Comedic Genius

When I first made the decision to take the "Shakespeare" course this trimester, I did it because I had enjoyed Mr. Kiczek's classes freshman and junior years rather than out love of Shakespeare.  I had heard that Shakespeare was a genius, and that some of his plays were absolutely hilarious, but I wasn't believing it.  Maybe his plays were funny when he wrote then, but I wondered how they could still be funny today.  I was intrigued, however, because many people held Shakespeare in such a high regard, and swore that his comedies were actually funny. 

When we read A Midsummer Nights Dream, I picked up on some of the jokes, and understood how many people could think that this was indeed comedy.  Then, when we acted out some scenes, in particularly the Rude Mechanical's play, I further appreciated much of the humor, and grew a new respect for Shakespeare and his comedic genius. 

But it wasn't until our entire class went to the production of A Midsummer Nights Dream that I fully appreciated just how funny this comedy was. Much of the acting was absolutely phenomenal, and brought out a whole new side of Shakespeare to me. The final scene, that same Rude Mechanical's production was the highlight of this show, and the highlight of the course for sure. 

As I reflected on the show, I struggled to think of a movie that had kept me so engaged and almost in tears laughing as that production of A Midsummer Nights Dream had. I realized why so many people rave about Shakespeare's work, and that it was still relevant and very funny even today.  I am certainly glad that I took this course, and now think that I may need to continue to see plays that people describe as funny, and not just dismiss them.