Shakespeare created characters which are archetypal and relatable to the audience which means it is still relevant to us in the 21st century.
Some archetypal characters are:
1-The romantic but unintelligent or easily riled young man (Romeo of Romeo and Juliet, Lysander and Demetrius of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet of Hamlet)
2-The innocent young girl, often victim to spite and hostility (Ophelia of Hamlet and Cordelia of King Lear)
3-The flawed ruler who is a man of power but has a flaw that causes or almost causes his downfall (Oberon of A Midsummer Night's Dream, King Lear of King Lear, Macbeth of Macbeth and Brutus of Julius Caesar)
4-The bright young girl who takes matters into her own hands and usually brings the resolution to the play (Helena of All's Well That Ends Well and Portia of The Merchant of Venice)
5-The troublemaker, this character is very devious and enjoys causing strife (Claudius of Hamlet and Cassius of Julius Caesar)
6-The sidekick is the friend of one of the main characters and dutifully helps them solve their problems (Benvolio of Romeo and Juliet and Maria of Twelfth Night)
7-The mischievous character who misleads people, they are often supernatural (Puck of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Mercutio of Romeo and Juliet and The witches of Macbeth)
8-The mistreated villain is the character that does things the audience would consider to be wicked, but only because he has been driven to them by the way he was treated (Caliban of The Tempest and Shylock of The Merchant of Venice)
9-The powerful woman is a female figure who has real authority over people's lives, in tragedies she always dies and in comedies she will usually come under the influence of a male character (Lady Macbeth of Macbeth and Titania of A Midsummer Night's Dream)
10-The figure of fun is a character who is in the play purely to be laughed at (Malvolio of Twelfth Night and Nick Bottom of A Midsummer Night's Dream)
Shakespeare doesn't always include of all of these and it often depends on the genre of the play. For further learning create your own fakebook profile page for a character of your choice with a particular focus on their archetype and the role it plays in the text. You may also include the key events in which they influence the play.
Some archetypal characters are:
1-The romantic but unintelligent or easily riled young man (Romeo of Romeo and Juliet, Lysander and Demetrius of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet of Hamlet)
2-The innocent young girl, often victim to spite and hostility (Ophelia of Hamlet and Cordelia of King Lear)
3-The flawed ruler who is a man of power but has a flaw that causes or almost causes his downfall (Oberon of A Midsummer Night's Dream, King Lear of King Lear, Macbeth of Macbeth and Brutus of Julius Caesar)
4-The bright young girl who takes matters into her own hands and usually brings the resolution to the play (Helena of All's Well That Ends Well and Portia of The Merchant of Venice)
5-The troublemaker, this character is very devious and enjoys causing strife (Claudius of Hamlet and Cassius of Julius Caesar)
6-The sidekick is the friend of one of the main characters and dutifully helps them solve their problems (Benvolio of Romeo and Juliet and Maria of Twelfth Night)
7-The mischievous character who misleads people, they are often supernatural (Puck of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Mercutio of Romeo and Juliet and The witches of Macbeth)
8-The mistreated villain is the character that does things the audience would consider to be wicked, but only because he has been driven to them by the way he was treated (Caliban of The Tempest and Shylock of The Merchant of Venice)
9-The powerful woman is a female figure who has real authority over people's lives, in tragedies she always dies and in comedies she will usually come under the influence of a male character (Lady Macbeth of Macbeth and Titania of A Midsummer Night's Dream)
10-The figure of fun is a character who is in the play purely to be laughed at (Malvolio of Twelfth Night and Nick Bottom of A Midsummer Night's Dream)
Shakespeare doesn't always include of all of these and it often depends on the genre of the play. For further learning create your own fakebook profile page for a character of your choice with a particular focus on their archetype and the role it plays in the text. You may also include the key events in which they influence the play.