Cardenio of William Shakespeare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cardenio of William Shakespeare - Essay ExampleCardenio of William Shakespeare William Shakespeare is a towering figure in English Literature. Beyond his uncontested stature in the world of letters, Shakespeare is on par with JS Bach in terms of pieces made to western Civilization. Shakespeares works thus impart a significance that is difficult to contain within plain classifications. The Bards art is a combination of poetry, philosophy and story-telling. His works stand the scrutiny of worthiness in each of these disciplines. But the real singularity of Shakespeares works lie in the synergy of his art. The sum of merit in his great plays is more than an addition of the parts. It is in this context that the value of The history of Cardenio has to be evaluated.What makes the loss of Cardenio difficult to digest is the tantalizing evidence for its theatrical performance. Historical records from early seventeenth century indicate that the play was performed by The pansys Men in L ondon in 1613. The Stationers Register attributes the play to William Shakespeare as co-author of John Fletcher. Although it is difficult to ascertain the extent of Shakespeares contribution to the finished work, his influence is speculated to be quite pronounced. The other key circumstantial evidence of the plays existence comes from two related plays from a later date. The lyrics of the popular song Woods, Rocks and Mountains by Robert Johnson is fairly certain to have have in Cardenio. Hence, there are enough markers and traces of the plays existence and performance. ... The lyrics of the popular song Woods, Rocks and Mountains by Robert Johnson is fairly certain to have featured in Cardenio. Hence, there are enough markers and traces of the plays existence and performance. This makes it a case of so-near-yet-so-far. Modern scholarly analysis and revisionist research has given a glance of hope for those brooding over the lost work. It has come to light that the Cardenio could h ave remained in existence in some of its variant forms with different titles. Ontheeighteenth century wrapper of the text most widely known as The Second Maidens Tragedy, acriticofanearlierage possibly the third owner of the manuscript, John Warbuton crossed out other contenders for possible authors or collaborators to leave whole the words By Will Shakespear/ A Tragedy indeed. (Fox & Walter, 2004) Though such consolations remain, I ruefulness the loss of this play for the great entertainment value its original version suggested. The plays patch is said to have been inspired by Miguel de Cervantes Don Quixote. The character of the protagonist in Cardenio is said to have been inspired by his namesake appearing in Cervantes iconic work. In the novel, the young Cardenio is driven to furiousness and lives in the Spanish town of Sierra Morena. Madness is a constant theme in Shakespeares plays - Hamlet, King Lear and Othello come to mind readily. It would be fascinating to discover the interpretation and portrayal of a maddened young in Cardenio. But madness in the context of Don Quixote could not have been tragic or serious. Hence by deduction it is fair to assume that comedy was at the core of the theme of madness noted in Cardenio. Features such as