Shakespeare and Biology

For my Biology Class, I had to create a classification system for whatever I wanted. And the first thing that popped into my head was Shakespeare plays. So for this assignment, I generally classified the plays into the four categories we have talked about this semester: Tragedy, History, Romance, and Comedy.

It's a pretty simple paper since we had to make it understandable and it couldn't be longer than a page. And also, just in general, Biology and I do not go together. But here it is, either way, for your viewing.

My classification system would be separating Shakespearean plays into their own respectful categories. The categories can be interpreted differently, but I have decided to use these: Tragedy, Romance, Comedy, and History. By separating the plays into the categories, it makes it easier for people to know the basic plot or what to expect before they read the play.

The first main category would be Tragedy. In Shakespearean plays, this means that almost all of the main characters die at the end of the play. There would be sub-levels. For example, one would be plays-within-a-play, wherein Hamlet would fall under. Another example would be a love story, which is where Romeo and Juliet would be placed.

The next category would be Romance. In Shakespearean times, this did not mean love, it meant more along the lines of supernatural or magical. One play that would fall under this category would be the Tempest.

The next category would be Comedy. In most cases, these plays are more like love stories than the Romance category. There would be also be play-within-a-play sublevel, where plays like A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Taming of the Shrew would be placed. The Merchant of Venice would be in a different sub-level where there is a different theme asides from love, like Justice/Mercy.

The last category would be History. These are plays that are based on historical events that occurred in England. The sublevels would be split into the family line or person that it is about. For example, Henry IV-VI would be one level and Richard II-III would be another level.