Shakespeare’s Pastoral Comedy
Shakespeare’s Pastoral Comedy by Thomas McFarland is a new edition published by the University of North Carolina Press in October 2009. This 228-page work explores McFarland’s personal theory of comedy, showcasing his extensive knowledge of comic theory and practice. The book delves into the origins and nature of the comic vision, the pastoral, and the pastoral elegy, illustrating how these elements intertwine to incorporate religious themes within a socially oriented art form.
In this edition, McFarland argues that Shakespeare’s integration of pastoral elements is a significant enhancement of comedy rather than mere playful references to the Elizabethan court. He highlights the intrinsic connection between comedy and pastoral, suggesting that their alliance allows for a richer representation of paradise. The book discusses several of Shakespeare’s plays, including Love’s Labour’s Lost, A Midsummer-Night’s Dream, As You Like It, A Winter’s Tale, and The Tempest, providing readers with a comprehensive examination of how these themes manifest in Shakespeare’s work.
Official synopsis Publisher
Thomas McFarland presents a personal theory of comedy which shows a wide knowledge of comic theory and practice, the origins and nature of the comic vision, the pastoral, the pastoral elegy, and the golden age. He deftly draws together the various elements and demonstrates how the blending of the pastoral with the comic allows the inclusion of religious concerns to be a natural part of what is initially a socially oriented art form.
McFarland argues that Shakespeare’s use of the pastoral is not just a fanciful game of veiled references to the court of Elizabeth but a strengthening and deepening of comedy itself. This process was possible because of a fundamental affinity between the realm of comedy and the realm of pastoral. As McFarland observes, “”The alliance of comedy and pastoral realizes what neither mode could adequately achieve by itself: the representation of paradise.””
Plays discussed include Love’s Labour’s Lost, A Midsummer-Night’s Dream, As You Like It, A Winter’s Tale, and The Tempest.
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