Scapegoating in Shakespeare's Comedies

This presentation examines incidents of scapegoating in Shakespeare's comedies, and how these incidents create either comic or tragic effects. It also examines what characters get scapegoated, and determine what points Shakespeare is making about society by doing so. The three plays used are The Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice, and Twelfth Night. Scapegoating is a subject that is interesting because it reveals a lot about the psychology of the character and society doing the scapegoating. It also reveals a lot about the writer. By taking an in-depth look at the incidences of scapegoating in three of Shakespeare’s plays, more about the overall messages Shakespeare is trying to get across to his readers can be learned. Happy endings in Shakespeare's plays come with a cost, and that cost is usually the people who are scapegoated. When the readers acknowledge this, they can then begin to see what Shakespeare is criticizing about society.