Lampshade Hanging/Theater: Difference between revisions

* [[Shakespeare]] uses this often

** In ''[[Twelfth Night]]'':

** Most of the [[Sweet Polly Oliver|Sweet Polly Olivers]] tend to lampshade the fact that in those times that a boy is playing a female character that is disguising herself as a boy.

** Hamlet's "Speak the speech I pray you" monologue can be seen as a combination of putting a shade on the common Theater techniques of the era, and a [[Take That]] against the overuse of it.

** The entire closing monologue to ''As You Like It'', where Shakespeare comments on the low quality of the play, the oddness of the main female character speaking the epilogue, the idea that a good epilogue might improve a play, and that the "woman" saying the lines was played by a man, making "her" part in the play that of a man playing a woman playing a man. Slightly earlier the characters also comment on the deus ex machina (which is even more convoluted than a normal example) which wrapped everything up in just a couple pages with a brand new character coming out of nowhere.

** The fact that the entire thing's been a play is also commented upon in the epilogues for both ''A Midsummer's Night's Dream'' and ''The Tempest''. The former also has quite a few lampshades hung surrounding the acting of the players at the end.

** Furthermore, Sir Robin, when discussing the glamour and beauty of Broadway, dashes King Arthur's dreams of being in a Broadway musical by explaining "You won't succeed on Broadway if you don't have any Jews!" This, being England in the middle of the Crusades, is not likely -- what Jew will come out to a heavily armed Christian? The Lady of the Lake resolves this quandary for Arthur by telling him, {{spoiler|"You're ''in'' a Broadway musical!" as the lights around the stage sparkle}}. Finally, addressing one of many anachronisms, {{spoiler|when Sir Lancelot and Herbert are wed, Lancelot pinches his beloved's cheek and says to him, "Just think, Herbert, in a thousand years' time this will ''still'' be controversial."}}

** The great sorceror Tim. Stage direction calls for the strings holding him up to be visible from the back of the theater. King Arthur loudly states his amazement that Tim is flying without any method of support whatsoever.

'''Ruth:''' All baronets are bad; but was he worse than other baronets?

** And between Rose Maybud and Mad Margaret:

'''Margaret:''' Hush! They sing choruses in public. That's mad enough, I think. }}

* Gaston and [[Le Fou]] do this in the stage musical of ''Beauty and the Beast''

'''Gaston and [[Le Fou]]:''' Who can make up these endless refrains like Gaston? }}