Short Paper #2: The First Review

“Such deadpan ironies can make comedy the defender of the finer feelings which it offends. Perhaps it even elicits feelings in the reader by affecting to disregard them…A dark comedy may be the best answer one can muster when faced by this messy state of affairs. Any single life should be taken seriously, but not too seriously” (Bevis 100).

Shakespeare is often taken too seriously, which is such a shame—he’s too funny (and insightful) for that! For this short paper, I want you to write a satirical review of one of the plays—either All’s Well That Ends Well or The Tempest—pretending that you’re the first critic to ever see the play. With that in mind, try to imagine how such a critic would be confused by this “comedy” and the “happy endings” or “solutions” it offers us. Throughout your review, try to be ironic—try to use the critic’s confusion, anger, frustration, or even delight—to help us understand the point of the play itself. In other words, don’t tell us what you like about the play…show us what you like about the play through the voice of someone who doesn’t understand or appreciate it.

Remember our articles from The Onion, especially the one, “It’s Time To Give Up " (I pasted them below). The article begins, “Years of research regarding your progress thus far and the projected outcome of your continued efforts have culminated in the finding that it is in fact time for you to give up, experts on you concluded this week.” Of course, the point of the article isn’t to give up…it’s to make fun of the way we beat ourselves up and think that we, alone, are a ‘failure’ in life. So do the same thing in your review: have a critic review the play who thinks Betram is a great guy and he’s  finally found the woman of his dreams…or a critic who thinks Caliban is an evil brute who is punished the way he deserves, thanks to Prospero! Whatever you satirize, try to do make the reader realize (a) that you don’t really mean this, and (b) what the true point of the play really is.

REQUIREMENTS

·         No page limit, but be reasonable—one page isn’t enough!

·         QUOTE from the play in question; you might have the critic misinterpret important lines or see the wrong thing for comic effect

·         Have fun! Be funny but also make a point—don’t just play it for laughs

·         Due Tuesday, May 1st by 5pm

THE TWO ARTICLES: From The Onion.Com

Ex-Boyfriend Still Hopes To Be Terrible, Incompatible Friends

DENVER, CO—Insisting the turmoil didn’t need to stop just because the relationship had ended, local man Alex Ware was reportedly hopeful Monday that he and his ex-girlfriend could still be terrible, incompatible friends. “I understand that we’re a bad match romantically, but after everything we’ve been through, I think we owe it to ourselves to maintain some kind of toxic relationship,” said Ware, who assured his ex-girlfriend that he wanted her to have an unhealthy presence in his life. “I still care about you and, even if we’re not dating anymore, I want us to keep bringing out the worst in each other. You probably need some space right now, but once you’re ready, maybe we can meet up to fight occasionally.” At press time, Ware responded to his ex-girlfriend blocking him on social media by leaving an honest, solemn message on her voicemail saying that their breakup wasn’t working.

Report: It’s Time To Give Up

WASHINGTON—Years of research regarding your progress thus far and the projected outcome of your continued efforts have culminated in the finding that it is in fact time for you to give up, experts on you concluded this week. “You made a decent run at it, but you’re kidding yourself if you think you’re ever really going to get anywhere,” said numerous sources who worked on your case, none of whom believed that further expenditure of time, energy, or resources would garner appreciable gains and all of whom believed that a graceful admission of defeat is your best option. “You may believe this is merely a slump or a rough patch and that you’ll eventually get back on track with everything, but all the data we have indicate that the more effort you put forth now, the greater your disappointment will be when you are finally forced to surrender to your own inadequacy and stop trying altogether. Yes, before you say anything, we know it seems as if you have years to get it together, but you don’t. Those years will only bear mute witness as you flail helplessly, getting nowhere. You probably should have given up decades ago. You are a failure.” The experts also noted that, while it has been stated many times previously that one should never, ever give up, that sentiment is intended as a general guideline and does not apply in your specific and more hopeless case.