
"rospero %ith the island
%hen "rospero arrived.
Fe,i#!#, 1 $on and
heir of Alonso. 4erdinand
seems in some %ays to
be as pure and naNve as
&iranda.
Alo#&o 1 Eing of ?aples
and father of 4erdinand.
A#to#io 1 "rospero6s
brother. Antonio quickly
demonstrates that he is
po%er1hungry and foolish.
Se(!&ti!# 1 Alonso6s
brother. 2ike Antonio, he
is both aggressive and
co%ardly.
Go#=!lo 1 An old, honest
lord, @on7alo helped
"rospero and &iranda to
escape after Antonio
usurped "rospero6s title.
Ti#$ulo / Ste)!#o 1
+rinculo, a >ester, and
$tefano, a drunken butler,
are t%o minor members
of the ship%recked party.
Bo!t&"!i# 1 Appearing
before but never finished. +he story goes that
"rospero %as the Auke of &ilan until his brother
Antonio, conspiring %ith Alonso, the Eing of
?aples, usurped his position. !ith the help of
@on7alo, "rospero %as able to escape %ith his
daughter and %ith the books that are the source
of his magic and po%er. "rospero and his
daughter arrived on the island %here they
remain no% and have been for t%elve years.
*nly no%, "rospero says, has 4ortune at last
sent his enemies his %ay, and he has raised the
tempest in order to make things right %ith them
once and for all.

After telling this story, "rospero charms &iranda
to sleep and then calls forth his familiar spirit
Ariel, his chief magical agent. "rospero and
Ariel6s discussion reveals that Ariel brought the
tempest upon the ship and set fire to the mast.
5e then made sure that everyone got safely to
the island, though they are no% separated from
each other into small groups. Ariel, %ho is a
captive servant to "rospero, reminds his master
that he has promised Ariel freedom a year early
if he performs tasks such as these %ithout
complaint. "rospero chastises Ariel for
protesting and reminds him of the horrible fate
from %hich he %as rescued. Before "rospero
came to the island, a %itch named $ycora'
imprisoned Ariel in a tree. $ycora' died, leaving
Ariel trapped until "rospero arrived and freed
him. After Ariel assures "rospero that he kno%s
his place, "rospero orders Ariel to take the
shape of a sea nymph and make himself
invisible to all but "rospero.

&iranda a%akens from her sleep, and she and
"rospero go to visit 3aliban, "rospero6s servant
and the son of the dead $ycora'. 3aliban
curses "rospero, and "rospero and &iranda
berate him for being ungrateful for %hat they
have given and taught him. "rospero sends
3aliban to fetch fire%ood. Ariel, invisible, enters
redemption.
T%e Ne" 6ol, (Amei$!) i&
! !"8 u#t!me, "il,e#e&&2
"rospero,s island may have
symboli7ed America, or the
islands off the coast
of America, %ith 3aliban
representing the uncivili7ed
native population.
E4-lo!tio# o) #e" l!#,&
o)te# e&ult& i#
mi&te!tme#t o) #!ti*e
-o-ul!tio#&2 It has been
suggested that 3aliban
represents indigenous
peoples e'ploited by
8uropeans during the Age of
Aiscovery.
T%e &tom& o) li)e !e
)ollo"e, (' -e!$e !#,
$!lm2
Fie#,& i# #ee, !e )ie#,&
i#,ee,2 +hanks to his friend
@on7alo, "rospero and his
daughter survive their ordeal
at sea.
Fee,om mu&t (e e!#e,2
8veryone in The Tempest is a
slave or a captiveFsocially,
emotionally, geographically or
other%ise. 4or e'ample,
"rospero and &iranda,
victims of treachery, are
captives of their environment.
+he ship%recked adversaries
of "rospero are captives of
guilt, ambition or desire for
revenge. Ariel, a free spirit of
$ince source
scholarship began in
the 1#th century,
researchers have
suggested that
passages from
8rasmus,s
aufragium -The
Shipwrec!,
published in 15<
and translated into
8nglish in 16D6. and
(ichard 8den,s 1555
translation of "eter
&artyr,s "e orbo
no#o -or "ecades of
the ew $orlde Or
$est India, 15<D.
influenced the
composition of the
play
only in the first and last
scenes, the Boats%ain is
vigorously good1natured.
5e seems competent and
almost cheerful in the
ship%reck scene,
demanding practical help
rather than %eeping and
prayer.
playing music and leading in the a%ed
4erdinand. &iranda and 4erdinand are
immediately smitten %ith each other. 5e is the
only man &iranda has ever seen, besides
3aliban and her father. "rospero is happy to
see that his plan for his daughter6s future
marriage is %orking, but decides that he must
upset things temporarily in order to prevent their
relationship from developing too quickly. 5e
accuses 4erdinand of merely pretending to be
the "rince of ?aples and threatens him %ith
imprisonment. !hen 4erdinand dra%s his
s%ord, "rospero charms him and leads him off
to prison, ignoring &iranda6s cries for mercy. 5e
then sends Ariel on another mysterious mission.

*n another part of the island, Alonso,
$ebastian, Antonio, @on7alo, and other
miscellaneous lords give thanks for their safety
but %orry about the fate of 4erdinand. Alonso
says that he %ishes he never had married his
daughter to the prince of +unis because if he
had not made this >ourney, his son %ould still be
alive. @on7alo tries to maintain high spirits by
discussing the beauty of the island, but his
remarks are undercut by the sarcastic sourness
of Antonio and $ebastian. Ariel appears,
invisible, and plays music that puts all but
$ebastian and Antonio to sleep. +hese t%o then
begin to discuss the possible advantages of
killing their sleeping companions. Antonio
persuades $ebastian that the latter %ill become
ruler of ?aples if they kill Alonso. 3laribel, %ho
%ould be the ne't heir if 4erdinand %ere indeed
dead, is too far a%ay to be able to claim her
right. $ebastian is convinced, and the t%o are
about to stab the sleeping men %hen Ariel
causes @on7alo to %ake %ith a shout. 8veryone
%akes up, and Antonio and $ebastian concoct a
ridiculous story about having dra%n their s%ords
to protect the king from lions. Ariel goes back to
"rospero %hile Alonso and his party continue to
search for 4erdinand.
the air, is "rospero,s slave.
3aliban, a misshapen half1
human, is a prisoner of unruly
instincts. *nly through ordeal,
tribulation, and
demonstrations of humanity
do these characters redeem
and liberate themselves.
T%e Allue o) Ruli#. !
Colo#'
+he nearly uninhabited island
presents the sense of infinite
possibility to almost everyone
%ho lands there. +he urge to
rule and the urge to be ruled
seem ine'tricably intert%ined.
Moti)&
M!&te& !#, Se*!#t&-+he
play e'plores the master1
servant dynamic most harshly
in cases in %hich the
harmony of the relationship is
threatened or disrupted, as by
the rebellion of a servant or
the ineptitude of a master..
6!te !#, Do"#i#.
-"erhaps the most important
overall effect of this %ater
motif is to heighten the
symbolic importance of the
tempest itself..
&ysterious ?oises
S'm(ol&
T%e Tem-e&t2 +he tempest
that begins the play, and

3aliban, mean%hile, is hauling %ood for
"rospero %hen he sees +rinculo and thinks he
is a spirit sent by "rospero to torment him. 5e
lies do%n and hides under his cloak. A storm is
bre%ing, and +rinculo, curious about but
undeterred by 3aliban6s strange appearance
and smell, cra%ls under the cloak %ith him.
$tefano, drunk and singing, comes along and
stumbles upon the bi7arre spectacle of 3aliban
and +rinculo huddled under the cloak. 3aliban,
hearing the singing, cries out that he %ill %ork
faster so long as the GspiritsH leave him alone.
$tefano decides that this monster requires liquor
and attempts to get 3aliban to drink. +rinculo
recogni7es his friend $tefano and calls out to
him. $oon the three are sitting up together and
drinking. 3aliban quickly becomes an
enthusiastic drinker, and begins to sing.

"rospero puts 4erdinand to %ork hauling %ood.
4erdinand finds his labor pleasant because it is
for &iranda6s sake. &iranda, thinking that her
father is asleep, tells 4erdinand to take a break.
+he t%o flirt %ith one another. &iranda proposes
marriage, and 4erdinand accepts. "rospero has
been on stage most of the time, unseen, and he
is pleased %ith this development.

$tefano, +rinculo, and 3aliban are no% drunk
and raucous and are made all the more so by
Ariel, %ho comes to them invisibly and provokes
them to fight %ith one another by impersonating
their voices and taunting them. 3aliban gro%s
more and more fervent in his boasts that he
kno%s ho% to kill "rospero. 5e even tells
$tefano that he can bring him to %here
"rospero is sleeping. 5e proposes that they kill
"rospero, take his daughter, and set $tefano up
as king of the island. $tefano thinks this a good
plan, and the three prepare to set off to find
"rospero. +hey are distracted, ho%ever, by the
sound of music that Ariel plays on his flute and
%hich puts all of "rospero6s
enemies at his disposal,
symboli7es the suffering
"rospero endured, and %hich
he %ants to inflict on others.
T%e G!me o) C%e&&2 +he
ob>ect of chess is to capture
the king. +hat, at the simplest
level, is the symbolic
significance of "rospero
revealing 4erdinand and
&iranda playing chess in the
final scene.
Po&-eo<& Boo9&2 2ike the
tempest, "rospero6s books
are a symbol of his po%er.
tabor1drum, and they decide to follo% this music
before e'ecuting their plot.

Alonso, @on7alo, $ebastian, and Antonio gro%
%eary from traveling and pause to rest. Antonio
and $ebastian secretly plot to take advantage of
Alonso and @on7alo6s e'haustion, deciding to
kill them in the evening. "rospero, probably on
the balcony of the stage and invisible to the
men, causes a banquet to be set out by
strangely shaped spirits. As the men prepare to
eat, Ariel appears like a harpy and causes the
banquet to vanish. 5e then accuses the men of
supplanting "rospero and says that it %as for
this sin that Alonso6s son, 4erdinand, has been
taken. 5e vanishes, leaving Alonso feeling
ve'ed and guilty.

"rospero no% softens to%ard 4erdinand and
%elcomes him into his family as the soon1to1be1
husband of &iranda. 5e sternly reminds
4erdinand, ho%ever, that &iranda6s Gvirgin1knotH
-I0.i.15. is not to be broken until the %edding
has been officially solemni7ed. "rospero then
asks Ariel to call forth some spirits to perform a
masque for 4erdinand and &iranda. +he spirits
assume the shapes of 3eres, )uno, and Iris and
perform a short masque celebrating the rites of
marriage and the bounty of the earth. A dance
of reapers and nymphs follo%s but is interrupted
%hen "rospero suddenly remembers that he still
must stop the plot against his life.

5e sends the spirits a%ay and asks Ariel about
+rinculo, $tefano, and 3aliban. Ariel tells his
master of the three men6s drunken plans. 5e
also tells ho% he led the men %ith his music
through prickly grass and briars and finally into a
filthy pond near "rospero6s cell. Ariel and
"rospero then set a trap by hanging beautiful
clothing in "rospero6s cell. $tefano, +rinculo,
and 3aliban enter looking for "rospero and,
finding the beautiful clothing, decide to steal it.
+hey are immediately set upon by a pack of
spirits in the shape of dogs and hounds, driven
on by "rospero and Ariel.

"rospero uses Ariel to bring Alonso and the
others before him. 5e then sends Ariel to bring
the Boats%ain and the mariners from %here
they sleep on the %recked ship. "rospero
confronts Alonso, Antonio, and $ebastian %ith
their treachery, but tells them that he forgives
them. Alonso tells him of having lost 4erdinand
in the tempest and "rospero says that he
recently lost his o%n daughter. 3larifying his
meaning, he dra%s aside a curtain to reveal
4erdinand and &iranda playing chess. Alonso
and his companions are ama7ed by the miracle
of 4erdinand6s survival, and &iranda is stunned
by the sight of people unlike any she has seen
before. 4erdinand tells his father about his
marriage.

Ariel returns %ith the Boats%ain and mariners.
+he Boats%ain tells a story of having been
a%akened from a sleep that had apparently
lasted since the tempest. At "rospero6s bidding,
Ariel releases 3aliban, +rinculo and $tefano,
%ho then enter %earing their stolen clothing.
"rospero and Alonso command them to return it
and to clean up "rospero6s cell. "rospero invites
Alonso and the others to stay for the night so
that he can tell them the tale of his life in the
past t%elve years. After this, the group plans to
return to Italy. "rospero, restored to his
dukedom, %ill retire to &ilan. "rospero gives
Ariel one final task=to make sure the seas are
calm for the return voyage1before setting him
free. 4inally, "rospero delivers an epilogue to
the audience, asking them to forgive him for his
%rongdoing and set him free by applauding.
THE T6O
GENTLEMEN OF
+he action takes place
in Italy, including
Poteu& 1 0alentine,s
supposed best friend and
one of the title gentleman
Bosom buddies 0alentine and "roteus bid a
tearful fare%ell on a street in 0erona. 0alentine
is off to improve himself, venturing out to see
T%eme&
Tue lo*e i& &te!,)!&t !#,
+ERONA
In %riting The Two
%entlemen of
&erona,
$hakespeare dre%
on a $panish prose
romance "iana
'namorada by the
"ortuguese %riter
)orge de
&ontemayor. +his
%ork %as published
in 155O, %as
translated into
4rench in 15L#, and
%as published in
8nglish in 15O#,
though the
translation %as
made several years
earlier. It is believed
that $hakespeare
could have read the
story in 4rench, or in
an unpublished
8nglish version, or
could have learned
of it from an
anonymous 8nglish
play of 15#5, The
History of (eli) and
Philiomena, %hich is
no% lost
0erona, &ilan, and a
forest near &antua.
&ilan and &antua are
in 2ombardy, a
province in north1
central Italy. 0erona is
in 0eneto, a province in
northeastern Italy.
of 0erona, though he
behaves in a most
ungentlemanly fashion.
+!le#ti#e 1 +he other
title gentlemen of 0erona.
5e is "roteus, best friend,
and $ilvia,s love.
Juli! 1 "roteus, beloved,
and mistress to the
servant 2ucetta.
Sil*i! 1 Aaughter to the
Auke and beloved of
0alentine, also sought
after by "roteus and
+hurio.
Du9e o) Mil!# 1 $ilvia,s
father, the Auke %ants
her to marry the boorish
but %ealthy suitor $ir
+hurio.
Lu$ett! 1 )ulia,s servant,
%ho considers love from
a practical point of vie%.
2ucetta helps )ulia
disguise herself as a
man.
L!u#$e 1 "roteus,
humorous servant, and
master to a poorly1trained
mutt named 3rab.
S-ee, 1 0alentine,s
page, though at the
beginning of the play he
does "roteus, bidding as
%ell.
the %orld, %hile "roteus stays home in 0erona,
tied by his love for )ulia. After 0alentine departs,
his servant, $peed, enters. "roteus inquires
%hether or not $peed delivered a letter to )ulia,
to %hich $peed replies affirmatively. )ulia,
mean%hile, asks her maid, 2ucetta, %ith %hich
man she should fall in love, and 2ucetta
recommends "roteus. 2ucetta admits that she
has a letter for )ulia from "roteus. After much
bickering, )ulia tears up the letter, only to regret
this act an instant later.
Antonio decides to send "roteus, his son, to the
Auke,s court in &ilan, a decision %ith %hich
neither "roteus nor )ulia is particularly happy.
+hey e'change rings and promises to keep
loving each other. &ean%hile, 0alentine has
fallen in love %ith the Auke,s feisty daughter,
$ilvia. !hen "roteus arrives at court, he too
falls in love %ith $ilvia, and vo%s to do anything
he can to %in her a%ay from 0alentine. !hen
0alentine confesses that he and $ilvia plan to
elope, "roteus notifies the Auke of their plans,
gaining favor for himself and effecting
0alentine,s banishment from court. Back in
0erona, )ulia has hatched a plan to disguise
herself as a man so that she can >ourney to
&ilan to be reunited %ith "roteus. Bpon arriving
at court, she %itnesses "roteus and +hurio
%ooing $ilvia.

+he banished 0alentine, %hile traveling to
&antua, is apprehended by a group of outla%s.
+he outla%s, all of %hom are banished
gentlemen as %ell, demand 0alentine to
become their king. $ince they threaten to kill
him if he refuses, 0alentine accepts. $ilvia and
)ulia, %ho is disguised as the page $ebastian,
meet %hen )ulia delivers the ring "roteus had
given her to $ilvia on behalf of "roteus. )ulia
does not reveal her identity. $ilvia calls on her
friend $ir 8glamour to help her escape her
father,s oppressive %ill -he %ants her to marry
&to#. "%ile i#)!tu!tio# i&
)i$9le !#, "e!92 0alentine
and $ilvia never %aver in
their love for one another. ?or
does )ulia in her love for
"roteus. But "roteus, %ho is
infatuated %ith $ilvia, hardly
blinks %hen he abandons his
suit for her to return to )ulia.

Di&lo'!lt' !#, -e)i,'
$!##ot ,e)e!t $o#&t!#$'2
"roteus -%hose very nameF
that of a @reek god %ho
could change his appearance
at %illFsymboli7es caprice
and inconstancy. betrays
both 0alentine and )ulia
%hen he %oos $ilvia on a
%him. But he discovers his
flighty, immature behavior is
no match for true fidelity.
F!t%e ,oe& #ot !l"!'&
9#o" (e&t2 $ilvia,s father,
the Auke of &ilan, attempts to
force her to marry +hurio, a
haughty buffoon. $ilvia
refusesFand rightly soFfor her
heart and soul are %ith
0alentine.
Fo.i*e !#, )o.et2
0alentine and )ulia forgive
"roteus for his reprehensible
behavior, and the Auke of
&ilan pardons the outla%s.
Lo*e& e4%i(it i!tio#!l8
u#-e,i$t!(le8 o &ill'
(e%!*io2 "roteus first loves
)ulia, then $ilvia, then )ulia.
)ulia %ears a disguise to be
close to "roteus. $ilvia
T%uio 1 A foolish rival to
0alentine for $ilvia,s
hand. +hurio is very rich,
but does not make for
pleasant company.

Si E.l!mou 1 +he
gentleman upon %hom
$ilvia calls to help her
escape from the Auke,s
court, in order to find her
love, 0alentine, and to
avoid marrying +hurio.

A#to#io 1 4ather to
"roteus and master to the
servant "anthino.

Ho&t 1 5ouses )ulia
%hile she searches for
"roteus.

Outl!"& 1 !hen
0alentine is banished
from &ilan, the outla%s
intercept him during his
>ourney to &antua and
make him the king of their
cre% of gentlemen
bandits.

C!( 1 2aunce,s dog.

P!#t%i#o 1 Antonio,s
servant.
+hurio. and to find 0alentine. 5o%ever, %hile
traveling through the forest, she and 8glamour
are overtaken by a band of outla%s. 8glamour
runs a%ay, leaving $ilvia to fend for herself
against the outla%s. By this time, the Auke,
"roteus, and +hurio, %ith $ebastianC)ulia in to%,
have organi7ed a search party for $ilvia.

"roteus %rests $ilvia a%ay from the outla%s.
0alentine %atches the interaction unseen.
"roteus demands that $ilvia give him some sign
of her favor for freeing her, but she refuses. 5e
tries to rape her for her resistance, but 0alentine
>umps out and stops him. "roteus immediately
apologi7es, and 0alentine offers to give him
$ilvia as a token of their friendship. At this
moment, $ebastian faints and his true identity
becomes clear. "roteus decides that he really
loves )ulia better than $ilvia, and takes her
instead. +he Auke reali7es that +hurio is a thug
and says that 0alentine is far nobler and can
marry $ilvia. 0alentine asks for clemency for the
outla%s, and suggests that his marriage to $ilvia
and "roteus, marriage to )ulia should take place
on the same day.

dictates loves letters to
0alentine, pretending they
are for someone else %hen
they are really for 0alentine.
A ma>or theme of the play is
the contest bet%een
)ie#,&%i- !#, lo*e: that is,
the question of %hether the
relationship bet%een t%o
male friends is more
important than that bet%een
lovers.
Moti)&
Aisguise
MUCH ADO ABOUT
NOTHING
&uch Ado About
SETTING (TIME) / +he
si'teenth century

SETTING
(PLACE) / &essina,
$icily, on and around
@overnor 2eonato6s
Be!ti$e 1 2eonato6s
niece and 5ero6s cousin.
Beatrice is Ga pleasant1
spirited ladyH %ith a very
sharp tongue.
Be#e,i$9 1 An
28*?A+*, A EI?A2I, (8$"83+AB28 ?*B28&A?, lives in
the idyllic Italian to%n of &essina. 2eonato
shares his house %ith his lovely young
daughter, 5ero, his playful, clever niece,
Beatrice, and his elderly brother, Antonio. As the
play begins, 2eonato prepares to %elcome
some friends home from a %ar. +he friends
T%e o!, to m!i!.e i&
o)te# li#e, "it% -it)!ll& !#,
im-e,ime#t&2 Benedick and
Beatrice are hostile lovers
before they %arm to each
other. 3laudio doubts 5ero,s
chastity before he is proven
?othing conflates
t%o separate stories
into one plot: the
baiting of Benedick
and Beatrice into a
declaration of love
and the deception of
3laudio into
mistakenly thinking
that 5ero is
unchaste. +here is
not specific source
for the first story,
although 3haucer,s
+roilus and 3riseyde
provides a basis
%here t%o people
%ho scorn love fall in
love %ith each other.
+he for the second
story of a lady falsely
accused, ho%ever,
there are numerous
possible sources.
2udovico Ariosto,s
version in 3anto 0 of
*rlando 4urioso in
1516 %as translated
into 8nglish in 15O1
by $ir )ohn
5arington or &atteo
Bandello,s t%enty1
second ?ovella from
155J and translated
into 4rench by
Belleforest in 15OD
are t%o possible
versions that
$hakespeare may
have kno%n.
estate aristocratic soldier %ho
has recently been fighting
under Aon "edro, and a
friend of Aon "edro and
3laudio. Benedick is very
%itty, al%ays making
>okes and puns.
Cl!u,io 1 A young
soldier %ho has %on
great acclaim fighting
under Aon "edro during
the recent %ars.
Heo 1 +he beautiful
young daughter of
2eonato and the cousin of
Beatrice. 5ero is lovely,
gentle, and kind.
Do# Pe,o 1 An
important nobleman from
Aragon, sometimes
referred to as G"rince.H
Aon "edro is generous,
courteous, intelligent, and
loving to his friends, but
he is also quick to believe
evil of others and hasty to
take revenge.
Leo#!to 1 A respected,
%ell1to1do, elderly noble
at %hose home, in
&essina, Italy, the action
is set. 2eonato is the
father of 5ero and the
uncle of Beatrice.
Do# Jo%# 1 +he
illegitimate brother of Aon
"edro9 sometimes called
Gthe Bastard.H Aon )ohn
include Aon "edro, a prince %ho is a close
friend of 2eonato, and t%o fello% soldiers:
3laudio, a %ell1respected young nobleman, and
Benedick, a clever man %ho constantly makes
%itty >okes, often at the e'pense of his
friends. Aon )ohn, Aon "edro6s illegitimate
brother, is part of the cro%d as %ell. Aon )ohn is
sullen and bitter, and makes trouble for the
others.
!hen the soldiers arrive at 2eonato6s home,
3laudio quickly falls in love %ith 5ero.
&ean%hile, Benedick and Beatrice resume the
%ar of %itty insults that they have carried on %ith
each other in the past. 3laudio and 5ero pledge
their love to one another and decide to be
married. +o pass the time in the %eek before the
%edding, the lovers and their friends decide to
play a game. +hey %ant to get Beatrice and
Benedick, %ho are clearly meant for each other,
to stop arguing and fall in love. +heir tricks
prove successful, and Beatrice and Benedick
soon fall secretly in love %ith each other.

But Aon )ohn has decided to disrupt everyone6s
happiness. 5e has his companion Borachio
make love to &argaret, 5ero6s serving %oman,
at 5ero6s %indo% in the darkness of the night,
and he brings Aon "edro and 3laudio to %atch.
Believing that he has seen 5ero being unfaithful
to him, the enraged 3laudio humiliates 5ero by
suddenly accusing her of lechery on the day of
their %edding and abandoning her at the altar.
5ero6s stricken family members decide to
pretend that she died suddenly of shock and
grief and to hide her a%ay %hile they %ait for the
truth about her innocence to come to light. In the
aftermath of the re>ection, Benedick and
Beatrice finally confess their love to one
another. 4ortunately, the night %atchmen
overhear Borachio bragging about his crime.
Aogberry and 0erges, the heads of the local
police, ultimately arrest both Borachio and
%rong.
Peo-le o)te# "e! m!&9& to
,i&.ui&e t%ei tue )eeli#.&2
4or e'ample, Benedick and
Beatrice pretend to despise
each other even though they
love each other, and Aon
)ohn pretends to be
remorseful %hen all the %hile
he is plotting revenge.
All i& #ot "%!t it &eem&2
&istaken identities, false
accusations, misleading
conversations, and ironic
outcomes all confound the
principle characters.
Lo*e i& NOT (li#,2 Benedick
%ell kno%s that Beatrice has
a sharp tongue %hose stings
he must endure if he is to be
her husband and live %ith her
for decades to come.
2ike%ise, Beatrice %ell kno%s
Benedick,s faults. Iet, before
the end of play, they
ackno%ledge their deep love
for each other and marry.
Lo*e IS (li#,. 5ero ignores
3laudio,s faults. 4or e'ample,
she accepts 3laudio as her
husband even though only a
short time before he so
readily believed the slanders
against her, called her a
Krotten orange,K and agreed
to marry another in her place.
&oreover, she never
questions his motivesFone of
is melancholy and sullen
by nature, and he creates
a dark scheme to ruin the
happiness of 5ero and
3laudio.
M!.!et 1 5ero6s
serving %oman, %ho
un%ittingly helps
Borachio and Aon )ohn
deceive 3laudio into
thinking that 5ero is
unfaithful.
Bo!$%io 1 An associate
of Aon )ohn. Borachio is
the lover of &argaret,
5ero6s serving %oman.
Co#!, 1 *ne of Aon
)ohn6s more intimate
associates, entirely
devoted to Aon )ohn.
Do.(e' 1 +he
constable in charge of the
!atch, or chief
policeman, of &essina.
Aogberry is very sincere
and takes his >ob
seriously, but he has a
habit of using e'actly the
%rong %ord to convey his
meaning.
+e.e& 1 +he deputy to
Aogberry, chief
policeman of &essina.

A#to#io 1 2eonato6s
elderly brother, and 5ero
and Beatrice6s uncle.
3onrad, another of Aon )ohn6s follo%ers.
8veryone learns that 5ero is really innocent,
and 3laudio, %ho believes she is dead, grieves
for her.

2eonato tells 3laudio that, as punishment, he
%ants 3laudio to tell everybody in the city ho%
innocent 5ero %as. 5e also %ants 3laudio to
marry 2eonato6s GnieceH=a girl %ho, he says,
looks much like the dead 5ero. 3laudio goes to
church %ith the others, preparing to marry the
mysterious, masked %oman he thinks is 5ero6s
cousin. !hen 5ero reveals herself as the
masked %oman, 3laudio is over%helmed %ith
>oy. Benedick then asks Beatrice if she %ill
marry him, and after some arguing they agree.
+he >oyful lovers all have a merry dance before
they celebrate their double %edding.
%hich, apparently, is to marry
into money. -5e had
previously inquired %hether
@overnor 2eonato had a son
and %as told 5ero %as
2eonato,s only child and,
thus, sole heir to his
property..
A "om!#;& $%!&tit' i& !
te!&ue #o m!# &%oul,
-o&&e&& e4$e-t i#
m!i!.e2 +he brouhaha over
the false charge that 5ero
slept %ith a stranger
underscores the high regard
that the central characters in
the play have for a virginal
bride.
T%e I,e!l o) So$i!l G!$e2
+he characters6
dense, colorful
manner of speaking
represents the ideal
that (enaissance
courtiers strove for
in their social
interactions.
Benedick and his
companions try to
display their
polished social
graces both in their
behavior and in
their speech.
De$e-tio# !& ! Me!#& to !#
E#,2 Aeceit is
neither purely
positive nor purely
B!lt%!&! 1 A %aiting
man in 2eonato6s
household and a
musician.
U&ul! 1 *ne of 5ero6s
%aiting %omen.
negative: it is a
means to an end, a
%ay to create an
illusion that helps
one succeed
socially.
T%e Im-ot!#$e o) Ho#o. In
$hakespeare6s
time, a %oman6s
honor %as based
upon her virginity
and chaste
behavior. 4or a
%oman to lose her
honor by having
se'ual relations
before marriage
meant that she
%ould lose all social
standing, a disaster
from %hich she
could never
recover. &oreover,
this loss of honor
%ould poison the
%oman6s %hole
family.
Moti)&
Pu(li$ S%!mi#. -8ven
though 5ero is
ultimately
vindicated, her
public shaming at
the %edding
ceremony is too
terrible to be
ignored. $hame is
also %hat Aon )ohn
hopes %ill cause
3laudio to lose his
place as Aon
"edro6s favorite.
Noti#. -In $hakespeare6s
time, the G?othingH
of the title %ould
have been
pronounced
G?oting.H +hus, the
play6s title could
read: G&uch Ado
About ?oting.H
Indeed, many of the
players participate
in the actions of
observing, listening,
and %riting, or
noting. In order for
a plot hinged on
instances of deceit
to %ork, the
characters must
note one another
constantly..
E#tet!i#me#t -4rom the
%itty yet plaintive
song that Balthasar
sings about the
deceitfulness of
men to the masked
ball and the music
and dancing at the
end of the play, the
characters of Much
Ado About
Nothing spend
much of their time
engaging in
elaborate
spectacles and
entertainments..
Cou#te)eiti#. -+he idea of
counterfeiting, in
the sense of
presenting a false
face to the %orld,
appears frequently
throughout the play.
A particularly rich
and comple'
e'ample of
counterfeiting
occurs as 2eonato,
3laudio, and Aon
"edro pretend that
Beatrice is head
over heels in love
%ith Benedick.
Another, more
serious reference to
counterfeiting
occurs at the
%edding ceremony,
as 3laudio
rhetorically paints a
picture of 5ero as a
perfect counterfeit
of innocence,
unchaste and
impure beneath a
seemingly
unblemished
surface.
S'm(ol&
+he +aming of !ild Animals
!ar
5ero6s Aeath -5ero6s false
death is less a
charade aimed to
induce remorse in
3laudio than it is a
social ritual
designed to cleanse
her name and
person of infamy..
AS YOU LI5E IT
As his only source
for *s +ou ,i!e It,
$hakespeare used
Rosalynde- 'uphues
%olden ,egacie, a
novel %ritten by
+homas 2odge,
published in 15OD.
SETTING (TIME)
/ $i'teenth century

SETTING (PLACE) / 4rance,
primarily the fictional
4orest of Ardenne
Ro&!li#, 1 +he daughter
of Auke $enior. (osalind,
considered one of
$hakespeare6s most
delightful heroines, is
independent minded,
strong1%illed, good1
hearted, and terribly
clever.
Ol!#,o 1 +he youngest
son of $ir (o%land de
Bois and younger brother
of *liver. *rlando is an
attractive young man
%ho, under his brother6s
neglectful care, has
languished %ithout a
gentleman6s education or
training.
Du9e Se#io 1 +he
father of (osalind and the
rightful ruler of the
dukedom in %hich the
play is set. Auke $enior
proves himself to be a
kind and fair1minded
ruler.
J!7ue& 1 A faithful lord
%ho accompanies Auke
$enior into e'ile in the
4orest of Ardenne.
)aques is an e'ample of
a stock figure in
8li7abethan comedy, the
$I( (*!2A?A A8 B*I$ 5A$ (838?+2I AI8A, and,
according to the custom of primogeniture, the
vast ma>ority of his estate has passed into the
possession of his eldest son, *liver. Although
$ir (o%land has instructed *liver to take good
care of his brother, *rlando, *liver refuses to do
so. *ut of pure spite, he denies *rlando the
education, training, and property befitting a
gentleman. 3harles, a %restler from the court of
Auke 4rederick, arrives to %arn *liver of a
rumor that *rlando %ill challenge 3harles to a
fight on the follo%ing day. 4earing censure if he
should beat a nobleman, 3harles begs *liver to
intervene, but *liver convinces the %restler that
*rlando is a dishonorable sportsman %ho %ill
take %hatever dastardly means necessary to
%in. 3harles vo%s to pummel *rlando, %hich
delights *liver.
Auke $enior has been usurped of his throne by
his brother, Auke 4rederick, and has fled to the
4orest of Ardenne, %here he lives like (obin
5ood %ith a band of loyal follo%ers. Auke
4rederick allo%s $enior6s daughter, (osalind, to
remain at court because of her inseparable
friendship %ith his o%n daughter, 3elia. +he day
arrives %hen *rlando is scheduled to fight
3harles, and the %omen %itness *rlando6s
defeat of the court %restler. *rlando and
(osalind instantly fall in love %ith one another,
though (osalind keeps this fact a secret from
everyone but 3elia. *rlando returns home from
the %restling match, only to have his faithful
servant Adam %arn him about *liver6s plot
against *rlando6s life. *rlando decides to leave
for the safety of Ardenne. !ithout %arning,
Auke 4rederick has a change of heart regarding
T%e Deli.%t& o) Lo*e2 As
You Like It spoofs
many of the
conventions of
poetry and literature
dealing %ith love,
such as the idea
that love is a
disease that brings
suffering and
torment to the lover,
or the assumption
that the male lover
is the slave or
servant of his
mistress. But at the
end of the play,
(osalind proves
that love is a source
of incomparable
delight.
T%e M!lle!(ilit' o) t%e
Hum!#
E4-eie#$e. As
You Like It not only
insists that people
can and do change,
but also celebrates
their ability to
change for the
better.
Cit' Li)e +e&u& Cou#t'
Li)e2 *ften, it
suggests that the
man possessed of a
hopelessly melancholy
disposition.
Celi! 1 +he daughter of
Auke 4rederick and
(osalind6s dearest friend.
3elia possesses a loving
heart, but is prone to
deep, almost e'cessive
emotions.
Du9e Fe,ei$9 1 +he
brother of Auke $enior
and usurper of his throne.
Auke 4rederick6s cruel
nature and volatile
temper are displayed
%hen he banishes his
niece, (osalind, from
court %ithout reason.
Tou$%&to#e 1 A clo%n in
Auke 4rederick6s court
%ho accompanies
(osalind and 3elia in
their flight to Ardenne.
Oli*e 1 +he oldest son
of $ir (o%land de Bois
and sole inheritor of the
de Bois estate.
Sil*iu& 1 A young,
suffering shepherd, %ho
is desperately in love %ith
the disdainful "hoebe.
P%oe(e 1 A young
shepherdess, %ho
disdains the affections of
$ilvius.
(osalind and banishes her from court. $he, too,
decides to flee to the 4orest of Ardenne and
leaves %ith 3elia, %ho cannot bear to be %ithout
(osalind, and +ouchstone, the court >ester. +o
ensure the safety of their >ourney, (osalind
assumes the dress of a young man and takes
the name @anymede, %hile 3elia dresses as a
common shepherdess and calls herself Aliena.

Auke 4rederick is furious at his daughter6s
disappearance. !hen he learns that the flight of
his daughter and niece coincides %ith the
disappearance of *rlando, the duke orders
*liver to lead the manhunt, threatening to
confiscate *liver6s lands and property should he
fail. 4rederick also decides it is time to destroy
his brother once and for all and begins to raise
an army.

Auke $enior lives in the 4orest of Ardenne %ith
a band of lords %ho have gone into voluntary
e'ile. 5e praises the simple life among the
trees, happy to be absent from the machinations
of court life. *rlando, e'hausted by travel and
desperate to find food for his starving
companion, Adam, barges in on the duke6s
camp and rudely demands that they not eat until
he is given food. Auke $enior calms *rlando
and, %hen he learns that the young man is the
son of his dear former friend, accepts him into
his company. &ean%hile, (osalind and 3elia,
disguised as @anymede and Aliena, arrive in
the forest and meet a lovesick young shepherd
named $ilvius %ho pines a%ay for the disdainful
"hoebe. +he t%o %omen purchase a modest
cottage, and soon enough (osalind runs into
the equally lovesick *rlando. +aking her to be a
young man, *rlando confides in (osalind that
his affections are overpo%ering him. (osalind,
as @anymede, claims to be an e'pert in
e'orcising such emotions and promises to cure
*rlando of lovesickness if he agrees to pretend
that @anymede is (osalind and promises to
oppressions of the
city can be
remedied by a trip
into the country6s
therapeutic %oods
and fields, and that
a person6s sense of
balance and
rightness can be
restored by
conversations %ith
uncorrupted
shepherds and
shepherdesses.
+his type of
restoration, in turn,
enables one to
return to the city a
better person,
capable of making
the most of urban
life.
Moti)&
Artifice
5omoeroticism
8'ile
S'm(ol&
Ol!#,o<& Poem& 2 +he
poems that *rlando
nails to the trees of
Ardenne are a
testament to his
love for (osalind.
T%e Sl!i# Dee2 +he deer
placed atop the
hunter6s head is a
symbol of
Lo, Amie#& 1 A faithful
lord %ho accompanies
Auke $enior into e'ile in
the 4orest of Ardenne.
2ord Amiens is rather >olly
and loves to sing.

C%!le& 1 A professional
%restler in Auke
4rederick6s court.
A,!m 1 +he elderly
former servant of $ir
(o%land de Bois.
Si Ro"l!#, ,e Boi& 1
+he father of *liver and
*rlando, friend of Auke
$enior, and enemy of
Auke 4rederick.
Coi# 1 A shepherd.
3orin attempts to counsel
his friend $ilvius in the
%ays of love, but $ilvius
refuses to listen.

Au,e' 1 A
simpleminded goatherd
%ho agrees to marry
+ouchstone.

6illi!m 1 A young
country boy %ho is in love
%ith Audrey.
come %oo her every day. *rlando agrees, and
the love lessons begin.

&ean%hile, "hoebe becomes increasingly cruel
in her re>ection of $ilvius. !hen (osalind
intervenes, disguised as @anymede, "hoebe
falls hopelessly in love %ith @anymede. *ne
day, *rlando fails to sho% up for his tutorial %ith
@anymede. (osalind, reacting to her infatuation
%ith *rlando, is distraught until *liver appears.
*liver describes ho% *rlando stumbled upon
him in the forest and saved him from being
devoured by a hungry lioness. *liver and 3elia,
still disguised as the shepherdess Aliena, fall
instantly in love and agree to marry. As time
passes, "hoebe becomes increasingly insistent
in her pursuit of @anymede, and *rlando gro%s
tired of pretending that a boy is his dear
(osalind. (osalind decides to end the charade.
$he promises that @anymede %ill %ed "hoebe,
if @anymede %ill ever marry a %oman, and she
makes everyone pledge to meet the ne't day at
the %edding. +hey all agree.

+he day of the %edding arrives, and (osalind
gathers the various couples: "hoebe and
$ilvius9 3elia and *liver9 +ouchstone and
Audrey, a goatherd he intends to marry9 and
*rlando. +he group congregates before Auke
$enior and his men. (osalind, still disguised as
@anymede, reminds the lovers of their various
vo%s, then secures a promise from "hoebe that
if for some reason she refuses to marry
@anymede she %ill marry $ilvius, and a promise
from the duke that he %ould allo% his daughter
to marry *rlando if she %ere available. (osalind
leaves %ith the disguised 3elia, and the t%o
soon return as themselves, accompanied by
5ymen, the god of marriage. 5ymen officiates at
the ceremony and marries (osalind and
*rlando, 3elia and *liver, "hoebe and $ilvius,
and Audrey and +ouchstone. +he festive
%edding celebration is interrupted by even more
cuckoldry,
commonly
represented by a
man %ith horns
atop his head.
G!#'me,e. (osalind6s
choice of alternative identities
is significant. @anymede is
the cupbearer and beloved of
)ove and is a standard
symbol of homose'ual love.
In the conte't of the play, her
choice of an alter ego
contributes to a continuum of
se'ual possibilities.
festive ne%s: %hile marching %ith his army to
attack Auke $enior, Auke 4rederick came upon
a holy man %ho convinced him to put aside his
%orldly concerns and assume a monastic life.
14rederick changes his %ays and returns the
throne to Auke $enior. +he guests continue
dancing, happy in the kno%ledge that they %ill
soon return to the royal court.
THE MERRY
6I+ES OF
6INDSOR
$ome elements of
The .erry $i#es of
$indsor may have
been adapted from Il
Pecorone, a
collection of stories
by $er @iovanni
4iorentino9 one of
these stories %as
included in !illiam
"ainter,s The Palace
of Pleasure/
+he action takes place
in !indsor in Berkshire
3ounty, 8ngland,
during the 8li7abethan
Age. !indsor, a fe%
miles %est of 2ondon,
is the site of !indsor
3astle, a royal
residence from the time
of !illiam the
3onqueror, %ho
reigned as king from
1D66 to 1D#L. +he play
%as said to have
debuted at !indsor
3astle before Pueen
8li7abeth I.
Mi&te&& Fo, 1 A
resident of !indsor,
&istress 4ord is married
to 4ord and is a friend of
&istress "age.
Mi&te&& P!.e 1 A
resident of !indsor,
&istress "age is married
to "age and is a friend of
&istress 4ord.
F!l&t!)) 1 4alstaff is a
knight, but he is also a
scoundrel and
occasionally a thief.
Fo, 1 5usband of
&istress 4ord. 4ord is
very >ealous of his %ife.
P!.e 1 5usband of
&istress "age.
Si Hu.% E*!#& 1 $ir
5ugh 8vans is the local
clergyman.
C!iu& 1 +he local doctor,
3aius is &istress
Puickly,s master.
A##e P!.e 1 Aaughter
of "age and &istress
)ustice $hallo%, &aster $lender, and $ir 5ugh
8vans enter, discussing $hallo%,s anger at $ir
)ohn 4alstaff. 8vans changes the topic to the
young Anne "age, %hom he %ould like to see
$lender marry. +hey arrive at &aster "age,s
door, %here $hallo% confronts 4alstaff and his
entourage. +he men enter to dine, but $lender
drifts around outside, trying unsuccessfully to
converse %ith Anne "age until he goes inside.
4alstaff and his entourage settle in at the @arter
Inn, %here 4alstaff reveals his plan to seduce
&istress "age and &istress 4ord, both of %hom
have control over their husband,s money, %hich
he desires. 5e sends "istol and ?im to deliver
letters to the %omen, but they refuse. Instead
they plot to stymie 4alstaff,s plans by telling
"age and 4ord of his intentions.

&istress Puickly talks to $lender,s servant
$imple, sent by 8vans, and agrees that she %ill
consent to speak positively of $lender to Anne
"age. 5er master, Aoctor 3aius, enters and
encounters $imple. !hen he hears about his
errand, he becomes angry and drafts a letter to
8vans. 3aius too is in love %ith Anne "age and
blames 8vans for encouraging $lender9 hence
he challenges him to a duel. 5e threatens
Puickly, %ho had promised him she %ould
encourage Anne to look favorably on him. 2ater
4enton enters9 he,s also in love %ith Anne and
%ants to kno% if Puickly has related his
affections to her.

6ome# $!# %ol, t%ei o"#
!.!i#&t me#:!#, t%e
,i$t!te& o) $u&tom2 The
.erry $i#es of $indsor takes
place in an age %hen males
often regarded females as
playthings and %hen parents
often chose the suitors for
their daughters. But it is the
%omen %ho %in the day in
this comedy. +%o ordinary
house%ives, &rs. "age and
&rs. 4ord, get the better of a
gold1digging philanderer,
4alstaff. And Anne "age goes
against the %ishes of her
parents %hen she runs off
%ith 4enton. +he outcome of
the play must have pleased
the %omen in $hakespeare,s
audience. *ne of them %as
Pueen 8li7abeth I, according
to evidence indicating that the
play %as first performed
before her at !indsor 3astle.
It is interesting to note,
though, that the %omen %ho
make a fool of 4alstaff, a
knight, are members of the
middle class, not the nobility
or aristocracy. If the queen
indeed delighted in the victory
of the merry %ives, her
en>oyment may have been
"age, Anne is sought for
marriage by an array of
idiots, including 3aius
and $lender.
Fe#to# 1 A suitor for
Anne "age,s hand, "age
denies his suit because
he fears that 4enton,s
interest is purely financial,
being high1born but poor.
Sle#,e 1 +he third suitor
for Anne "age,s hand,
$lender is urged on by
$hallo%, but he is unable
to speak anything but
nonsense to Anne.
S%!llo" 1 $hallo% is a
figure of the la%, but
nevertheless a foolish
character of misplaced
authority.
Mi&te&& 1ui$9l' 1
3aius,s servant, &istress
Puickly is everyone,s
messenger.
B!,ol-% 1 *ne of
4alstaff,s men, Bardolph
takes over as the
bartender of the @arter
Inn in order to pay for
4alstaff,s entourage,s
room and board.

Nim 1 *ne of 4alstaff,s
men, ?im %ants to stay
honest, and he refuses to
deliver 4alstaff,s
seductive letters to
&istress "age enters %ith a letter from 4alstaff.
$he,s astonished that he has the gall to try to
seduce her and %onders ho% she %ill seek
revenge. &istress 4ord appears %ith her o%n
letter, %hich they discover is e'actly the same.
+hey decide to lead 4alstaff on until he is ruined
and humiliated. &istress 4ord agrees to
anything that %on,t harm her honor. &ean%hile,
"istol and ?im enter, conversing %ith 4ord and
"age9 they reveal 4alstaff,s plans. +he
husbands are astonished. "age doesn,t think his
%ife %ill fall for 4alstaff, but 4ord is horribly
>ealous and convinced his %ife %ill dishonor him.

$hallo% and the 5ost of the @arter Inn enter
%ith ne%s of a fight bet%een 3aius and 8vans.
"age goes %ith them to %atch, %hile 4ord
makes a deal %ith the 5ost to be introduced to
4alstaff in disguise, in order to find out ho% far
4alstaff has gotten in his plan.

At the @arter Inn, Puickly enters %ith a
message from &istresses 4ord and "age for
4alstaff. $he reports that 4ord %ill be out the
ne't morning, and &istress 4ord %ill be
e'pecting a visit from him. &istress "age has
not yet gotten her husband to leave the house,
so she,ll make a date at a later time. +hen 4ord
enters in disguise, announced under the name
Brooke. 5e tells 4alstaff that he,s in love %ith
&istress 4ord, but that she has al%ays rebuffed
his advances, claiming that she,s too honorable
to cheat on her husband. 5e asks 4alstaff to
seduce &istress 4ord, thus destroying her
honor, so she %on,t be able to turn him do%n in
the future. 4alstaff reports his date the ne't
morning %ith &istress 4ord. Alone, 4ord curses
his %ife for preparing to cheat on him and thinks
"age is foolish to trust his %ife.

3aius a%aits 8vans for their duel, but 8vans is
no%here to be found. &ean%hile, 8vans has
been %andering around looking for 3aius. +hey
tempered by this factFor so
one may speculate.
All t%i#.& !e #ot !& t%e'
&eem2 4alstaff first deceives
the %ives. +he %ives then
deceive 4alstaff and their
husbands. &r. 4ord and
&istress Puickly also deceive
4alstaff. 4alstaff deceives
himself.
I#&i#$eit' (ee,& tou(le2
4alstaff gets into trouble
because he is insincere,
pretending to be lovestruck
%hen he is really money1
struck.
Tu#!(out i& )!i -l!'2 +he
%ives turn the tables on
4alstaff, and he gets his >ust
desert.
&istress "age and
&istress 4ord.
Pi&tol 1 *ne of 4alstaff,s
men, "istol %ants to stay
honest, and he refuses to
deliver 4alstaff,s
seductive letters to
&istress "age and
&istress 4ord.
Ho&t 1 5ost of the @arter
Inn, the 5ost makes fun
of 8vans and 3aius,s
broken and accented
8nglish
6illi!m P!.e 1 "age,s
son, he meets 8vans,
%ho gives him an
impromptu 2atin lesson
%hich &istress Puickly
entirely mishears as
se'ual innuendo.

Sim-le 1 $lender,s
servant.
meet and prepare to fight. +he other men take
their s%ords a%ay, and 3aius and 8vans speak
quietly to each other of their suspicion that the
5ost has plotted to make them look like fools
because he scorns 8vans for his !elsh accent
and 3aius for his 4rench one. +hey agree to
%ork together to get revenge against the 5ost.

*n the %ay back from the fight, the men discuss
Anne,s marriage options. "age says he favors
$lender, but his %ife prefers 3aius. !hat about
4entonQ, asks one, but "age dismisses him
entirely. 4ord invites the men back to his house
to catch 4alstaff.

4alstaff has arrived at &istress 4ord,s house9 he
hides %hen &istress "age is announced. $he
comes in and speaks loudly of the imminent
arrival of 4ord, %ho angrily suspects his %ife of
cheating. 4alstaff comes out and asks them to
help him flee. +hey hide him in a laundry basket.
4ord and his buddies enter as &istress 4ord,s
men carry the laundry out. 4ord is unable to find
4alstaff, and the &istresses are doubly
delighted to have fooled both 4alstaff and 4ord.
+hey decide to humiliate 4alstaff further in the
service of making 4ord get over his >ealousy.

4enton and Anne "age speak. 5e says her
father ob>ects to him because he suspects him
of >ust %anting Anne,s money, since he is high1
born but poor. 4enton admits that that %as his
intention at first, but, since getting to kno% her,
he has come to feel differently. $hallo%,
$lender, and Puickly enter9 Puickly dra%s
4enton a%ay, %hile $hallo% tries to get $lender
to talk to Anne. $lender only makes a fool of
himself by speaking nonsense. "age and his
%ife enter, and they invite the favored $lender
inside. 4enton asks Puickly to continue to
campaign on his behalf %ith Anne. Alone,
Puickly notes that she likes him better than the
other t%o men %ho have asked her to s%ay
Anne,s opinion.

4alstaff arrives at the @arter Inn, soaked after
having been thro%n in the river %ith the laundry.
Puickly enters %ith a second invitation from
&istress 4ord. 4ord enters in disguise as
Brooke and asks ho% 4alstaff,s date %ith
&istress 4ord %ent. 5e tells ho% it ended, but
says he is visiting again that nightR

4alstaff returns to &istress 4ord,s house, and
again &istress "age enters soon after. 4alstaff
hides, and &istress "age %arns &istress 4ord
of her husband,s approach. 5o% %ill they hide
4alstaff this timeQ 5e emerges and refuses to
go in the laundry again. &istress 4ord suggests
that he %ear the clothes of her servant,s fat aunt
to escape in disguise. 5e does, and %hen 4ord
arrives, he beats 4alstaff and chases him a%ay
because he hates the fat aunt. &istress 4ord
and &istress "age are pleased9 they think they
have proven their point, and so they decide to
tell their husbands of their schemes.

4ord apologi7es to his %ife for his >ealousy, and
he promises never to suspect her again. +hey
decide that it %ould be fun to %ork together to
humiliate 4alstaff publicly. +hey plan to have
&istress 4ord invite 4alstaff to meet her in an
allegedly haunted %ood, and they,ll dress their
children up as ghosts and monsters to terrify
and embarrass 4alstaff. +hen, having caught
him in the act of trying to meet &istress 4ord
secretly, they can tell the story all around to%n.

4enton speaks to the 5ost of a letter he has
received from Anne. $he says that her parents
%ant to use the chaos of disguised children in
the haunted %ood as an opportunity for her
suitors to elope %ith her. 5er mother %ants her
to run off %ith 3aius and her father prefers
$lender. 8ach instructs her to %ear a specific
outfit so each suitor may find her. But she
intends to deceive them both. 4enton asks the
5ost to help him find a vicar %ho %ill marry them
that night.

&ean%hile, 3aius and 8vans avenge
themselves on the 5ost by stealing three of his
horses in a scheme that had him believing he
had lent the horses to three @erman lords on
their %ay to the royal court.

4alstaff arrives in the haunted %oods. +he
disguised children hide and %ait. 4ord and "age
and their friends arrive to %atch, and &istress
4ord and &istress "age approach 4alstaff. 5e,s
delighted to see they have both come to meet
him. +hen they hear a noise and the %omen run
a%ay. 4alstaff is surrounded by disguised elves
and ghouls and is terrified. &istress Puickly,
playing the fairy queen, says they should try to
burn the human they have encountered, and if
he doesn,t burn then he is pure. +hey burn
4alstaff %ith candles and encircle him and pinch
him.

4inally, the disguised children depart, and "age
and 4ord enter. 4alstaff sees that he has been
fooled and humiliated. 8vans tells 4alstaff that
he should give up on his lusts and tells 4ord that
he should trust his %ife. &ean%hile, they all
%onder %here Anne is. $lender arrives upset9 in
the confusion, he eloped %ith a young boy in
Anne,s outfit. +hen 3aius enters, in a rage that
he has married a boy %earing Anne,s assigned
color outfit. +hen Anne herself enters %ith
4enton. 4enton scolds the "ages for having
thought to send Anne into a marriage %ithout
love. 5e and Anne have long been in love, he
says, and no% it has been finali7ed.

4ord says that love has %on out, and "age and
his %ife reali7e their mistake in not having
listened to the %ishes of their daughter. 4alstaff
is pleased that their plan to humiliate him
backfired partially in the marriage of Anne and
4enton. +hey ad>ourn to celebrate the marriage
and invite 4alstaff to >oin them.
ALL<S 6ELL THAT
ENDS 6ELL
+he play is based on
a tale of Boccacio,s
Aecameron.
$hakespeare may
have read an
8nglish translation of
the tale in !illiam
"ainter,s Palace of
Pleasure.
+he name of the
play comes from the
proverb *ll's well
that ends well, %hich
means that problems
do not matter so
long as the outcome
is good.
+he action begins in
(oussillon, a region in
southern 4rance, then
moves to other locales,
including "aris, 4rance9
4lorence, Italy9 and
&arseilles, 4rance.
Bertram, one of the
central characters in
the play, is the 3ount of
(oussillon.
Hele#! 1 +he play,s
heroine. +he orphan
daughter of a great
doctor, she is the %ard of
the 3ountess of
(ousillon, and hopelessly
in love %ith the 3ountess,
son, Bertram.
Bet!m 1 +he 3ount of
(ousillon since the death
of his father, and the
3ountess, only son. A
handsome, %ell1liked
young man, he proves to
be an e'cellent soldier,
but a cad in his
relationship %ith 5elena,
%ho he un%illingly
marries and quickly
abandons.
Cou#te&& 1 +he mother
of Bertram, the mistress
of (ousillon, and
5elena,s guardian, she is
a %ise, discerning old
%oman %ho perceives
5elena,s %orth and
re>oices %hen she
marries Bertram.
5i#. o) F!#$e 1
Bertram,s liege lord. 5e is
deathly ill %hen the play
begins, and is
miraculously cured by
5elena, %ho uses one of
her father,s medicines.
5elena, the orphan daughter of a famous
physician, is the %ard of the 3ountess of
(ousillon, and hopelessly in love %ith her son,
3ount Bertram, %ho has been sent to the court
of the Eing of 4rance. Aespite her beauty and
%orth, 5elena has no hope of attracting
Bertram, since she is of lo% birth and he is a
nobleman. 5o%ever, %hen %ord comes that the
Eing is ill, she goes to "aris and, using her
father,s arts, cures the illness. In return, she is
given the hand of any man in the realm9 she
chooses Bertram. 5er ne% husband is appalled
at the match, ho%ever, and shortly after their
marriage flees 4rance, accompanied only by a
scoundrel named "arolles, to fight in the army of
the Auke of 4lorence.
5elena is sent home to the 3ountess, and
receives a letter from Bertram informing her that
he %ill never be her true spouse unless she can
get his family ring from his finger, and become
pregnant %ith his child11neither of %hich, he
declares, %ill ever come to pass. +he 3ountess,
%ho loves 5elena and approves of the match,
tries to comfort her, but the distraught young
%oman departs (ousillon, planning to make a
religious pilgrimage.

&ean%hile, in 4lorence, Bertram has become a
general in the Auke,s army. 5elena comes to
the city, and discovers that her husband is trying
to seduce the virginal daughter of a kindly
!ido%. !ith the connivance of the daughter,
named Aiana, she contrives to trick Bertram: he
gives Aiana his ring as a token of his love, and
%hen he comes to her room at night, 5elena is
in the bed, and they make love %ithout him
reali7ing that it is her. At the same time, t%o
lords in the army e'pose "arolles as a co%ard
A %um!# (ei#. &%oul, (e
3u,.e, o# %i& o %e i##e
7u!litie&8 #ot o# &o$i!l
&t!#,i#.2 Bertram re>ects
5elena -until the end of the
play. because she is belo%
him on the social scale.
Blinded by his pre>udices, he
fails to see her good qualities.
+his theme foreshado%s the
themes of later 8nglish
%riters, such as )ane Austen,
8mily BrontS and 3harles
Aickens.
6ome# %!*e t%e
i#telli.e#$e !#, 9#o"0%o"
to $om-ete "it% me#2
8'amples: -1. *nly 5elena
can cure the king,s fistula. -.
5elena and Aiana team up to
trick Bertram. +he motif of
%omen struggling to prove
their %orth11or suffering under
male domination11is a
recurring theme in literature.
4or e'ample, in the 5th
3entury B.3., $ophocles
dealt %ith this theme in
*ntigone, a play in %hich a
teenage girl challenges the
authority of a king. In the 1Oth
3entury A.A., Eate 3hopin
dealt %ith this theme in
several of her %orks,
including a splendid short
story entitled K+he $tory of an
5our,K in %hich an oppressed
%oman fails to assert herself
L!)e" 1 An old 4rench
nobleman, %ho offers
advice to the Eing and is
friendly %ith the
3ountess. 5e is %ise and
discerning, perceiving
both 5elena,s %orth and
"arolles, %orthlessness.

P!olle& 1 A companion
of Bertram, he is a
co%ard, a liar and a
braggart, %ho pretends to
be a great soldier %hen
he is nothing of the sort.
Fi&t Lo, 1 A genial
4rench nobleman named
Aumaine, he serves in
the 4lorentine army and
becomes friends %ith
Bertram.
Se$o#, Lo, 1 +he 4irst
2ord Aumaine,s brother,
similar in character and
also a friend to Bertram.

Di!#! 1 A young virgin in
4lorence, %ho Bertram
attempts to seduce.
6i,o" 1 Aiana,s mother.

M!i!#! 1 A %oman of
4lorence.

Du9e o) Floe#$e 1 +he
ruler of 4lorence, many
4rench lords -including
Bertram, "arolles, and
Aumaine. volunteer to
and a villain, and he falls out of Bertram,s favor.
&ean%hile, false messengers have come to the
camp bearing %ord that 5elena is dead, and
%ith the %ar dra%ing to a close, Bertram
decides to return to 4rance. Bnkno%n to him,
5elena follo%s, accompanied by Aiana and the
!ido%.

In (ousillon, everyone is mourning 5elena as
dead. +he Eing is visiting, and consents to
Bertram marrying the daughter of an old, faithful
lord, named 2afe%. 5o%ever, he notices a ring
on Bertram,s finger that formerly belonged to
5elena11it %as a gift from the Eing after she
saved his life. -5elena gave the ring to Aiana in
4lorence, and she in turn gave it to her %ould1be
lover.. Bertram is at a loss to e'plain %here it
came from, but >ust then Aiana and her mother
appear to e'plain matters11follo%ed by 5elena,
%ho informs her husband that both his
conditions have been fulfilled. 3hastened,
Bertram consents to be a good husband to her,
and there is general re>oicing.
in a male %orld but does
en>oy an hour of freedom.
All t%i#.& !e #ot !& t%e'
&eem2 Bertram thinks high
standing brings happiness. In
reality, he discovers later,
only love, honesty, and other
virtues can bring happiness.
All i& "ell "%e# it e#,&
"ell2 5elena gets her man
even though she had to
pretend to be another
%oman, in a darkened room,
to trick him into accepting her.
At the end of the play, 5elena
says that success or failure of
a course of action depends
on ho% it turned out, not on
ho% it came about.
fight for him.

Clo"# 1 An old servant
of the 3ountess, %ho
serves as a messenger
and en>oys coarse,
se'ual humor.

Ste"!, 1 Another
servant of the 3ountess.
MEASURE FOR
MEASURE
+he main source of
the play is @eorge
!hetstone,s 15L#
lengthy t%o1part
closet drama
Promos and
Cassandra.
!hetstone took the
story from 3inthio,s
Hecatommithi, %hich
$hakespeare seems
to have consulted,
as %ell as a
dramati7ation of the
story, also by
3inthio.
+he title, %hich
appears as a line of
dialogue in the play,
may be related to
the Bible, &atthe%
L:
+he setting is in
0ienna.
I&!(ell! 1 +he main
character, Isabella, is a
very virtuous and chaste
young %oman %ho faces
a difficult decision %hen
her brother is sentenced
to death for fornication
-unla%ful se'.. Isabella
does not approve of her
brother,s actions at all,
but she pleads for his life
out of loyalty and sisterly
devotion. Isabella is a
spiritual person %ho
starts off %anting to
become a nun.
T%e Du9e 1 +he other
central figure is the Auke,
%ho spends most of his
time dressed as a friar in
order to observe %hat is
happening in his
absence. +he Auke is
unfailingly virtuous, good,
and kind1hearted.
Cl!u,io 1 Isabella,s
brother 3laudio is a
young man sentenced to
death for impregnating an
unmarried %oman.
$hakespeare,s .easure for .easure centers
around the fate of 3laudio, %ho is arrested by
2ord Angelo, the temporary leader of 0ienna.
Angelo is left in charge by the Auke, %ho
pretends to leave to%n but instead dresses as a
friar to observe the goings1on in his absence.
Angelo is strict, moralistic, and un%avering in
his decision1making9 he decides that there is too
much freedom in 0ienna and takes it upon
himself to rid the city of brothels and unla%ful
se'ual activity. 2a%s against these behaviors
and institutions already e'ist, and Angelo simply
decides to enforce them more strictly. 3laudio is
arrested for impregnating )uliet, his lover, before
they %ere married. Although they %ere engaged
and their se'ual intercourse %as consensual,
3laudio is sentenced to death in order to serve
as an e'ample to the other 0iennese citi7ens.
Isabella, 3laudio,s sister, is about to enter a
nunnery %hen her brother is arrested. $he is
unfailingly virtuous, religious, and chaste. !hen
she hears of her brother,s arrest, she goes to
Angelo to beg him for mercy. 5e refuses, but
suggests that there might be some %ay to
change his mind. !hen he propositions her,
saying that he %ill let 3laudio live if she agrees
to have se'ual intercourse %ith him, she is
shocked and immediately refuses. 5er brother
agrees at first but then changes his mind.
Isabella is left to contemplate a very important
decision.
It discusses serious issues of
the abuses of po%er and
authority.
In $hakespeare,s time,
se'ual harassment %as non1
e'istent, but today it remains
a large issue. &easure for
&easure deals %ith this
harassment in the
relationship bet%een Isabella
and Angelo. +o gain her
brother,s freedom, Isabella
has to make the choice of
%hether to sleep %ith Angelo
or let her brother die. +he
ultimatum is something that
%ould be illegal today.
A leader being above the la%
is another ma>or theme that
runs rampant through the
story. +hough 3laudio is
sentenced to death for
sleeping %ith his fiancTe
%hom he loves, Angelo takes
advantage of being in po%er,
and sleeps %ith Isabella.
8ven though he has attacks
of conscience, Angelo still
e'pects to get a%ay %ith his
Lo, A#.elo 1 Angelo is
the villain of the play, a
man %ho rules strictly
and %ithout mercy. 5e
has his o%n %eaknesses,
ho%ever, and he is
loathsome more for his
hypocrisy than for
anything else.
E&$!lu& 1 8scalus is a
%ise lord %ho advises
Angelo to be more
merciful.
Lu$io 1 2ucio, described
by $hakespeare as a
Kfantastic,K is a
flamboyant bachelor %ho
provides much of the
play,s comedic content.
M!i!#! 1 &ariana %as
supposed to marry
Angelo, but he called the
%edding off %hen she lost
her do%ry in a ship%reck
that killed her brother.

Mi&te&& O*e,o#e 1
&istress *verdone runs a
brothel in 0ienna.

Pom-e' 1 "ompey is a
clo%n %ho also %orks for
&istress *verdone.

Po*o&t 1 +he provost
runs the prison and is
responsible for carrying
out all of Angelo,s orders.


Isabella is, in a %ay, let off the hook %hen the
Auke, dressed as a friar, intervenes. 5e tells her
that Angelo,s former lover, &ariana, %as
engaged to be married to him, but he
abandoned her %hen she lost her do%ry in a
ship%reck. +he Auke forms a plan by %hich
Isabella %ill agree to have se' %ith the Angelo,
but then &ariana %ill go in her place. +he ne't
morning, Angelo %ill pardon 3laudio and be
forced to marry &ariana according to the la%.

8verything goes according to plan, e'cept that
Angelo does not pardon 3laudio, fearing
revenge. +he provost and the Auke send him
the head of a dead pirate, claiming that it
belonged to 3laudio, and Angelo believes that
his orders %ere carried out. Isabella is told that
her brother is dead, and that she should submit
a complaint to the Auke, %ho is due to arrive
shortly, accusing Angelo of immoral acts.

+he Auke returns in his usual clothes, saying
that he %ill hear all grievances immediately.
Isabella tells her story, and the Auke pretends
not to believe her. 8ventually, the Auke reveals
his dual identity, and everyone is forced to be
honest. Angelo confesses to his misdeeds,
3laudio is pardoned, and the Auke asks Isabella
to marry him.
crime because of the position
he holds. +he ma>or
metaphor in the play %as also
a person of po%er. +he Auke
in disguise stands as a @od1
like %atcher figure %ho fi'es
the %rongs the characters
make, >udges those %ho
deserve to be >udged, and
re%ards those %ho are loyal
and virtuous. +he Auke uses
his po%er to help, not to
hinder those around him as
$hakespeare may have
perceived his @od to be.
El(o" 1 8lbo% is a dim1
%itted constable %ho
arrests people for
misconduct, particularly
of the se'ual variety.
B!#!,i#e 1 A long1term
prisoner in the >ail,
Barnadine is sentenced
to be e'ecuted together
%ith 3laudio.
Juliet 1 3laudio,s lover,
she is pregnant %ith his
baby.
6INTER<S TALE
+he main plot of +he
!inter,s +ale is
taken from (obert
@reene,s pastoral
romance Pandosto,
published in 15OD.
+he action takes place
in $icily -or $icilia. and
Bohemia. $icily is a
large island %est of the
toe of Italy,s boot.
Bohemia %as a
kingdom %ithin the
boundaries of the
present1day 37ech
republic, bet%een
present1day "oland on
the north and Austria
on the south. In ancient
times, a 3eltic people
called the Boii settled
the land that became
Bohemia. In The
$inter's Tale, Bohemia
has a coastline along
%hich ships arrive and
debark. In real life,
Bohemia %as a
landlocked region9 it
%as entirely surrounded
by terra firma.
$hakespeare may have
Leo#te& 1 +he Eing of
$icilia, and the childhood
friend of the Bohemian
Eing "oli'enes.
Hemio#e 1 +he virtuous
and beautiful Pueen of
$icilia.
Pe,it! 1 +he daughter
of 2eontes and 5ermione.
Poli4e#e& 1 +he Eing of
Bohemia, and 2eontes,s
boyhood friend.
Floi=el 1 "oli'enes,s
only son and heir
C!millo 1 An honest
$icilian nobleman
P!uli#! 1 A noble%oman
of $icily, she is fierce in
her defense of
5ermione,s virtue, and
unrelenting in her
Eing 2eontes of $icilia begs his childhood friend,
Eing "oli'enes of Bohemia, to e'tend his visit to
$icilia. "oli'enes protests that he has been
a%ay from his kingdom for nine months, but
after 2eontes,s pregnant %ife, 5ermione, pleads
%ith him he relents and agrees to stay a little
longer. 2eontes, mean%hile, has become
possessed %ith >ealousy11convinced that
"oli'enes and 5ermione are lovers, he orders
his loyal retainer, 3amillo, to poison the
Bohemian king. Instead, 3amillo %arns
"oli'enes of %hat is afoot, and the t%o men flee
$icilia immediately.
4urious at their escape, 2eontes no% publicly
accuses his %ife of infidelity, and declares that
the child she is bearing must be illegitimate. 5e
thro%s her in prison, over the protests of his
nobles, and sends to the *racle of Aelphi for
%hat he is sure %ill be confirmation of his
suspicions. &ean%hile, the queen gives birth to
a girl, and her loyal friend "aulina brings the
baby to the king, in the hopes that the sight of
the child %ill soften his heart. 5e only gro%s
angrier, ho%ever, and orders "aulina,s husband,
2ord Antigonus, to take the child and abandon it
in some desolate place. !hile Antigonus is
Yout% !#, A.e
*ne theme is the po%er of
youth to regenerate age. 4or
e'ample, it is the young
people, "erdita and 4lori7el,
%ho effect the reconciliation
bet%een the old kings,
2eontes and "oli'enes. +his
theme is struck in the very
first scene, in %hich 3amillo
comments that young
&amilius is such a promising
prince that he makes Kold
hearts fresh.K -$ee also
"oli'enes, comments, Act 1,
scene , lines 1LD1L1..
&amilius of course does not
live to fulfill his promise, but
"erdita does. +here is a
sense of human life rene%ing
itself through the cycle of
generations.
Fo.i*e#e&& !#,
Re$o#$ili!tio#
+he importance of
been a magnificent
%riter, but he %as no
geographer.
condemnation of 2eontes
after 5ermione,s death
Autol'$u& 1 A roguish
peddler, vagabond, and
pickpocket
S%e-%e, 1 An old and
honorable sheep1tender,
he finds "erdita as a
baby and raises her as
his o%n daughter.

A#ti.o#u& 1 "aulina,s
husband, and also a loyal
defender of 5ermione.
Clo"# 1 +he $hepherd,s
buffoonish son, and
"erdita,s adopted brother.

M!milliu& 1 +he young
prince of $icilia, 2eontes
and 5ermione,s son.
Cleome#e& 1 A lord of
$icilia, sent to Aelphi to
ask the *racle about
5ermione,s guilt.

Dio# 1 A $icilian lord, he
accompanies 3leomenes
to Aelphi.

Emili! 1 *ne of
5ermione,s ladies1in1
%aiting.

A$%i,!mu& 1 A lord of
Bohemia.
gone, the ans%er comes from Aelphi115ermione
and "oli'enes are innocent, and 2eontes %ill
have no heir until his lost daughter is found. As
this ne%s is revealed, %ord comes that
2eontes,s son, &amillius, has died of a %asting
sickness brought on by the accusations against
his mother. 5ermione, mean%hile, falls in a
s%oon, and is carried a%ay by "aulina, %ho
subsequently reports the queen,s death to her
heartbroken and repentant husband.

Antigonus, mean%hile abandons the baby on
the Bohemian coast, reporting that 5ermione
appeared to him in a dream and bade him name
the girl "erdita and leave gold and other tokens
on her person. $hortly thereafter, Antigonus is
killed by a bear, and "erdita is raised by a kindly
$hepherd. $i'teen years pass, and the son of
"oli'enes, "rince 4lori7el, falls in love %ith
"erdita. 5is father and 3amillo attend a
sheepshearing in disguise and %atch as 4lori7el
and "erdita are betrothed11then, tearing off the
disguise, "oli'enes intervenes and orders his
son never to see the $hepherd,s daughter
again. !ith the aid of 3amillo, ho%ever, %ho
longs to see his native land again, 4lori7el and
"erdita take ship for $icilia, after using the
clothes of a local rogue, Autolycus, as a
disguise. +hey are >oined in their voyage by the
$hepherd and his son, a 3lo%n, %ho are
directed there by Autolycus.

In $icilia, 2eontes11still in mourning after all this
time11greets the son of his old friend effusively.
4lori7el pretends to be on a diplomatic mission
from his father, but his cover is blo%n %hen
"oli'enes and 3amillo, too, arrive in $icilia.
!hat happens ne't is told to us by gentlemen of
the $icilian court: the $hepherd tells everyone
his story of ho% "erdita %as found, and 2eontes
reali7es that she is his daughter, leading to
general re>oicing. +he entire company then goes
to "aulina,s house in the country, %here a
forgiveness and reconciliation
is another theme in the last
plays of $hakespeare.
5ermoine forgives 2eontes
the %rong he inflicted on her,
and they are finally
reconciled. "oli'enes forgives
2eontes. 2eontes must also
try to forgive himself.
Su-e#!tu!l I#te*e#tio#
$upernatural or improbable
events often feature in the
$hakespearean romances. In
+he !inter,s +ale, the god
Apollo intervenes, through the
oracle, %hen 2eontes is blind
to the truth and bent on
in>ustice. +he KresurrectionK of
5ermoine is also presented
as a supernatural event, a
miracle.
No(ilit' o) 6om!#
Another theme of the
romances, prominent in +he
!inter,s +ale, is the nobility,
purity and resoluteness of
%oman. +hese qualities are
embodied in 5ermoine, %ho
is not only beyond reproach
in her duties as queen, but
also endures false accusation
and condemnation %ith great
dignity.
N!tue !#, t%e Pe-etu!l
Re#e"!l o) Li)e2 human life
%ill be healed by nature and
time, >ust as spring al%ays
returns to the earth. !hat
statue of 5ermione has been recently finished.
+he sight of his %ife,s form makes 2eontes
distraught, but then, to everyone,s ama7ement,
the statue comes to life11it is 5ermione, restored
to life. As the play ends, "aulina and 3amillo
are engaged, and the %hole company
celebrates the miracle.
time takes a%ay it %ill
ultimately restore.
THE COMEDY OF
ERRORS
Eey plot elements
are taken from t%o
(oman comedies of
"lautus.
4rom .enaechmi
comes the main
premise of mistaken
identity bet%een
identical t%ins %ith
the same name, plus
some of the stock
characters such as
the comic courtesan.
In .enaechmi one of
the t%ins is from
8pidamnus9
$hakespeare
changes this to
8phesus and
includes many
allusions to $t "aul,s
8pistle to the
8phesians.
4rom *mphitruo he
borro%s the t%in
servants %ith the
same name, plus the
T%e &etti#. )o T%e
Come,' o) Eo& i&
E-%e&u&8 i# -e&e#t0
,!' Tu9e'8 "%i$%
"!& ! le!,i#. t!,e
$e#te i# !#$ie#t
time&2
A#ti-%olu& o) S'!$u&e
1 +he t%in brother of
Antipholus of 8phesus
and the son of 8geon
A#ti-%olu& o) E-%e&u&
1 +he t%in brother of
Antipholus of $yracuse
and the son of 8geon9 he
is a %ell1respected
merchant in 8phesus and
Adriana,s husband.

Domio o) S'!$u&e 1
+he bumbling, comical
slave of Antipholus of
$yracuse. 5e is the t%in
brother of Aromio of
8phesus.

Domio o) E-%e&u& 1
+he bumbling, comical
slave of Antipholus of
8phesus. 5e is the
$yracusan Aromio,s t%in
brother.

A,i!#! 1 +he %ife of
Antipholus of 8phesus,
she is a fierce, >ealous
%oman.

Lu$i!#! 1 Adriana,s
unmarried sister and the
ob>ect of Antipholus of
8geon, a merchant of $yracuse, is condemned
to death in 8phesus for violating the ban against
travel bet%een the t%o rival cities. As he is led
to his e'ecution, he tells the 8phesian Auke,
$olinus, that he has come to $yracuse in search
of his %ife and one of his t%in sons, %ho %ere
separated from him 5 years ago in a
ship%reck. +he other t%in, %ho gre% up %ith
8geon, is also traveling the %orld in search of
the missing half of their family. -+he t%ins, %e
learn, are identical, and each has an identical
t%in slave named Aromio.. +he Auke is so
moved by this story that he grants 8geon a day
to raise the thousand1mark ransom that %ould
be necessary to save his life.
&ean%hile, unkno%n to 8geon, his son
Antipholus of $yracuse -and Antipholus, slave
Aromio. is also visiting 8phesus11%here
Antipholus, missing t%in, kno%n as Antipholus of
8phesus, is a prosperous citi7en of the city.
Adriana, Antipholus of 8phesus, %ife, mistakes
Antipholus of $yracuse for her husband and
drags him home for dinner, leaving Aromio of
$yracuse to stand guard at the door and admit
no one. $hortly thereafter, Antipholus of
8phesus -%ith his slave Aromio of 8phesus.
returns home and is refused entry to his o%n
house. &ean%hile, Antipholus of $yracuse has
fallen in love %ith 2uciana, Adriana,s sister, %ho
is appalled at the behavior of the man she thinks
is her brother1in1la%.

+he confusion increases %hen a gold chain
ordered by the 8phesian Antipholus is given to
I,e#tit'
+hat this is a play about
identity is heralded by the
presence of t%o sets of
identical t%ins %ho have been
separated since they %ere
babies.
De(t
Aebt is a theme that arises in
almost every scene of the
play. It appears in t%o forms:
material debt -money and
goods. and social or marital
obligations. +he entire theme
of debt is that of a cruelly
binding chain of cause and
effect that ties the characters
up in fear, deception, distress
and >ealousy, and banishes
love, forgiveness, and
friendship.
Lo*e !#, m!i!.e
+his theme is e'plored in the
relationship bet%een Adriana
and her husband, Antipholus
8., and in the debate on
marriage bet%een Adriana
and 2uciana.
Ge#,e i&&ue&
+he theme of gender
scene in Act < %here
a husband is shut
out of his house
%hile his %ife
mistakenly dines
%ith a look1alike.
+he frame story of
8geon and 8milia
derives from
*pollonius of Tyre,
also a source for
Twelfth ight and
Pericles0 Prince of
Tyre.
$yracuse,s affections.

Soli#u& 1 +he Auke of
8phesus9 a >ust but
merciful ruler.

E.eo# 1 A $yracusan
merchant, husband of the
Abbess -8milia., and the
father of the t%o Antipholi
A((e&& 1 8milia, the
long1lost %ife of 8geon
and the mother of the t%o
Antipholi.

B!lt%!&! 1 A merchant
in $yracuse.

A#.elo 1 A goldsmith in
$yracuse and a friend to
Antipholus of 8phesus.

Me$%!#t 1 An
8phesian friend of
Antipholus of $yracuse.

Se$o#, Me$%!#t 1 A
tradesman to %hom
Angelo is in debt.

Do$to Pi#$% 1 A
schoolteacher, con>urer,
and %ould1be e'orcist.

Lu$e 1 Also called ?ell.
Antipholus of 8phesus,
prodigiously fat maid and
Aromio of 8phesus, %ife.

Coute&!# 1 An
e'pensive prostitute and
friend of Antipholus of
Antipholus of $yracuse. Antipholus of 8phesus
refuses to pay for the chain -unsurprisingly,
since he never received it. and is arrested for
debt. 5is %ife, seeing his strange behavior,
decides he has gone mad and orders him bound
and held in a cellar room. &ean%hile,
Antipholus of $yracuse and his slave decide to
flee the city, %hich they believe to be
enchanted, as soon as possible11only to be
menaced by Adriana and the debt officer. +hey
seek refuge in a nearby abbey.

Adriana no% begs the Auke to intervene and
remove her KhusbandK from the abbey into her
custody. 5er real husband, mean%hile, has
broken loose and no% comes to the Auke and
levels charges against his %ife. +he situation is
finally resolved by the Abbess, 8milia, %ho
brings out the set of t%ins and reveals herself to
be 8geon,s long1lost %ife. Antipholus of
8phesus reconciles %ith Adriana9 8geon is
pardoned by the Auke and reunited %ith his
spouse9 Antipholus of $yracuse resumes his
romantic pursuit of 2uciana, and all ends happily
%ith the t%o Aromios embracing.
overlaps %ith the theme of
love and marriage. 3ritical
debate of this issue centers
around Adriana and 2uciana,
in terms of their respective
attitudes to marriage and
men.
8phesus.
CYMBELINE
+he plot of
Cymbeline is loosely
based on a tale by
@eoffrey of
&onmouth about the
real1life British
monarch
3unobelinus.
$hakespeare,
ho%ever, freely
adapts the legend to
a large e'tent and
adds entirely original
sub1plots. Iachimo,s
%ager and
subsequent hiding1
place %ithin a chest
in order to gather
details of Imogen,s
room derive from
story II.O of @iovanni
Boccaccio,s
Aecameron.
T%e &etti#.& )o
C'm(eli#e !e
A#$ie#t E#.l!#,8
6!le& !#, Rome2
Imo.e# 1 3ymbeline,s
daughter, the British
princess. $he is %ise,
beautiful, and resourceful.
Po&t%umu& 1 An
orphaned gentleman, he
is adopted and raised by
3ymbeline, and he
marries Imogen in secret,
against her father,s %ill.
C'm(eli#e 1 +he king of
Britain and Imogen,s
father. A %ise and
gracious monarch, he is
led astray by the
machinations of his
%icked Pueen.

1uee# 1 3ymbeline,s
%ife and Imogen,s
stepmother.
Clote# 1 +he Pueen,s
son, he %as betrothed to
Imogen before her secret
%edding to "osthumus.
I!$%imo 1 A clever and
dishonest Italian
gentleman.
Pi&!#io 1 "osthumus,s
loyal servant
Bel!iu& 1 A British
nobleman, un>ustly
banished by 3ymbeline
Gui,eiu& 1 3ymbeline,s
Imogen, the daughter of the British king
3ymbeline, goes against her father,s %ishes and
marries a lo%born gentleman, "osthumus,
instead of his oafish stepson, 3loten. 3loten is
the son of 3ymbeline,s ne% Pueen, a villainous
%oman %ho has made the king her puppet.
3ymbeline sends "osthumus into e'ile in Italy,
%here he encounters a smooth1tongued Italian
named Iachimo. Iachimo argues that all %omen
are naturally unchaste, and he makes a %ager
%ith "osthumus that he %ill be able to seduce
Imogen. 5e goes to the British court and, failing
in his initial attempt to convince the princess to
sleep %ith him, resorts to trickery: 5e hides in a
large chest and has it sent to her room9 that
night he slips out, observes her sleeping, and
steals a bracelet that "osthumus once gave to
her.
3loten, mean%hile, continues to pursue Imogen,
but she rebuffs him harshly. 5e becomes furious
and vo%s revenge, %hile she %orries over the
loss of her bracelet. In the meantime, Iachimo
has returned to Italy, and, displaying the stolen
bracelet and an intimate kno%ledge of the
details of Imogen,s bedchamber, convinces
"osthumus that he %on the bet. "osthumus,
furious at being betrayed by his %ife, sends a
letter to Britain ordering his servant, "isanio, to
murder Imogen. But "isanio believes in
Imogen,s innocence, and he convinces her to
disguise herself as a boy and go search for her
husband, %hile he reports to "osthumus that he
has killed her.

Imogen, ho%ever, soon becomes lost in the
%ilds of !ales, and she comes upon a cave
%here Belarius, an un>ustly banished nobleman,
lives %ith his t%o sons, @uiderius and Arviragus.
In fact, the t%o young men are not his sons but
3ymbeline,s9 Belarius has kidnapped them to
A--e!!#$e *e&u& e!lit'
In 3ymbeline, nothing is as it
seems. *ut%ard appearance
does not fit in%ard reality.
Yout% !#, !.e
3ymbeline and, by e'tension,
his court and the kingdom,
has lost touch %ith youth and
all that goes %ith it1love,
fertility, and rene%al. +his is
sho%n in the loss of his t%o
sons, in his %edding a cruel
Pueen, and in his harsh
imprisonment of Imogen.
Re&to!ti*e -o"e o) #!tue
3ymbeline is one of several
plays in %hich $hakespeare
contrasts the corrupt and
decaying court %ith the purity
and truth of the natural %orld.
Fo.i*e#e&& !#,
e$o#$ili!tio#
+he final scene is
characteri7ed by forgiveness
and reconciliation.
"osthumus learns that
Imogen %as innocent and
e'presses repentance.
Imogen forgives "osthumus.
3ymbeline is reunited %ith
Imogen and %ith his lost
sons, forgives Belarius, and is
reconciled %ith the enemy he
vanquished.
eldest son and Imogen,s
brother
A*i!.u& 1 3ymbeline,s
younger son and
Imogen,s brother
P%il!io 1 An Italian
gentleman. "osthumus
stays at his home during
his e'ile from Britain.

C!iu& Lu$iu& 1 +he
(oman ambassador to
Britain and, later, the
general of the (oman
invasion force.

Co#eliu& 1 A doctor at
the court of 3ymbeline

Soot%&!'e 1 A seer, in
the service of 3aius
2ucius

Ju-ite 1 +he thunder1
god and king of *lympus
in (oman myth
avenge his banishment, though they themselves
are ignorant of their true parentage. +hey
%elcome Imogen, %ho is still dressed as a boy.
&ean%hile, 3loten appears, having come in
pursuit of Imogen9 he fights a duel %ith
@uiderius, %ho kills him. Imogen, feeling ill,
drinks a potion the queen has given her.
Although the queen told her it %as medicinal,
the queen herself believed it to be a poison.
5o%ever, the draught merely induces a deep
sleep that resembles death. Belarius and his
adoptive sons come upon Imogen and, heart1
broken, lay her body beside that of the slain
3loten. A%aking after they have left the scene,
she mistakes the body of 3loten for that of
"osthumus, and she sinks into despair. A
(oman army has invaded Britain, seeking the
restoration of a certain tribute Britain has
ceased to pay. -A KtributeK here is a payment
given to one nation by another in return for a
promise of non1aggression.. +he disguised
Imogen hires herself out to them as a page.

"osthumus and Iachimo are traveling %ith the
(oman army, but "osthumus s%itches to the
garb of a British peasant and fights valiantly for
Britain. Indeed, in his combat he actively seeks
death: 5e believes his servant to have carried
out his orders and killed Imogen, and he regrets
his actions. +he (omans are defeated, thanks
to the intervention of Belarius, @uiderius, and
Arviragus, and "osthumus, still trying to punish
himself, s%itches back to (oman garb and
allo%s himself to be taken prisoner. +hat night,
the god )upiter promises the spirits of
"osthumus,s dead ancestors that he %ill care for
their descendant. +he ne't day, 3ymbeline calls
the prisoners before him, and the confusion is
sorted out. "osthumus and Imogen are reunited,
and they forgive a contrite Iachimo, %ho
confesses his deception. +he identity of
@uiderius and Arviragus is revealed, Belarius is
forgiven, and the Pueen dies, leaving the king
free of her evil influence. As a final gesture,
3ymbeline frees the (oman prisoners and even
agrees to resume paying the tribute.
LO+E<S LABOUR
LOST
,o#e's ,abour's ,ost
is, along %ith The
Tempest, a play
%ithout any obvious
sources. Cymbeline
falls into this
category to some
e'tent, although that
play dra%s strands
of its narrative from
some te'ts agreed
on by modern
scholars. $ome
possible influences
can be found in the
early plays of )ohn
2yly, (obert !ilson,s
The Cobbler's
Prophecy -c.15OD.
and "ierre de la
"rimaudaye,s
,'*cademie
fran1aise -15LL..
+he action takes place
in ?avarre -$panish,
a#arra., originally a
region in northern
$pain and southern
4rance -dTpartement of
Basses1"yrTnTes.. At
one time, ?avarre %as
a kingdom. In 1515,
$pain anne'ed most of
?avarre9 in 15#O,
4rance anne'ed the
rest of the kingdom.
+he capital of present1
day ?avarre is
"amplona, on the Arga
(iver, founded by the
ancient (oman general
"ompey the @reat. +he
area %as later occupied
by 0isigoths and
&oors. "amplona is
famous for the 4estival
of $t. 4ermin -)uly 61
1J., in %hich a chief
attraction is encierro2
the running of bulls
each morning through
the streets of the city.
Fe,i#!#,8 5i#. o)
N!*!e 1 !hile the
play,s dramatis personae
lists the Eing as
4erdinand, throughout the
play he is referred to only
as KEing.K 5e is a scholar
and has s%orn an oath to
uphold his scholarship at
the e'pense of earthly
pleasures, the most
important of %hich %ill
turn out to be receiving
%omen at his court.
Beo"#e8 Lo#.!*ille8
Dum!i#e 1 +hree lords
%ho have >oined the Eing
in his oath of scholarship.
Pi#$e&& o) F!#$e
1 $he pays a visit to the
Eing of ?avarre and,
along %ith some of her
attendants, plays a game
of %its %ith the Eing and
his lords.

Ro&!li#e8 M!i!8
5!t%ei#e 1 +hree
ladies attending the
"rincess %ho catch the
fancy of the Eing,s lords.

Bo'et 1 A lord attending
on the "rincess, he
serves as a messenger to
the Eing,s court and
e'changes >okes %ith the
+he Eing of ?avarre and his three lords,
Bero%ne, 2ongaville, and Aumaine, s%ear an
oath to scholarship, %hich includes fasting and
avoiding contact %ith %omen for three years.
+hey receive a letter from Aon Armado, a
$paniard visiting the Eing,s court, telling them
that he has caught 3ostard, a fool, and
)aquenetta, a country %ench, consorting in the
park. +he Eing announces 3ostard,s sentence,
and he and the lords go off to begin their oath.
Aon Armado confesses to &oth, his page, that
he has fallen in love %ith )aquenetta. 5e %rites
her a letter that he asks 3ostard to deliver.

&ean%hile, the "rincess of 4rance has arrived
to visit the Eing. Because of his oath, ho%ever,
the Eing cannot receive the "rincess and her
party at his court9 he and his lords must visit
them at their camp outside the castle. +he three
lords fall in love %ith the three ladies, as does
the Eing %ith the "rincess. Bero%ne gives
3ostard a letter to deliver to (osaline, but
3ostard accidentally s%itches it %ith the letter
from Aon Armado to )aquenetta. !hen he gives
Bero%ne,s letter to )aquenetta, she brings it to
the learned 5olofernes and $ir ?athaniel to read
for her. +hey tell her that the letter %as meant
for someone else and to deliver it to the Eing.

Bero%ne %atches the Eing from a hiding spot as
he reads about his love for the "rincess.
2ongaville enters, and the Eing hides as %ell9 he
and Bero%ne observe 2ongaville reading of his
love for &aria. Aumaine enters, 2ongaville
hides, and all three see Aumaine reading an
ode he has %ritten to Eatherine. 2ongaville
advances and tells Aumaine that he is not alone
in love. +he Eing then advances and scolds the
2ove,s 2abor,s 2ost is
$hakespeare,s attempt at
sho%ing his characters do not
al%ays achieve their ends.
+he play focuses on its
character,s fla%s instead of
their virtues. 4irst, the men of
the play try to make sacrifices
in order to better their minds
and their studies.
In the play, the only
kno%ledge that the
characters gain is that in
taking a%ay life,s natural
distractions, they focus on
%hat they cannot have.
2ove,s 2abor,s 2ost also
sho%s the audience the
values of keeping an oath.
+he %omen of the play, in
attempts to sho% the men
%hat fools they have been,
teach them this lesson.
+he K2ostK in the title
accurately describes the fact
that the men gained nothing
through their oath both to
their king, and to the %omen
to %hom they professed their
love. It sho%s that no matter
ho% hard one tries, keeping
promises is often more
important and more respect
gaining than e'pressions of
love.
lords.

Do# Am!,o 1
Aescribed in the list of
characters as Ka
fantastical $paniard.K
Mote 1 Aon Armado,s
page.

Co&t!, 1 5e is
described as Ka clo%nK
J!7ue#ett! 1 A country
%ench caught %ith
3ostard by Aon Armado.

Si N!t%!#iel8
Holo)e#e& 1 A curate
and schoolmaster
Dull 1 A constable,
usually appearing %ith $ir
?athaniel and
5olofernes. 5e provides
a dull contrast to their
scholarship.

Me$!,> 1 Another lord
attending on the
"rincess.

t%o men for breaking their oath. Bero%ne
advances and reveals that the Eing is in love as
%ell. )aquenetta arrives and gives Bero%ne the
letter, %hich he rips up. 5o%ever, Aumaine
picks up a piece of the letter %ith Bero%ne,s
name on it, and Bero%ne confesses that he is in
love as %ell. +he four men decide to court their
%omen.

+he Eing and his lords arrive at the "rincess,s
pavilion dressed as &uscovites. +he %omen
heed Boyet,s prior %arnings and decide to
s%itch favors, so that the men %ill mistake them
for each other. After the men leave and
reappear as themselves, the %omen reveal their
prank. +hey all %atch a sho% of the ?ine
!orthies, performed by Aon Armado, $ir
?athaniel, and 5olofernes. A messenger arrives
to tell the "rincess that her father has died, and
she prepares to return to 4rance. +he %omen
tell their suitors to seek them again in a year,
and the play ends %ith their departure.
ANTONY AND
CLEOPATRA
+he principal source
for the story is
"lutarch,s K2ife of
&ark AntonyK from
+he action takes place
in Africa, 8urope, and
the &iddle 8ast
bet%een JD and <D
B.3. +he grand, far1
flung, macrocosmic
scope of the settings
helps to underscore the
A#to#' 1 A once fierce
and feared soldier %ho
rules the (oman 8mpire
along %ith *ctavius
3aesar and 2epidus.
Cleo-!t! 1 +he queen
of 8gypt and Antony6s
lover. A highly attractive
%oman %ho once
&A(E A?+*?I, *?8 *4 +58 +5(88 (B28($ of the
(oman 8mpire, spends his time in 8gypt, living
a life of decadence and conducting an affair %ith
the country6s beautiful queen, 3leopatra. !hen
a message arrives informing him that his %ife,
4ulvia, is dead and that "ompey is raising an
army to rebel against the triumvirate, Antony
decides to return to (ome. In Antony6s absence,
*ctavius 3aesar and 2epidus, his fello%
triumvirs, %orry about "ompey6s increasing
Bli#, -!&&io# mute& t%e
*oi$e o) e!&o# !#, le!,&
to t%e ,e!t% o) t"o mi.%t'
le!,e&2 Antony and
3leopatra both pay %ith their
lives for their scandalous, all1
consuming love affair.
Be"!e o) 'ou#. me# o)
!m(itio#2 8'cessive ambition
,i#es of the oble
%recians and
Romans Compared
Together, in the
translation made by
$ir +homas ?orth in
15LO. A large
number of phrases
%ithin
$hakespeare,s play
are taken directly
from ?orth,s prose,
including
8nobarbus,s famous
description of
3leopatra,s barge,
beginning K+he
barge she sat in, like
a burnished
throneCBurned on
the %ater.K 5o%ever
$hakespeare also
adds scenes,
including many of
the ones portraying
3leopatra,s domestic
life, and the role of
8nobarbus is greatly
developed. 5istorical
facts are also
sometimes changed:
in "lutarch Antony,s
final defeat %as
many %eeks after
the battle of Actium,
and *ctavia lived
%ith mark for several
years and bore him
t%o children.
immensity of the
political and emotional
drives and impulses at
%ork in the play.+he
settings also serve to
demonstrate the
pronounced differences
bet%een sober,
straitlaced (ome and
hedonistic, decadent
8gypt. +he settings
include the follo%ing:
3leopatra,s palace in
Ale'andria, 8gypt9 the
house of *ctavius
3aesar in (ome, Italy9
the house of $e'tus
"ompeius in &essina,
Italy9 the house of
2epidus in (ome9 a
street in (ome9 a
meeting place near
&isenum, Italy9 the
galley of $e'tus
"ompeius off &isenum9
a plain in $yria9 &ark
Antony,s residence in
Athens, @reece9 &ark
Antony,s camp near
Actium, @reece9 a plain
near Actium9 *ctavius
3aesar,s camp in
8gypt9 &ark Antony,s
camp at Ale'andria9
8gyptian field of battle9
the %alls at Ale'andria9
a monument at
Ale'andria.
seduced )ulius 3aesar,
3leopatra delights in the
thought that she has
caught Antony like a fish.
O$t!*iu& C!e&! 1 +he
nephe% and adopted son
of )ulius 3aesar.
*ctavius rules the (oman
8mpire %ith Antony and
2epidus.
E#o(!(u& 1 Antony6s
most loyal supporter.
!orldly and cynical,
8nobarbus is friendly %ith
the subordinates of both
"ompey and 3aesar, yet
stays faithful to his
master even after Antony
makes grave political and
military missteps.
M!$u& Aemiliu&
Le-i,u& 1 +he third
member of the triumvirate
and the %eakest, both
politically and personally.
Pom-e' 1 +he son of a
great general %ho %as
one of )ulius 3aesar6s
partners in po%er.
"ompey is young and
popular %ith the (oman
people, and he
possesses enough
military might to stand as
a legitimate threat to the
triumvirs.
O$t!*i! 1 *ctavius
3aesar6s sister.
strength. 3aesar condemns Antony for
neglecting his duties as a statesman and
military officer in order to live a decadent life by
3leopatra6s side.
+he ne%s of his %ife6s death and imminent
battle pricks Antony6s sense of duty, and he
feels compelled to return to (ome. Bpon his
arrival, he and 3aesar quarrel, %hile 2epidus
ineffectually tries to make peace. (eali7ing that
an alliance is necessary to defeat "ompey,
Antony and 3aesar agree that Antony %ill marry
3aesar6s sister, *ctavia, %ho %ill solidify their
loyalty to one another. 8nobarbus, Antony6s
closest friend, predicts to 3aesar6s men that,
despite the marriage, Antony %ill surely return to
3leopatra.

In 8gypt, 3leopatra learns of Antony6s marriage
and flies into a >ealous rage. 5o%ever, %hen a
messenger delivers %ord that *ctavia is plain
and unimpressive, 3leopatra becomes confident
that she %ill %in Antony back. +he triumvirs
meet "ompey and settle their differences
%ithout going to battle. "ompey agrees to keep
peace in e'change for rule over $icily and
$ardinia. +hat evening, the four men drink to
celebrate their truce. *ne of "ompey6s soldiers
discloses to him a plan to assassinate the
triumvirs, thereby delivering %orld po%er into
"ompey6s hands, but "ompey dismisses the
scheme as an affront to his honor. &ean%hile,
one of Antony6s 1generals %ins a victory over
the kingdom of "arthia.

Antony and *ctavia depart for Athens. *nce
they are gone, 3aesar breaks his truce, %ages
%ar against "ompey, and defeats him. After
using 2epidus6s army to secure a victory, he
accuses 2epidus of treason, imprisons him, and
confiscates his land and possessions. +his
ne%s angers Antony, as do the rumors that
3aesar has been speaking out against him in
is a fla% that destroys the
people that it infects.
He!,&to#.8 &el)i&% !$t&
$!# !lie#!te !#, *i$timi=e
e*e# t%e (e&t o) )ie#,&2
Antony,s behavior ruptures
his friendship %ith
8nobarbus, his most devoted
friend, %ho dies of a broken
heart.
O#l' t%e )itte&t &u*i*e2 In
*ntony and Cleopatra,
2epidus is unfit because he is
%eak, tending to pacify his
rivals and seek compromise
rather than sally forth %ith a
closed fist. 3onsequently, the
ambitious *ctavius easily
pushes him aside.
De$e-tio# e#,& i# ,i&!&te2
+o %in Antony,s sympathy,
3leopatra sends %ord to him
that she has died. Antony
then falls on his s%ord,
mortally %ounding himself.

T%e .e!te t%e $i*ili=!tio#8
t%e .e!te it& -o(lem&2
(ome %as the greatest
civili7ation of its time. But
because of its si7e and
comple'ity and because of
the si7e and comple'ity of the
egos that controlled it, it %as
also a troubled civili7ation.
O*e"ee#i#. -i,e le!,& to
! ,o"#)!ll2 *stensibly,
3leopatra commits suicide
because she cannot endure
C%!mi!# !#, I!& 1
3leopatra6s faithful
attendants.

T%e Soot%&!'e 1 An
8gyptian fortune1teller
%ho follo%s Antony to
(ome and predicts that
his fortune %ill al%ays
pale in comparison to
3aesar6s.

Dol!(ell! 1 *ne of
*ctavius 3aesar6s men.
A.i--! 1 *ne of
*ctavius 3aesar6s
officers.
C!mi,iu& 1 A general in
Antony6s army.
+e#ti,iu& 1 A (oman
soldier under Antony6s
command.
S$!u& 1 A brave young
soldier serving under
Antony.
Po$uleiu& 1 *ne of
3aesar6s soldiers, %ho
proves untrust%orthy.

Diome,e& 1 3leopatra6s
servant.
Eo& 1 An attendant
serving Antony
Me#!& 1 An ambitious
young soldier under
public. *ctavia pleads %ith Antony to maintain a
peaceful relationship %ith her brother. $hould
Antony and 3aesar fight, she says, her
affections %ould be painfully divided. Antony
dispatches her to (ome on a peace mission,
and quickly returns to 8gypt and 3leopatra.
+here, he raises a large army to fight 3aesar,
and 3aesar, incensed over Antony6s treatment
of his sister, responds in kind. 3aesar
commands his army and navy to 8gypt. Ignoring
all advice to the contrary, Antony elects to fight
him at sea, allo%ing 3leopatra to command a
ship despite 8nobarbus6s strong ob>ections.
Antony6s forces lose the battle %hen 3leopatra6s
ship flees and Antony6s follo%s, leaving the rest
of the fleet vulnerable.

Antony despairs, condemning 3leopatra for
leading him into infamy but quickly forgiving her.
5e and 3leopatra send requests to their
conqueror: Antony asks to be allo%ed to live in
8gypt, %hile 3leopatra asks that her kingdom be
passed do%n to her rightful heirs. 3aesar
dismisses Antony6s request, but he promises
3leopatra a fair hearing if she betrays her lover.
3leopatra seems to be giving thought to
3aesar6s message %hen Antony barges in,
curses her for her treachery, and orders the
innocent messenger %hipped. !hen, moments
later, Antony forgives 3leopatra, 8nobarbus
decides that his master is finished and defects
to 3aesar6s camp.

Antony meets 3aesar6s troops in battle and
scores an une'pected victory. !hen he learns
of 8nobarbus6s desertion, Antony laments his
o%n bad fortune, %hich he believes has
corrupted an honorable man. 5e sends his
friend6s possessions to 3aesar6s camp and
returns to 3leopatra to celebrate his victory.
8nobarbus, undone by shame at his o%n
disloyalty, bo%s under the %eight of his guilt and
dies. Another day brings another battle, and
life %ithout Antony. $he is a
comple' %oman. 2ove for
Antony burns in her breast, to
be sure, but so do other
emotions. *ne of them is
great pride that renders her
incapable of undergoing
ridicule.
T%e Stu..le Bet"ee#
Re!&o# !#,
Emotio#2 +he play
offers us a
%orldvie% in %hich
one sensibility
cannot easily
dominate another.
(eason cannot ever
fully conquer the
passions, nor can
passion %holly
undo reason.
T%e Cl!&% o) E!&t !#,
6e&t2 Anton and
!leo"atra details
the conflict bet%een
(ome and 8gypt,
giving us an idea of
the 8li7abethan
perceptions of the
difference bet%een
!estern and
8astern cultures.
+he !estern and
8astern poles of the
%orld are
characteri7ed by
those %ho inhabit
them.
"ompey
Seleu$u& 1 3leopatra6s
treasurer, %ho betrays his
master.

Clo"# 1 An 8gyptian
%ho brings a basket of
figs containing poisonous
snakes to 3leopatra.

De$et!& 1 *ne of
Antony6s soldiers.
once again Antony meets 3aesar at sea. As
before, the 8gyptian fleet proves treacherous9 it
abandons the fight and leaves Antony to suffer
defeat. 3onvinced that his lover has betrayed
him, Antony vo%s to kill 3leopatra. In order to
protect herself, she quarters herself in her
monument and sends %ord that she has
committed suicide. Antony, racked %ith grief,
determines to >oin his queen in the afterlife. 5e
commands one of his attendants to fulfill his
promise of unquestioned service and kill him.
+he attendant kills himself instead. Antony then
falls on his o%n s%ord, but the %ound is not
immediately fatal. 5e is carried to 3leopatra6s
monument, %here the lovers are reunited briefly
before Antony6s death. 3aesar takes the queen
prisoner, planning to display her in (ome as a
testament to the might of his empire, but she
learns of his plan and kills herself %ith the help
of several poisonous snakes. 3aesar has her
buried beside Antony.
T%e De)i#itio# o) Ho#o2
+he notion of honor
to that of death
suggests the latter
as a surefire means
of achieving the
former. In Anton
and !leo"atra,
honor seems less a
function of !estern
or 8astern culture
than of the
characters6
determination to
define themselves
on their o%n terms.
Both Antony and
3leopatra secure
honorable deaths
by refusing to
compromise their
identities.
Moti)&
8'travagant Aeclarations of
2ove
"ublic Aisplays of Affection
4emale $e'uality
S'm(ol&
S%!-e0C%!#.i#. Clou,&2
Act I0, scene 'v,
Antony likens his
shifting sense of
self to a cloud that
changes shape as it
tumbles across the
sky. )ust as the
cloud turns from Ga
bear or lion, C A
to%ered citadel, a
pendent rock,H
Antony seems to
change from the
reputed conqueror
into a debased
victim -I0.'v.?:@..
As he says to 8ros,
his uncharacteristic
defeat, both on the
battlefield and in
matters of love,
makes it difficult for
him to Ghold this
visible shapeH
-I0.'v.A@..
Cleo-!t!<& Fleei#. S%i-&2
+he ships remind
us of 3leopatra6s
inconstancy and of
the inconstancy of
human character in
the play.
T%e A&-&2 *ne of the most
memorable symbols
in the play comes in
its final moments,
as 3leopatra
applies deadly
snakes to her skin.
+he asps are a prop
in the queen6s final
and most
magnificent
performance.
RICHARD II
$hakespeare,s
primary source for
+he action in the play
takes place in 8ngland
and !ales, beginning
in 1<O#. -(ichard II
5i#. Ri$%!, II 1 +he
Eing of 8ngland %hen the
play begins, (ichard is a
young man %ho has not
matured much since his
Richard II0 %ritten around 15O5, is the first play
in $hakespeare,s second Khistory tetralogy,K a
series of four plays that chronicles the rise of the
house of 2ancaster to the British throne. -Its
sequel plays are Henry I&0 Parts 3 4 50 and
I& 9i#.l' !ut%oit'
i#*iol!(leB +he central
theme of the play is %hether
the sub>ects of a king have a
right to overthro% and replace
Richard II, as for
most of his chronicle
histories, %as
(aphael 5olinshed,s
Chronicles9 the
publication of the
second edition in
15#O provides a
terminus post 6uem
for the play. 8d%ard
5all,s The 7nion of
the Two Illustrious
(amilies of
,ancaster and +or!
appears also to have
been consulted, and
scholars have also
supposed
$hakespeare
familiar %ith $amuel
Aaniel,s poem on
the civil %ars.
reigned bet%een 1<LL
and 1<OO.. 2ocales
include 2ondon,
3oventry, the %ilds of
@loucestershire, and
Bristol.
adolescence. $tately and
poetic, he en>oys the
trappings of kingship and
has an e'traordinary flair
for poetic language.
He#' Boli#.(o9e
Du9e o) He)o,
1 Bolingbroke is Eing
(ichard,s cousin and the
son of (ichard,s uncle,
)ohn of @aunt.
Jo%# o) G!u#t Du9e o)
L!#$!&te 1 3alled
either K@auntK or
K2ancaster.K An important
nobleman, )ohn of @aunt
is (ichard,s uncle and the
father of (ichard,s
banished cousin
Bolingbroke, %ho
eventually usurps the
throne.
E,mu#, o) L!#.le'
Du9e o) Yo9 1 3alled
KIork.K (ichard,s uncle,
and a brother of )ohn of
@aunt and of the late
+homas of @loucester.
T%e Du9e o) Aumele 1
Also called K(utlandK late
in the play, since he is the
8arl of (utland. 5e is the
son of 8dmund, Auke of
Iork, and thus a cousin
to both Eing (ichard II
and 5enry Bolingbroke.
T%om!& Mo"(!' Du9e
o) No)ol9 1 &o%bray,
Henry &/. Richard II0 set around the year 1<O#,
traces the fall from po%er of the last king of the
house of "lantagenet, (ichard II, and his
replacement by the first 2ancaster king, 5enry
I0 -5enry Bolingbroke.. (ichard II, %ho
ascended to the throne as a young man, is a
regal and stately figure, but he is %asteful in his
spending habits, un%ise in his choice of
counselors, and detached from his country and
its common people. 5e spends too much of his
time pursuing the latest Italian fashions,
spending money on his close friends, and
raising ta'es to fund his pet %ars in Ireland and
else%here. !hen he begins to Krent outK parcels
of 8nglish land to certain %ealthy noblemen in
order to raise funds for one of his %ars, and
sei7es the lands and money of a recently
deceased and much respected uncle to help fill
his coffers, both the commoners and the king,s
noblemen decide that (ichard has gone too far.
(ichard has a cousin, named 5enry
Bolingbroke, %ho is a great favorite among the
8nglish commoners. 8arly in the play, (ichard
e'iles him from 8ngland for si' years due to an
unresolved dispute over an earlier political
murder. +he dead uncle %hose lands (ichard
sei7es %as the father of Bolingbroke9 %hen
Bolingbroke learns that (ichard has stolen %hat
should have been his inheritance, it is the stra%
that breaks the camel,s back. !hen (ichard
un%isely departs to pursue a %ar in Ireland,
Bolingbroke assembles an army and invades
the north coast of 8ngland in his absence. +he
commoners, fond of Bolingbroke and angry at
(ichard,s mismanagement of the country,
%elcome his invasion and >oin his forces. *ne
by one, (ichard,s allies in the nobility desert him
and defect to Bolingbroke,s side as Bolingbroke
marches through 8ngland. By the time (ichard
returns from Ireland, he has already lost his
grasp on his country.

him if he is %eak, un%ise, or
unduly harsh.
Po,i.!lit' !ou&e& t%e
"!t% o) t%e -eo-le2 (ichard
II spends lavishly and bleeds
his sub>ects to fill his coffers.
(ichard fails to reali7e an old
political truth: !hen pockets
lack >ingle, the people
retaliate.
Tue -!tiot& em!i#
&te!,)!&t !#, lo'!l2 *ld
)ohn of @aunt -Auke of
2ancaster. remains
steadfastly loyal to his
country through the turmoil
unfolding around him. @aunt
dies %ith dignity. +oday, the
%ords $hakespeare gave him
continue to live in 8ngland on
the tongues of every
schoolchild %ho values his
heritage.
Bloo, i& t%i##e t%!# "!te8
o )!mili!it' (ee,&
$o#tem-t2 +he main enemies
in (ichard II are relatives.
)ohn of @aunt is (ichard II6s
uncle. !hen @aunt dies,
(ichard sei7es his property.
5enry Bolingbroke is the son
of @aunt and (ichard6s
cousin. 5e deposes (ichard
and sei7es his throne.
sometimes called
K?orfolk,K is a nobleman
%hom 5enry Bolingbroke
accuses of treason.
Bu&%'8 B!.ot8 !#,
Gee# (!l&o $!lle,
Gee#e) 1 (ichard,s
friends and loyal backers
in the court.
He#' Pe$' E!l o)
Not%um(el!#,C Lo,
Ro&&C !#, Lo,
6illou.%(' 1 ?oblemen
%ho >oin Bolingbroke,s
rebel army early to fight
against Eing (ichard.
Du$%e&& o) Yo9 1 +he
%ife of the Auke of Iork
and mother of the Auke
of Aumerle.
Du$%e&& o)
Glou$e&te 1 +he aged
%ido% of the late +homas
of @loucester, and the
sister1in1la% of )ohn of
@aunt and the Auke of
Iork.
1uee# I&!(el 1 Eing
(ichard,s %ife.
T%om!& Pe$'8 E!l o)
6o$e&te 1 +he 2ord
$te%ard of the king,s
household, he is also the
brother of 5enry "ercy,
8arl of ?orthumberland,
and thus the uncle of
young 5arry "ercy.
+here is never an actual battle9 instead,
Bolingbroke peacefully takes (ichard prisoner in
!ales and brings him back to 2ondon, %here
Bolingbroke is cro%ned Eing 5enry I0. (ichard
is imprisoned in the remote castle of "omfret in
the north of 8ngland, %here he is left to
ruminate upon his do%nfall. +here, an assassin,
%ho both is and is not acting upon Eing 5enry,s
ambivalent %ishes for (ichard,s e'pedient
death, murders the former king. Eing 5enry
hypocritically repudiates the murderer and vo%s
to >ourney to )erusalem to cleanse himself of his
part in (ichard,s death. As the play concludes,
%e see that the reign of the ne% Eing 5enry I0
has started off inauspiciously.
Lo, Be9ele' 1 +he
ruler of Berkeley 3astle in
@loucestershire, %here
Iork,s army meets
Bolingbroke,s army in Act
II, scene iii. 5e is loyal to
Eing (ichard.

Lo, S!li&(u' 1 A lord
loyal to Eing (ichard.
Bi&%o- o) C!li&le 1 A
clergyman loyal to
(ichard.
Si Ste-%e# S$oo-e 1
A nobleman loyal to
(ichard.
A((ot o) 6e&tmi#&te 1
A clergyman loyal to
(ichard.
Si Pie& E4to# 1 A
nobleman %ho
assassinates the former
Eing (ichard in "omfret
3astle in Act 0, scene v,
believing he is acting
under Eing 5enry,s
orders

Lo, Fit="!te 1 A minor
lord %ho thro%s do%n a
gage sometime during
Act I0, scene i, and also
thro%s his %eight around
in Act 0, scene vi .
RICHARD III
$hakespeare,s
primary source for
Richard III, as %ith
most of his history
plays, %as (aphael
5olinshed,s
Chronicles9 the
publication date of
the second edition,
15#L, being the
terminus post 6uem
for the play. It is also
likely that
$hakespeare
consulted 8d%ard
5all,s The 7nion of
the Two Illustrious
(amilies of
,ancaster and +or!
-second edition,
15J#..
+he action takes place
in 8ngland in the
follo%ing locales:
2ondon -including
castles and the royal
palace., $alisbury, a
camp near +am%orth,
and Bos%orth 4ield
-about 1 miles %est of
2eicester in the 8ast
&idlands..
Ri$%!, 1 Also called the
duke of @loucester, and
eventually cro%ned Eing
(ichard III. Aeformed in
body and t%isted in mind,
(ichard is both the
central character and the
villain of the play. 5e is
evil, corrupt, sadistic, and
manipulative, and he %ill
stop at nothing to become
king. 5is intelligence,
political brilliance, and
da77ling use of language
keep the audience
fascinated=and his
sub>ects and rivals under
his thumb.
Bu$9i#.%!m 1 (ichard6s
right1hand man in his
schemes to gain po%er.
+he duke of Buckingham
is almost as amoral and
ambitious as (ichard
himself.

5i#. E,"!, I+ 1 +he
older brother of (ichard
and 3larence, and the
king of 8ngland at the
start of the play.
Cl!e#$e 1 +he gentle,
trusting brother born
bet%een 8d%ard and
(ichard in the Iork
family.
1uee# Eli=!(et% 1 +he
%ife of Eing 8d%ard I0
and the mother of the t%o
young princes -the heirs
to the throne. and their
A4+8( A 2*?@ 3I0I2 !A( bet%een the royal family of
Iork and the royal family of 2ancaster, 8ngland
en>oys a period of peace under Eing 8d%ard I0
and the victorious Iorks. But 8d%ard6s younger
brother, (ichard, resents 8d%ard6s po%er and
the happiness of those around him. &alicious,
po%er1hungry, and bitter about his physical
deformity, (ichard begins to aspire secretly to
the throne=and decides to kill anyone he has to
in order to become king.
Bsing his intelligence and his skills of deception
and political manipulation, (ichard begins his
campaign for the throne. 5e manipulates a
noble%oman, 2ady Anne, into marrying him=
even though she kno%s that he murdered her
first husband. 5e has his o%n older brother,
3larence, e'ecuted, and shifts the burden of
guilt onto his sick older brother Eing 8d%ard in
order to accelerate 8d%ard6s illness and death.
After Eing 8d%ard dies, (ichard becomes lord
protector of 8ngland=the figure in charge until
the elder of 8d%ard6s t%o sons gro%s up.

?e't (ichard kills the court noblemen %ho are
loyal to the princes, most notably 2ord 5astings,
the lord chamberlain of 8ngland. 5e then has
the boys6 relatives on their mother6s side=the
po%erful kinsmen of 8d%ard6s %ife, Pueen
8li7abeth=arrested and e'ecuted. !ith
8li7abeth and the princes no% unprotected,
(ichard has his political allies, particularly his
right1hand man, 2ord Buckingham, campaign to
have (ichard cro%ned king. (ichard then
imprisons the young princes in the +o%er and,
in his bloodiest move yet, sends hired
murderers to kill both children.

By this time, (ichard6s reign of terror has
caused the common people of 8ngland to fear
and loathe him, and he has alienated nearly all
the noblemen of the court=even the po%er1
hungry Buckingham. !hen rumors begin to
All0$o#&umi#. !m(itio#
le!,& to !ll0$o#&umi#. e*il2
(ichard III, in his thirst for
po%er, is %illing to commit
any atrocity to %in the throne.
5e is &acbeth raised to the
second po%erFor third. After
an assassin murders the late
king,s sons, (ichard says to
him, K+hou shalt tell the
process of their deathK -J. <.
<#..
All t%i#.& !e #ot !& t%e'
&eem2 Auring most of the
play, (ichard %ears a mask
of innocence. 5e is al%ays
pretending, al%ays deceiving.
8ventually, his adversaries
see through the mask.
6%ee t%ee i& -ue e*il8
t%ee i& #o $o#&$ie#$e2
(ichard never e'presses
regret or remorse. 5e is bad
to the bone, and proud of it.
&odern psychologists %ould
probably label him a
psychopath or sociopath.
I !m "%!t I !m2 (ichard
ackno%ledges at the
beginning of the play that he
is an ugly, misshapen lump of
fleshFa monster. +hen,
accepting himself as he is, he
announces that he %ill live up
to his physical image by
performing ugly deeds.
T%e Allue o) E*il2 Richard
older sister, young
8li7abeth.
Do&et8 Ri*e&8 !#,
G!' 1 +he kinsmen and
allies of 8li7abeth, and
members of the
!oodeville and @ray
families.
A##e 1 +he young %ido%
of "rince 8d%ard, %ho
%as the son of the former
king, 5enry 0I.
Du$%e&& o) Yo9 1
!ido%ed mother of
(ichard, 3larence, and
Eing 8d%ard I0.
M!.!et 1 !ido% of the
dead Eing 5enry 0I, and
mother of the slain "rince
8d%ard.
T%e -i#$e& 1 +he t%o
young sons of Eing
8d%ard I0 and his %ife,
8li7abeth, their names
are actually "rince
8d%ard and the young
duke of Iork, but they are
often referred to
collectively.
You#. Eli=!(et% 1 +he
former Pueen 8li7abeth6s
daughter.
R!t$li))e8 C!te&(' 1 +%o
of (ichard6s flunkies
among the nobility.

circulate about a challenger to the throne %ho is
gathering forces in 4rance, noblemen defect in
droves to >oin his forces. +he challenger is the
earl of (ichmond, a descendant of a secondary
arm of the 2ancaster family, and 8ngland is
ready to %elcome him.

(ichard, in the meantime, tries to consolidate
his po%er. 5e has his %ife, Pueen Anne,
murdered, so that he can marry young
8li7abeth, the daughter of the former Pueen
8li7abeth and the dead Eing 8d%ard. +hough
young 8li7abeth is his niece, the alliance %ould
secure his claim to the throne. ?evertheless,
(ichard has begun to lose control of events, and
Pueen 8li7abeth manages to forestall him.
&ean%hile, she secretly promises to marry
young 8li7abeth to (ichmond.

(ichmond finally invades 8ngland. +he night
before the battle that %ill decide everything,
(ichard has a terrible dream in %hich the ghosts
of all the people he has murdered appear and
curse him, telling him that he %ill die the ne't
day. In the battle on the follo%ing morning,
(ichard is killed, and (ichmond is cro%ned Eing
5enry 0II. "romising a ne% era of peace for
8ngland, the ne% king is betrothed to young
8li7abeth in order to unite the %arring houses of
2ancaster and Iork.
III does not e'plore
the cause of evil in
the human mind so
much as it e'plores
its operation,
depicting the
%orkings of
(ichard6s mind and
the methods he
uses to manipulate,
control, and in>ure
others for his o%n
gain. 3entral to this
aspect of the play is
the idea that
(ichard6s victims
are complicit in their
o%n destruction.
T%e Co##e$tio# (et"ee#
Rule !#, St!te2
+he moral
righteousness of a
political ruler has a
direct bearing on
the health of the
state. A state %ith a
good ruler %ill tend
to flourish -as
Aenmark does
under Eing 5amlet.,
%hile a state %ith a
bad ruler %ill tend to
suffer -as $cotland
does under
&acbeth..
T%e Po"e o) L!#.u!.e2 An
interesting
secondary theme of
Richard III is the
T'ell 1 A murderer
%hom (ichard hires to kill
his young cousins, the
princes in the +o%er of
2ondon.

Ri$%mo#, 1 A member
of a branch of the
2ancaster royal family.
H!&ti#.& 1 A lord %ho
maintains his integrity,
remaining loyal to the
family of Eing 8d%ard I0.
St!#le' 1 +he stepfather
of (ichmond.
Lo, M!'o o) Lo#,o# 1
A gullible and suggestible
fello% %hom (ichard and
Buckingham use as a
pa%n in their ploy to
make (ichard king.

+!u.%!# 1 A friend of
8li7abeth, Aorset, (ivers,
and @ray %ho is
e'ecuted by (ichard
along %ith (ivers and
@rey.
po%er of language,
or the importance of
language in
achieving political
po%er. 2anguage
may not al%ays be
a necessary
instrument of
po%er, but for
(ichard, it is a
crucial %eapon.
Moti)&
+he $upernatural. +hese
supernatural elements serve
to create an atmosphere of
intense dread and gloom that
matches the malice and evil
of (ichard6s inner self, and
also serve to heighten the
sense that (ichard6s reign is
innately evil, transforming
8ngland into a kind of @othic
nether%orld.
Areams. +he motif of
prophetic dreams is part of
the play6s larger
preoccupation %ith the
supernatural, but the idea of
dreams emerges as its o%n
separate motif after $tanley6s
dream about 5astings6s
death.
S'm(ol
T%e Bo!2 +he boar is
(ichard6s heraldic symbol,
and is used several times
throughout the play to
represent him, most notably
in $tanley6s dream about
5astings6s death. +he idea of
the boar is also played on in
describing (ichard6s
deformity, and (ichard is
cursed by the duchess as an
Gabortive, rooting hogH
-I.iii.5.. +he boar %as one
of the most dangerous
animals that people hunted in
the &iddle Ages and
(enaissance, and
$hakespeare6s audience
%ould have associated it %ith
untamed aggression and
uncontrollable violence.



Jo#ille C2 C!#tu(!
AB E#.li&% ?A