Deciphering Social Constructs via Character Casts

In William Shakespeare's romantic comedy The Tempest, the reader is able to quite easily decipher the social constructs of the time (17th century) by analyzing the different mannerisms and ways Shakespeare has his characters act. This is evidenced primarily through the characters of Trinculo and Stephano, who happen to be the only members of the cast who are from the lower class. Shakespeare has them both serve as the comedic relief in his play, and their time on stage consists of them acting as drunken fools who fight amongst themselves and come up with bad ideas, such as killing the wizard Prospero. This portrayal of the poor represents what 17th century European noblemen thought of those who served below them, and most likely amused the poor themselves as well as they watched plays such as these while drunk, compounding the irony and helping to affirm the stereotypes.

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