Shakespeare’s

ComediesMen, Women, Mistaken Identity,

Parting, Secrets, Misunderstanding

AND

It all works out in the end!

Christian Camargo, left, as Orlando and Juliet Rylance as Rosalind in the Bridge Project's production of "As You Like It" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.Photo: Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

Five-Act STRUCTURE

1 Act I = intro characters, setting, basic problem to be overcome, disguises

2 Act II = multiply misunderstandings, complicate relationships

A scene from Gordon Barr’s production of “Much Ado About Nothing” in Glasgow, Scotland, July 2008Photo: Telegraph/uk

Five-Act STRUCTURE

3 Act III = the “Oh, No!” moment of greatest misunderstanding & confusion by characters

Shakespeare’s plots always have their denouements in the Third Act!

A scene from Aaron Posner’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at Two River Theatre Company in Red Bank, New JerseyPhoto: T Charles Erickson/nj.com

Five-Act STRUCTURE

4 Act IV = unraveling of misunderstandings as their irrationality increases

5 Act V = revelation of true identities & pairing up of the true couples, leading to marriage

A scene from Portland’s Center Stage production of “Twelfth Night” in Portland, Oregon, March 2008Photo: Owen Carey

As you read

Take note of when/where and HOW the structure of the play you are reading follows the typical Shakespearean comedic structure and how it deviates from it.

Consider how the structure is related to the MOWW.