The use of "play within a play" in Shakespeare's plays.?

Question

Can you please help me understand the use of "play within a play" in shakespeare's plays?

Answer 1

Shakespeare is actually making fun of himself. For instance, in "Midsummer Night's Dream", the play-within-a-play sounds mysteriously like "Romeo and Juliet". SHakespeare knew the popularity of the King's Men (his theatre group) and knew that in order to entertain the royalty, he should probably tease his own work.

Answer 2

The prime example is Hamlet, where the players come.
Shakespeare uses this play within a play as a vehicle for Hamlet to bring out the truth about whether Claudius killed his father. In Hamlet, this play is intrinsic to the story--but Shakespeare also uses it for Hamlet's philosophical musings, to demonstrate the pitch to which Hamlet's nerves were strung, for the playwright to talk about theatre itself, and even to make a comment on the boy theatre productions that were rivalling the acting companies of adult males.

In "Midsummer Night's Dream", the play within a play is used for high comedy, and provides a vehicle for Bottom to gain an asses head and wind up in Titania's arms, and also to poke fun at "players" and their foibles harmlessly.

I'm sure there's a lot more to it, but maybe that will help a wee bit.

Maggie

Answer 3

The biggest example is in "Taming of the Shrew". The first scene its a guy watching a play, then for like 20 scenes its another play, then at the end the guy ends up liking the play.

Answer 4

In Hamlet, some actors put on a play as part of the action of Hamlet. That is all there is to it. A play is put on by actors who are characters in the play for the other characters in the play.