I. SONGS

The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds
Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils;
The motions of his spirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus.
(Merchan of Venice V,I, 83-88)

These lines (though somewhat extreme, given the context of the play) reflect the opinion of Shakespeare and his time about people on whom the harmony of music had no effect. Music was a required subject in schools and every gentleman was expected to be able to sing, play, and even compose music.

One of the reasons for such musical training in 16th century England was the taste for music that the monarchs manifested. Henry VII gathered around him the best musicians and composers of his time and showed them great favor. Henry VIII, in spite of his break with the Roman Catholic Church and his execution of many Catholics, showed leniency toward Catholic musicians. Edward VI, crowned at the age of ten, could already play the lute well enough to entertain the nobility. Queen Mary could entertain herself by playing various musical instruments. Under the peaceful and powerful reign of Queen Elizabeth, the people had leisure time for music and this contributed much to its development. Some chronicles of the time mention that on her coronation Queen Elizabeth was entertained by an orchestra of 83 musicians, the largest that had even been heard. The queen herself gave and enjoyed all kinds of musical performances. The lower classes followed the fashion of the upper classes-the streets were filled with music coming from private homes; it was the most common form of recreation. Any educated man was expected to hold his part in singing. Thomas Morley, a famous musician of the time, reports: "...supper being ended, and the musicke bookes, according to the custome being brought to the table; the mistresse of the house presented me with a part, earnestly requesting mee to sing . But when, after many excuses, I protested unfairedly that I could not; everie one began to wonder. Yea, some whispered to other, demanding how I was brought up." The core of musical activities was the family who often played together with even the servants taking part.

Being born in such an environment, Shakespeare was naturally much influenced by it. His observations on music abound in his plays and his imagery often draws on musical terms. In all there are some 50 songs in his plays. They are simple and clear, more so than any of the other dramatists. Their purpose was to please the audience, but also to contribute to the description of character and atmosphere. The songs from the plays can be divided into three types.

A. Songs for Entertainment
This type, used in early comedies like The Two Gentlemen from Verona, The Merchant of Venice, and Love's Labor's Lost, was sung by professional singers who were given no other role to play. Though the purpose of the songs was to delight, still they kept a certain relationship to the plot; for instance, in The Merchant of Venice (III,ii) the song "Where is fancy bred" gives a hint to Bassanio as to which box to choose. Similarly, at the end of Love's Labor's Lost the song of Spring and Winter serves the purpose (when theaters had no curtain nor scenery) of allowing the characters still on the stage to exit in a natural way.

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B. Requested Songs
Songs of request are songs where one character in the play asks another one to sing a song. Besides being entertaining, this type helps the plot along by revealing one's feelings and hinting at future events. This kind of play requires actors who can also sing. In Much Ado About Nothing (II,iii) Don Pedro tells Balthazar: "Come let's listen to the music" and Balthazar starts to sing: "Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more." The song suggests that two characters in the play, Don John and Borachio, will be unfaithful. In As You Like It (II, vii), Amiens, at the invitation of the duke, sings "Blow, blow, thou winter wind." Though the winter is cold and harsh, still it is not as terrible as a betrayer. This song also hints at the state of mind of the duke and his court; though exiled, they are still happy since they know how to adjust to life in the Forest of Arden. In the same act, scene v, Amiens and Jaques each sings a strophe of "Under the green wood tree." Amiens' passage praises the happy pastoral life while Jaques' mocks it.

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C. Improvised Songs
The tune of these songs is not as beautiful as the other types but has a closer link with the plot and reveals more of the inner feelings of the characters. These are songs in which the character sings out of impulse. This type appears mostly in the later tragedies and shows the skill Shakespeare had acquired by then in the use of music. For instance, in Hamlet (V. iv), Ophelia sings a song that expresses the disorder of her mind. In Othello (V,ii), Desdemona's "Willow Song" symbolizes all the sorrow and pain of a girl who has lost her lover.

This Study Guide offers six songs from the comedies of Shakespeare's early and middle period, lack of space forcing the cancellation of the tragic songs. We hope the intrinsic attractiveness of these songs will encourage students to look into the plays a little more closely, in order to see more and see more clearly.

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