'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'The Tempest' in the mirror of changing critical approaches

Thesis (M.A.) from the year 2007 in the subject American Studies - Comparative Literature grade: gut University of Dusseldorf Heinrich Heine language: English abstract: Shakespeare is one of the most analysed and criticised poet in the historyof literature. Why Shakespeare? The answer is easy. He is not only mostanalysed but also the most popular dramatist that has ever existed.Shakespeare's drama has been fascinating his audience and readers through thecenturies. The plots of Shakespeare's drama seem to be simple dealing withhuman and social themes like love marriage murder intrigue complot andrevenge. On a first sight they remember us of a good and entertainingHollywood Film. But is this all what Shakespeare has to say through hisdrama? Did he really intend to write commercial plays without giving a deepersense to his literary work? I don't think so. I think Shakespeare achievedthrough his simple plots to get deeply into the minds and souls of hisaudience in order to make them conceive the complexity of their own lives andfeelings. I do not intend to find out his personal message in the drama or tointerpret his intentions. I will rather concentrate on his work and try to find outwhat kind of message Shakespeare's comedy transmitted to his audience andabove all to his experienced readers better said to his literary critics. My papershall reveal the complexity and the deep psychological meaning ofShakespeare's comedy. Returning to my first question why Shakespeare? Iwould like to answer it by quoting one of my favourite critics Northrop Frye:For all that has been written about it Shakespearean comedy still seams to me widely misunderstood and underestimated and my main thesis that the four romances are the inevitable and genuine culmination of the poet's achievement is clearly less obvious to many than it is to me. 1I consider Frye's assumption on Shakespearean comedy the adequate answer tomy que