Music is a form of art that can be found in all cultures, across all time periods. It plays a role of paramount importance in people’s daily lives. A world-renowned playwright, William Shakespeare, also values music. Born in 1564, Shakespeare has earned the world’s respect through his identity as an actor and a poet, but most importantly as the most successful and well-known playwright in the Renaissance era (Spencer et al. par 1). As a playwright during the 1500s, Shakespeare paid close attention to the aspect of music, incorporating obvious or hidden musical elements in his plays. Music at that time was seen as a form of entertainment for all the people in the Elizabethan era. Music could be created, and instruments could be played by musicians for Higher Class people, but easy songs and ballads could be sung by ordinary people in villages, in order to ease the mundane and arduous tasks performed by Lower Class people (Alchin). Being in that place and time, It would come to Shakespeare naturally that music is a key component to his plays in order to engage more people, especially when the music was already used to accompany poems in the medieval era (Alchin). According to a research, Shakespeare had made more than five hundred references to music in his plays and his poems (Spencer et al. par 5).
Shakespeare’s plays can be divided into three genres—Comedies, Tragedies, and Histories. In each of these genres, music was used differently to fit the required emotions and desired effects. For example, a hautboy, which is an early version of oboe, was used to represent supernatural sounds, serving as an accompaniment to the witches in the play Macbeth (Long 98). Clearly, the use of musical elements plays an important part in Shakespeare’s plays, helping the audience to better understand the idea that is trying to be conveyed. However, a question arises from this statement: Does the use of music differ in different genres? If so, how and by how much? This essay aims to provide an answer to the question by examining two of Shakespeare’s plays –As You Like It and Hamlet, from the genre of Comedy and Tragedy respectively.
As You Like It is one of Shakespeare’s early plays. It is a comedy, which means that there is definitely a wedding, and in this case, four weddings in the end. As You Like It was written in 1599 with numerous musical elements, especially songs. The first song appears in the fifth scene in Act 2. Amiens, who is one of Duke Senior’s courtiers, was singing a song in the clearing of Forest of Arden. He seems to be in good spirits, mentioning that he is lying “Under the greenwood tree” and turning “merry note / Unto the sweet bird’s throat” (2.5.1-4). Through the song, the audience can have a sense that Amiens enjoys his life in the forest which is filled with peacefulness. The vivid imagery portrays beautiful scenery and describes to the audience all kinds of lovely things that can be done in the Forest of Arden. The attitude shown here is that of positivity. Upon hearing this lyric, the audience can imagine an idle yet happy life in the woods. Amiens clearly shows the benefits of the pastoral life, avoid mentioning the hardships that people need to endure in the forest. After picturing a happy life, Amiens provides the audience with another reason for living a life in the Forest of Arden, which is the fact that his current residency is far from the center of politics and the court that is filled with resentment. The image of nature makes people want to go to a paradise like the Forest of Arden where one “see[s] / No enemy / But winter and rough weather” (2.5.6-8). This means that he is free from being constantly worried about the enemy, because in the Forest of Arden, the only enemy left would be the weather and nature, which are unbeatable. Jaques pleads Amiens to sing more by stating that he can “suck melancholy out of a song as a weasel sucks eggs” (2.5.11-12). By using a simile, the role of music is made explicit, which is to serve as a medium of people’s emotions. In the song that Amiens sung, Jaques is trying to absorb all of the sadness. However, the song itself is rather joyful. This shows that music can be interpreted differently because different people would have and display different emotions. It also gives the audience a hint that Jaques at that time is rather pessimistic, seeing the world using a negative lens. This song at the beginning of Act 2 Scene 5 acts as an introduction that explains the setting of the scene, shows the current situation of the banished Duke Senior and his courtiers, and presents the audience the contrasting emotion and opinion between Jaques and Amiens, who are the followers of Duke Senior, thus reflecting the other people’s attitude.
In the same scene, Jaques himself writes a verse to accompany the tune and it is evident that contrasting to the positivity of Amiens, he sees the disadvantage of pastoral life. He comments that “man turn ass, / Leaving his wealth and ease / A stubborn will to please” (2.5.44-46). He is essentially telling the audience that people are fools when they leave all the “wealth and ease” to please people’s stubborn will in the forest (2.5.45). This comment of Jaques shows the audience a more realistic side of living in the forest, unlike the idealized version presented by Amiens. He later compares himself to a fool, saying “Ducdame, ducdame, ducdame. / Here shall he see / Gross fools as he, / An if he will come to me” (2.5.47-50). He states that all the people who followed the Duke into exile can see a person, referring to himself, being as foolish as themselves, which means that they are stupid and have made a foolish mistake. He is not only mocking himself, but at the same time making fun of all the loyal followers of Duke Senior. The lyrics that Jaques sung shows that he is a character that has his own opinion. He is eager to present a different view that contrasts greatly with the belief of the majority. His satirical imitation of Amiens’ song demonstrates the mockery and ironic side of his personality, creating a sharp contrast with the ideal belief of Duke Senior and the exiled court. This song expresses dissatisfaction and negative emotion of Jaques and gives the audience a reminder of reality.
A companion of the song sung by Amiens appears in Scene 7 of Act 2. Amiens provides some music for the banquet upon the request of Duke Senior and he sings a ballad that can be seen as a continuation of his earlier song. He again mentions the “winter wind,” but it is not “so unkind / As man’s ingratitude,” referring to Duke Frederick and his vicious court (2.7.178-180). Amiens continues to praise the life in the countryside and emphasis that nature is less intimidating and hurtful than men. This song also foreshadows what will happen in the future by saying that “Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly” (2.7.185). The false friendship can be seen as a reference to the relationship between Rosalind and Orlando. The relationship is untruthful since Rosalind has disguised as Ganymede to interact with Orlando. She tricks Orlando into thinking that the person to whom he revealed his love for Rosalind is his friend Ganymede, not Rosalind herself. When Amiens mentions that love is merely foolishness, it is also a foreshadow to the different characters’ responses to love. Becoming a fool due to love is demonstrated perfectly by Silvius, a shepard who is in love with the shepherdess Phoebe. Silvius is willing to do anything for Phoebe, even though Phoebe does not love him at all. Phoebe has treated Silvius with disdain and unkindness, bluntly telling him to leave her alone. Even if Silvius is not respected at all by Phoebe, he still tries to win her love. He is indeed so foolish in front of love that he has abandoned his dignity as a man. However, even though the friendship may be false and that some characters have appeared foolish at times, those all have lasting rewards.
Another song is presented in Act 4 Scene 2 when Jaques meets two lords who have killed a deer. Contrasting to his grief shown in Act 2 when he meets a wounded deer, he suggests the lords to give the prey to the Duke and create a song for this occasion. His suggestion certainly involves sarcasm. The lords start singing a lustful song, which features a play on words comparing a deer’s antlers and the “horns” of a cuckold. The lyrics of the song, with seuxual references, seem to be inappropriate for people in a higher class who are supposed to be more educated and elegant. This song appears right after Rosalind confesses her love for Orlando with her cousin Celia. It is rather strange for such an inappropriate and unrefined song to appear after a romantic declaration. Sakespeare creates a contrast for romantic passion by refuting that romantic ideal altogether. The song in this case serves as a contrast with the initial romance in the previous scene. The purpose for this choice may be that Shakespeare wants to remind the audience of the harsh reality despite the play being a comedy. Another possible explanation is that Shakespeare wants to highlight the romantic elements in the play. By employing things that are not so idealistic, Shakespeare is able to make the concept of love seem more romantic and fantastic.
The next song appears in Act 5 Scene 3, performed by two pages upon the request of Touchstone. This song serves as a great contrast to the song appeared in Act 2, sung by Amiens. In this song, there is no more references to the court and the harsh weather. It is a song purely about spring and love. The lines “In springtime, the only pretty ring time, / When birds do sing, Hey ding a ding, ding” are repeated several times, telling the audience that spring is just the right season to get married (5.3.17-18). The repetition of the “ing” sound adds to the jolly atmosphere created. This again refers back to the several weddings that are going to take place at the end of the play. The description of the spring and birds chirping gives the audience a rather joyful sensation. It tells people that they need to “take the present time… For love is crowned with the prime” (5.3.32-34). The happy tune and lyrics foreshadow that there will eventually be a happy ending. The lyrics reminds the characters that they need to seize the present time and achieve perfection through love. This might be why the wedding is taking place so soon, which is the first day after they have made the decision to get married. The lyrics also foreshadow that all the characters that are struggling for love will eventually sort out all the problems and achieve a satisfactory ending for each of the characters since every “lover” will eventually get “his lass” (5.3.14). This also hints to the audience that there will be multiple weddings happening at the end just because there are many couples in the play.
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