Theatre began as a presentation of stories and ideas, primarily revolving around festival periods in the liturgical year calendar. This concept was carried forward into Shakespeare's time and is exemplified in his plays Twelfth Night, or What Will You and A Midsummer Night's Dream. These plays express a "carnivalesque" 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 present in Shakespeare's works are common to all, they are still not representative because he does not even attempt to present them in a way that reflects real life. The language is artificial (though beautiful), the sets are sparse, the plots include 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 Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The theaters in which Shakespeare's plays were performed were built according to a common general design. In short, there was a rather large playing area, with a trap door in the center of the stage. This was partially covered by a roof which supported a platform which served as a balcony and, perhaps, seating for wealthier patrons. This could also have been used for musicians when needed. Above this was the "hut" that allowed special effects to be performed (McDonald 116-117). There were no elaborate sets or backdrops used to create the surrounding environment. The setting was set up using scattered furnishings, such as a table or bed, or props that would only be used in an outdoor setting, such as torches or weapons (McDonald 110). These sparse accoutrements allowed for great freedom in the pacing of the performances (thanks to the ease of scene changes), as well as requiring that the location be declared in the dialogue and substantiated through the audience's imagination. This feature of Renaissance theater contributed to the presentational quality of Shakespeare's plays because it did not detract from the language of the plays and did not distract the audience from the ideas and concepts presented. At the same time, it forced the viewer to create the missing pieces of the scene in their mind, and required them to follow the action and dialogue very closely. Certain things included in the production were often incorporated for the express purpose of maintaining the audience's attention. Music was used as a tool to achieve this and to provide a tidy beginning or end 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, in fact, identical twins and, when dressed alike, are indistinguishable from each other. In The Comedy of Errors we are not only supposed to 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 appears 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 forested area populated by fairies and full of darkness and mythological references. One element of Shakespeare's plays that is often unrealistic is time. This was partly because there were no electric lights to tell the time of day or season, and the.