Abstract The paper discusses the humor of burlesque plays. It explains that the understanding of the humor is dependent upon the audience's social complicity with the playwright's fundamentally uncritical sense of humor about societal norms. The author of the paper uses Fielding's and Clive's plays to bring this opinion to light.
From the Paper ""The Rehearsal," written in 1753 because of its title, may be said to take issue with Clive's own contemporary and rival, the leading playwright Dryden who also authored a play with the same name. Dryden, perhaps because he was the favored author of the day was widely disliked by his fellow playwrights, causing one of Clive's later contemporaries, Richard B. Sheridan to later mock in the prologue to his play "The Critic," that "the tragic queen," of Dryden, "to please a tasteless crowd/ Had learn'd to bellow, rant, and roar so loud," implying not simply the inferior tastes of the masses. Even Sheridan's short parodic work of criticism also shows that the audience had to know who Dryden was, to understand the references of even this more satiric play (in comparison to Clive's), and to be conversant in the rivalry of comedy and tragedy, of critics and playwrights, to fully comprehend "The Critic" in its humorous intent."
Abstract This paper examines the minstrel show and its negative images of black Americans that enforced commonly held white prejudices or mistaken cultural characteristics.
From the Paper "The images of blacks as presented in the minstrel performances remained embedded in the minds of audiences after they left the show (Anderson, 24). Due to their lack of frequent contact, many whites had nothing else to base their perceptions off of. Minstrel shows were not only entertaining, but they presented a foreign culture. It did not matter whether the characters were accurate or not; the audiences looked at the singing and dancing black-faced actors and expected all blacks to be like this."
Abstract This paper analyzes the main themes anad relationships between the characters of Don Quixote. It mainly examines the relationship between the knight and his squire. The characters balance each other within their relationship. While Don Quixote wishes to sally forth for glory, Sancho Panza looks forward to the wealth they will acquire. When the knight is brave, the squire is cowardly. It concludes that the differences in their educations (due mainly to class) also seperate them, and create a balance in their relationship.
From the Paper "Cervantes smiled Spain's chivalry away" (Byron 93). In typical burlesque manner, Cervantes creates the relationship between Don Quixote and his squire, Sancho, by treating the lofty formal relationships of chivalric romances in a low style (Frye 84). As opposed to creating an Arthurian knight and squire with the official association they shared, Cervantes writes their relationship as a friendship, with each character's strengths complimenting the others weaknesses. The differences between the characters are exemplified in their motives for sallying forth, their presentation as a hero and a coward, and the variation in their educations. When one character is found to be lacking in a particular trait, the other compliments him by having an abundance of asset in that same area."
Tags:burlesque, Cervantes, knight, novel, squire, Don, Quixote, character, education, class
Abstract Musical theater is almost as old as America itself. From the 1700s to the present day, the stages across the United States have come alive with the voices and instruments of dramatic, romantic and comedic musicals that have delighted audiences of all ages. This paper shows that the United States is known for its mixture of cultures, beliefs and traditions and where freedom of expression is not only allowed but encouraged. American musical theater is a prime example of this ethnic and cultural eclectic creativity and presentation. The paper traces the history of musical theater in the United States from the 1700s to the present day.
From the Paper "Rodgers and Hammerstein started their run of hits with "Oklahoma." The seemingly impossible mixture of murder, suspense and music worked because the characters were characterized in depth. The creative team took other risks as well: Instead of opening with the usual stirring ensemble number, the curtain rose on a farm woman churning butter as a cowboy enters singing a solo about the beauty of the morning. Further, Hammerstein wrote lyrics for all the songs in a conversational style, each fitting specific characters and storytelling needs. In addition, since the characters would be dealing with emotions that might sound awkward if verbalized by cowboys and farm girls, Rodgers and Hammerstein decided to use dance as an integral element."
Abstract This paper deals with the complicated, multi-faceted task of recognizing the intent in which Fielding's 'Joseph Andrews' is intended to be read, as well as comparing it to the work of Samuel Richardson. The paper also takes a look at the realistic issues of virtue, truth, and social ideologies.
From the Paper "To aptly ascertain the significance and purpose behind Henry Fielding's Joseph Andrews, one must recognize, distinguish, and apply the concepts Fielding critically analyzes and digresses upon within his tutorial preface. Entertaining the realistic possibilities of having his works misunderstood, Fielding admits, "It may not be improper to premise a few Words concerning this kind of Writing, which I do not remember to have seen hitherto attempted in our Language" (Fielding 3). After exposing the originality of his work to his readers, Fielding goes on to describe and contrast his unique style of writing with the familiar writing conventions of that time period. At the conclusion of Fielding's detailed tutorial preface, he expects his readers to possess the frame of mind to read Joseph Andrews as a comic history, which reveals various truths about the human nature through comic elements such as satire, burlesque, and parody. Having his readers understand the unique form of his writing style, the author is enabled to effectively assert information and descriptions, through his narrator, unto his readers without having to worry about their confusion or ill met expectations. This paper will discuss the originality used by Fielding and his narrator in implementing their significant ideas and concepts directly to their readers. Furthermore, by contrasting Fielding's unique style of writing with the critically acclaimed writing style of Samuel Richardson, one will be able to recognize the interesting techniques Fielding's narrator uses to guide his readers through various sorts of information and description, as well as unveil the similarities, but even more so, the differences in reading patterns these novelists require."
Abstract The paper discusses the life of Fanny Brice, a legendary performer in the 1920s and 30s who performed on Broadway, in burlesque and in the famous Ziegfeld Follies. The paper shows how Fanny Brice was a remarkable entertainer and woman. The paper relates that she was incredibly talented and learned how to perform by gauging her audience and finding what worked for her own personality, looks and talents. The paper notes that she was one of the first successful Jewish comediennes who is still remembered for her wit and outrageous characters.
From the Paper "Fanny Brice was born in New York City in 1891. Her parents were immigrants who owned saloons, and her real name was Fania Borach. She began performing early in her life, and aspired to be a serious actress, but her Semitic looks always forced her into character parts. In fact, while she often sang humorous songs with a Yiddish accent, in reality she did not even speak Yiddish (Editors, 2006). She was also tall and skinny, which made her stand out from most of the chorus girls of the time, who were more statuesque (Sorel, 1986, p. 81). In 1906, she won an amateur night contest at a famous vaudeville theater at the age of fourteen, and her career in the theater got its start. She dropped out of school after the eighth grade to concentrate on her career."
Abstract This study of humor in "The Canterbury Tales" begins with an examination of the building blocks of laughter in some of the narratives and attempts to demonstrate that the humor used by Chaucer is multifaceted and sometimes equivocal. The paper then turns to the definition of "humor" in the Middle Ages and pays specific attention to instances of slapstick comedy, parody and burlesque within the tales. Finally, the paper tackles the subtleties of humor within the tales and provides some reflections on the presence of irony and satire.
From the Paper "The readers of the Canterbury Tales are often able to elicit much laughing matter out of the pilgrims' narratives because humour in the tales is present on several levels. On the one hand, the pilgrims laugh at customs and traditions, at members of society and behaviours they condemn. They also tease each other within their own narratives and sneer at other pilgrims who are their rivals. On the other hand, the pilgrims themselves, as characters of the frame story, become subjects of mockery and this is especially valid for The General Prologue. They tell a great variety of tales, all of which could be found humorous or witty to some extent. These tales are interlinked and one of the particularities that bind them together is the use of humour. Humour gives unity to the tales and banishes uniformity. "
Abstract This paper explains that the Old Irish tale: "Scela Muicce Meic Da Tho" or "Mac Datho's Pig", survives in only six manuscripts of which the earliest, the "Book of Leinster" (the earliest witness, c.1160), is used for this paper. The author points out that the primary significance of the 'scela' is as a negative exemplum of rulership and manhood, which critically acknowledged that Mac Datho is a weak ruler. The paper assesses that there is no evidence of any generosity on his part, that his poisoning of the pig crosses the line between legitimate deception and non-heroic treachery and that the tale does not ultimately reflect well on Leinster. The author relates that the tale is a critique of the undercurrent of excess and futility within the Irish heroic tradition, demonstrating that already the Irish epic is a genre of extremes and excesses, which this tale then amplifies in a well-executed burlesque of the heroic tradition.
From the Paper "The heroes do not act admirably either. Although Conall's defeat of Cet in the competition for the champion's portion leaves the reader with no doubt that he deserves the prize, his subsequent behavior is gluttinous: ..."he took then the belly in his mouth, he sucks on the belly--a load for nine men--[and] he left behind nothing of it." [section 17] Having devoured an enormous portion on his own, he insults the people of Connaught by leaving them only the two fore-quarters of the pig."
Abstract This paper argues that Twain's satire in "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" is not at cross-purposes, but is rather a carefully orchestrated program designed to highlight both external and internal threats to American liberal democracy. The paper explains that Twain envisages these threats to America in the form of the Church, monarchy and the vast economic disparity between rich and poor predicated upon capitalist greed. The paper contends that ultimately, Twain's satire is implying that the liberal democratic model, with its related apparatus of social and technological progress, is an extremely new and fragile system. For the purposes of the paper, it is assumed that the reader is familiar with "A Connecticut Yankee" and some of its related criticism.
From the Paper "In November of 1886, Samuel L. Clemens penned a letter to Mary Mason Fairbanks in which he described the earliest stages of what would ultimately become A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. In light of the present version of Twain's novel, his comment that "the story isn't a satire peculiarly, it is more especially a contrast" (Ensor 296) rings in the ears of the contemporary scholar with considerable irony. Indeed, the fact that Twain's Hank Morgan is "a Yankee of Yankees," that is, thoroughly American, and yet utterly fails at his project to "flood the midnight world with light" (Twain 51), leaving it instead in a state of chaos and bloodshed, reveals Twain's complex irony. In light of Morgan's failure, the reader must necessarily ask, what is Twain ultimately satirizing, and to what extent, if any, are his satirical tendencies at cross-purposes?"
