Question 18

Listen to the recording: Literary critics have often found themselves at odds when defining Shakespeare's 'problem plays,' works that sit uncomfortably between tragedy and comedy. In plays like Measure for Measure, the tone shifts rapidly from dark psychological drama to farce, leaving the audience disoriented. Unlike the comedies, which typically restore social order through marriage, these plays offer conclusions that feel artificial or forced. The play doesn't resolve the conflict so much as simply stop it. By refusing to provide a neat ending, Shakespeare compels us to acknowledge that in the real world, complex moral issues rarely have ...