Shakespearean problem play
F. S. Boas published Shakespeare and His Predecessors in 1896, introducing a new label for three specific plays by William Shakespeare. The book appeared through the publisher John Murray during its third impression that same year. Boas selected All's Well That Ends Well, Measure for Measure, and Troilus and Cressida as his primary examples of this new category. He derived the phrase from contemporary drama popular with Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen at the time. These three works sat uneasily between traditional comedy and tragedy when viewed through earlier classification systems. The First Folio listed two of them as comedies while placing Troilus and Cressida among the tragedies. A table of contents within that volume divided all plays into groups of Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies without mentioning problem plays. Boas argued these texts required a different lens to understand their complex moral dilemmas.
The tone shifts violently between straightforward comic material and dark psychological drama throughout these works. Critics note that the situation faced by the protagonist serves as a representative instance of a contemporary social problem. Rather than arousing simple joy or pain, the plays induce engrossment and bewilderment in the reader. All's Well That Ends Well and Measure for Measure have resolutions, but Troilus and Cressida and Hamlet do not. Shakespeare requires that the audience decipher the plays instead of offering clear emotional guidance. The term can refer to either the subject matter of the play or a classification problem with the plays themselves. This ambiguity defied the traditional trappings of both comedy and tragedy during the late 1590s and early seventeenth century. Some scholars cite these works as early predecessors to the tragicomedy genre that emerged later.
Neil Rhodes argues that the defining characteristic is its controversial plot rather than any fixed set of rules. As scholars continue to debate controversies in Shakespeare's straightforward tragedies and comedies, the subgenre becomes less distinct. Other critics include plays like The Winter's Tale, Timon of Athens, and The Merchant of Venice beyond Boas's original list. A.G. Harmon categorizes four specific plays including The Merchant of Venice and All's Well That Ends Well under this framework. Ernest Schanzer chooses to consider only ethical dilemmas in his definition while excluding psychological, political, social, and metaphysical problems. He identifies only Measure for Measure as a Shakespearean problem comedy among the three Boas originally selected. Schanzer offers Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra in place of previously recognized problem plays. The notion remains somewhat vaguely defined and its use as a classification is still not accepted by all Shakespeare critics.
E. M. W. Tillyard published Shakespeare's Problem Plays with Chatto and Windus in London during 1949. The Victorian era reception differed significantly from modern debates about the category's validity. Boas himself lists Hamlet linking Shakespeare's problem-plays to his unambiguous tragedies within his original framework. Critics have applied the term to other odd plays from different points in Shakespeare's career since the late 1800s. The classification remains contested because the plays challenge traditional genre boundaries while maintaining complex tones. Some scholars view them as rhetorical devices employed but not originated by Shakespeare dating back to Ancient Greece. The debate continues regarding whether these works represent a distinct subgenre or simply difficult examples of existing forms. Academic reception has evolved from simple categorization attempts to nuanced discussions about social problems and ethical dilemmas.
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Common questions
Who introduced the term Shakespearean problem play in 1896?
F. S. Boas published Shakespeare and His Predecessors in 1896 to introduce this label for three specific plays by William Shakespeare. The book appeared through the publisher John Murray during its third impression that same year.
Which three plays did F. S. Boas select as primary examples of Shakespearean problem plays?
Boas selected All's Well That Ends Well, Measure for Measure, and Troilus and Cressida as his primary examples of this new category. These three works sat uneasily between traditional comedy and tragedy when viewed through earlier classification systems.
When was E. M. W. Tillyard's book Shakespeare's Problem Plays published?
E. M. W. Tillyard published Shakespeare's Problem Plays with Chatto and Windus in London during 1949. This publication occurred long after Boas first defined the category in the late nineteenth century.
What is the defining characteristic of a Shakespearean problem play according to Neil Rhodes?
Neil Rhodes argues that the defining characteristic is its controversial plot rather than any fixed set of rules. He suggests the subgenre becomes less distinct as scholars continue to debate controversies in straightforward tragedies and comedies.
How does A.G. Harmon define the social order restoration in four specific problem-plays?
A.G. Harmon argues that in four of the plays he categorizes as problem-plays, the social order is restored when faulty contracts are properly amended. Chaos is vanquished by the institution of a new order following this pattern.