Comedy Of Errors Film Analysis

Based off Charles Webb’s 1963 novel by the same name, The Graduate is an American romantic comedy/drama released in the United States on December 21, 1967 starring Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross, and William Daniels. The film was directed by Mike Nichols, produced by Lawrence Turman and the screenplay written by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham. The film was produced by Lawrence Turman/Mike Nichols productions starting in March of 1967. Mike Nichols has also directed other well known films such as Catch-22 (1970), Working Girl (1988), and more recently Closer (2004). The film was distributed by AVCO Embassy Pictures nationally and United Artists internationally. AVCO Embassy Pictures studio, founded by Joseph E. Levine, the films executive producer, also claims production/distribution for other hit films such as Godzilla, King of Monsters! (1956), The Fog (1980), and Prom Night (1980). The movie was well received due to its $104 million dollar box office opening tab. The score was produced by Dave Grusin and the songs written by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.

A character’s costume is much more than the clothes they wear to play a part. These clothes help us venture into the author’s world and help us connect with this new place and believe in its reality. They help us capture so much more than what the character looks like. We are able to see, feel, and experience the characters personality and purpose in the story. In a play or movie, we immediately make our fist connection with a character based on what they are wearing, this is the first step in drawing us in and making us believe in this new world. This first impression gives us the first glimpse at the characters style, background, and social class. All of these things are meant to immediately draw us in.

There is no doubt that Shakespeare was the author of great pieces of literature during an interesting time period. Given the circumstances, he was indeed mastering his craft during a very tumultuous juncture in British history. When one reads Richard III, they don’t necessarily have to know a great deal about the War of Roses to understand that there is some serious strife going on. However, if the reader takes some time to understand this fascinating string of events, the story of Richard and his fall becomes much more interesting. In all of his brilliance, Shakespeare manages to toy with the idea of humor in this very morose play. As a matter of fact, he does this in many, if not all of his tragedies.

When the first collected edition of Shakespeare’s plays, the First Folio, was published in 1623, its contents page divided them into three categories: comedies, histories and, tragedies. The list of comedies included Measure for Measure and The Merchant of Venice, plays that modern audiences and readers have not found particularly funny. Also included were two late plays, The Tempest and The Winter’s Tale, that critics often now classify as “romances” (Mullan). If we ask ourselves what these four plays have in common with those such as As You Like It or Twelfth Night; which we are used to calling comedies, the answer gives us a clue to the meaning of “comedy” for many of Shakespeare’s educated contemporaries. All of them

 Besides being based on classical models, is it really fair to call The Comedy of Errors a serious play?  I'm not sure it is. Three-quarters of the play is a fast-paced comedy based on

During the end of the 3rd Century, the Playwright Plautus wrote many of the first Roman comedies. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a musical comedy film adaptation of Plautus's comedies.Set in ancient Rome, many aspects of Roman theatre, including stock characters, were included in the film’s production. While the film is based off of multiple comedies, Plautus's Pseudolus character Calidorus is nearly identical to the film’s Hero. During the time Pseudolus was written, the Crisis of the Third Century led to up to 25% of Roman population being comprised of slaves(Southern). Of the many stock characters Platus included in his comedies, Calidorus/Hero, the son of Pseudolus’s owner and the stock character adulescens, best

O Brother Where Art Thou? The movie is set in Mississippi in the late 1930's, with The Great Depression looming in the background. A condensed plot, are that the three main characters Ulysses McGill, Pete Hogwallop and Delmar O'Donnell are convicts that break away from a chain gang. They break away because they're on a quest to find the treasure that Everett hid. As the three men go along in their literal chains, they run into a ton of problems and interesting characters like The KKK, a campaigning governor, a robber, and a blind prophet. From the research I have done, the popular opinion is that this film is loosely based on the book, "The Odyssey". The overall tone and mood is somewhat goofy, but it has some heavy topics behind it like The

Using certain shapes of materials and color helped the audience understand the scenery of the play, being able to understand what time period this took place. The lighting through the play was great, being able to clearly see in detail for each scene. For example, when the Stage manager introduces the people in Grover's Corner, is was clear and easy to see what type of life style they live. Grisel Torres did an excellent job with the angles, colors, and shadows throughout the play, really emphasizing the emotion and lighting for each scene. Allison Mortimer, the costume designer, did a good job figuring out what each character should wear and allowing the audience to decide which class each character fits in society. The costumes looked like they were somewhat middle class and even looked vintage at times. I wasn't sure if they were recreated or not. Changing costumes for different scenes made it easier to understand the aspect of the scene and allowing the audience to understand what will happen.

The production elements of the show were magnificent. The costumes were great and helped to establish the childlike quality of the show and characters. During the transitions, the characters wore clothing that would best suit a child in play. The

Without having to blatantly say what each character was feeling, they used costumes and colors to explain how they were feeling and how much good/bad was in them at the time. These archetypal elements are important for the viewer because it gives one an idea of what is going on and can also let one know what might happen next.

The set and costumes weave a visual masterpiece, emulating a natural, yet lively and beautiful theme through the use of brightly patterned fabrics. People in elaborate, intricate costumes acted out each plant and animal, communicating the key theme that all living creatures in the wilderness are connected. Timon, Pumbaa, and Zazu’s costumes were more comic than the rest of the more natural costumes. This was likely done to keep younger audiences interested but ended up disrupting the uniformity of the production’s overall appearance.

One of Shakespeare's earliest plays (its first recorded performance in December 1594), The Comedy of Errors has frequently been dismissed as pure farce, unrepresentative of the playwright's later efforts. While Errors may very well contain farcical elements, it is a complex, layered work that draws upon and reinterprets Plautine comedy. Shakespeare combines aspects of these Latin plays with biblical source material, chiefly the Acts of the Apostles and the Pauline Epistle to the Ephesians. While Menaechmi is the most frequently cited classical source for Errors, Plautus' Amphitruo is just as relevant an influence; Shakespeare's treatment of identity and its

There is no denying that Shakespeare is a definitive playwright. He has presented us with classic works that have set the precedent for drama and the theatre. Among Shakespeare’s more notable plays are his tragedies. In the tragedy his protagonists are often given flaws in their character and hence, are suitably named tragic heroes. The downfall of these protagonists is often a result of their own character flaws and unfortunately, they suffer a doomed and unhappy ending. While the tragic hero is flawed they must also be honorable and worthy of the audience’s understanding and sympathy. On a quest for righteousness the tragic hero often goes through immense suffering which is why the audience can feel bad for him. For the most

I was not expecting the costumes to be as eccentric. Even though they were matching the characters’ role and personality, I felt like they were too wacky and did not go well with the play.

In Elizabethan times, fools were used as entertainment in royal courts, with a specific role to entertain the king. However, in “King Lear”, the fool plays a much more significant role than comedic relief, as he, ironically, is able to provide insight into human nature and draw correlations between the play and everyday life. This is most evident when he talks to King Lear about what he has done wrong or what he has overlooked.