From Farce to Art: Sources and Evolution of the Shakespearian Twin Trope

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From Farce to Art: Sources and Evolution of the Shakespearian Twin Trope Patrick Cleland Winner of the 2015 Undergraduate Writers’ Conference, Research Category

Judge’s Comments: Cleland sets out to examine the comedic use of a common trope: twins separated at birth who somehow find one another later in life. But, what starts out as a simple way to make the audience laugh eventually develops into a way of examining the bigger questions in life: what is fate, what does morality encompass, are we really capable of exercising free will… This development comes about through a sort of literary repetition. One author has his characters exchange a few words; a second author repeats that same conversation while deepening the meaning that drives the scene. As this repetition continues, (and Cleland’s explanations continue), we come to realize that this pattern allows authors to concentrate on developing complexity and examining more than it initially seems they are. But, Cleland’s article also brings high-brow authors like Shakespeare down to size as he points out that even the greats built on the work of those who came before them. There is no “literary vacuum” in which great authors work, and amazing story-telling comes from borrowing from, expanding on, and ultimately building a literary canon through a sort of creative collaboration. Overall, Cleland’s argument is careful and meticulous. He walks the reader through wellarticulated examples, all the while drawing intricate parallels to support the claims he makes.


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