Shakespeare and Romance

From the Wikipedia Page on Shakespeare Romance:

"The category of Shakespearean romance arise from a hesitation among critics to categorize them as comedies (though all but Cymbeline, which was listed among the tragedies, were considered so by John Heminges and Henry Condell when they edited the First Folio), because they bear similarities with medieval romance literature and are different from comedies in many ways. Shakespeare's romances share the following features:

* A redemptive plotline with a happy ending involving the re-uniting of long-separated family members;
* Magic and other fantastical elements;
* A deus ex machina, often manifesting as a Roman god (such as Jupiter in Cymbeline or Diana in Pericles);
* A mixture of "civilized" and "pastoral" scenes (such as the gentry and the island residents in The Tempest);
* "...and the poetry is a return to the lyrical style of the early plays, though more mellow and profound.""

Most of the Romance plays, while not "Romantic" in the modern sense, have surreal settings and plotlines dealing with magic or unorthodox lifestyles. Romance plays are also the main point of contention for those who believe that Shakespeare wasn't a "real" person, because they aren't written like the tragedies or comedies in the past.

HOMEWORK:
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