Theatre began as a presentation of stories and ideas, revolving primarily around the festival periods of the church year calendar. This concept was carried forward in Shakespeare's time and is illustrated in his plays Twelfth Night, or Whatever You Will and A Midsummer Night's Dream. These pieces express a "carnival" theme, implying a confusing time, a time when "anything goes" and many things that would not be tolerated in normal life are easily overlooked and perhaps even encouraged. Even though many of the ideas and emotions that are manifested in Shakespeare's plays are common to everyone, they are still not representational because they do not even attempt to present them in a way that reflects real life. The language is contrived (although beautiful), the settings are sparse, the plots have illogical twists that we simply have to accept, and the settings themselves are often fantastical. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original EssayThe theaters where Shakespeare's plays were performed were built to a common general design. Very briefly, there was a fairly large playing area, with a trapdoor in the center of the stage. This was partially covered by a roof which supported a platform serving as a balcony and, possibly, a seating area for wealthier clients. This may also have been used for musicians when necessary. Above was the “hut” which allowed special effects to be created (McDonald 116-117). No elaborate sets or backdrops were used to create the environment. The setting was created using sparse furniture, such as a table or bed, or props that would only be used outdoors, such as torches or weapons (McDonald 110). These rare props allowed great freedom in the rhythm of the plays (because of the ease of changes of setting) and required that the location be indicated in the dialogue and justified by the audience's imagination. This feature of Renaissance theater contributed to the quality of the presentation of Shakespeare's works because it did not detract from the language of the plays or distract the audience from the ideas and concepts presented. At the same time, it forced the viewer to mentally create the missing pieces of the setting and required them to follow the action and dialogue very closely. Certain things included in the production were often done with the express purpose of holding the audience's attention. Music was used as a means to accomplish this as well as to provide a neat beginning or ending to a scene. Shakespeare used his characters and settings to create wonderfully twisted comic plots, but we must actively employ "willing suspension of disbelief" in our analysis of them. In Twelfth Night, or What You Will, we are meant to believe that brother and sister (who are twins) are actually identical twins and, when dressed alike, are indistinguishable from one another. 'other. In The Comedy of Errors, one must not only believe that the twin brothers are identical, but that the two servants who serve them are also identical. The action of Twelfth Night takes place in Illyria, which seems to be a place where magical things can happen. While A Midsummer Night's Dream is set in Athens, much of the action takes place in a nearby wooded area populated by fairies and full of darkness and mythological inferences. One element of Shakespeare's plays that is often unrealistic is time. This is partly due to the fact that.