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Many of William Shakespeare’s plays have similar themes, including those of love, friendship, and revenge, that involve many complex characters, who each have their own distinct personalities and flaws. In the beginning of each play, these characters are introduced in ways to not only reveal what the play will consist of, but how each character will interact with one another. In this essay, I will discuss the similarities between each play that we have examined throughout the class period so far through the complex relationships between characters and how these relationships display the central themes, ideas, and conflicts that can be found throughout the play through the opening acts and scenes.
 

This theme of human relationships may be present in every play, but Shakespeare does not present it the same way each time. Instead of playing into just one type of human relationship, i.e. romantic relationships, he shows the complexities of both family aspects and friendships as well. This is apparent in the opening lines of each play, where he sets up how each character reacts with one another to not only set up the major conflict, but also engross the audience and pull them in. For example, The Comedy of Errors, opens with The Duke of Ephesus, a merchant from Syracuse, Egeon, a Jailer, and some other attendants, where Ephesus informs Egeon that he must receive the death penalty or pay a hefty fine, as any citizen of Syracuse that comes into his land is forbade. Egeon then decides to tell Ephesus why he came to Syracuse in the first place through the retelling of his life story, beginning by telling him of his relationship with his wife and family, stating that his wife was “happy but for me, And by me, had not our hap been bad”(act 1, scene 1, lines 37-38). Not only is he grabbing the audience’s attention through these specific lines, but he is also showing the dynamic between Egeon and his wife, stating that she was happy in all aspects of their marriage except for having to actually be married to him. He shows the audience that relationships between husbands and wives are not always ideal; there is depth and realness to them.
 

Egeon then continues on with his speech, stating that twenty-three years earlier, he became separated from his wife and one of his twin sons in a shipwreck, and he, and his other twin son, have been searching for them ever since, landing them now in his land. In general, the theme of family in regards to the human relationship is apparent, and becomes the catalyst to other major themes and conflicts that are discovered later on in the play, including the isolation and separation of Egeon’s twin son and wife, leading each character to experience suffering. Once Egeon is able to find his lost family, the major conflict will be resolved, as they will become unified and their suffering will end.
 

Like The Comedy of Errors, Titus Andronicus also displays the theme of family throughout the relationships of the characters. However, these family dynamics lead into other major themes that can be seen throughout the play; revenge and violence. As the play begins, Saturnius and Bassianus arrive and discuss who they believe is the rightful claim to the throne of the Roman Empire; Saturnius believes that he is the rightful heir, but so does Bassianus. Titus, a popular Roman general then arrives after returning from a victorious war against the Goths along with his surviving son, Lucius, who declares that there must be a human sacrifice. He nominates Alarbus, the son of the captured Queen of the Goths, Tamora, who pleads for mercy, but is ignored by Titus and Alarbus is put to death. Because Titus’s sons were killed during the battle between the Goths, Titus’s family obligation is to seek revenge on Tamora by killing her own son, which plays into one of the major themes of the play; revenge. Titus is then asked to choose the rightful heir and decides it to be Saturnius, who then in turn says that he will marry his daughter Lavinia. However, Lavinia is betrothed to Bassianus and tries to take her by force along with his son Lucius, and Titus accuses them of treason for going against Saturnius’s wishes. 
 

In the scuffle, Titus kills one of his own sons, Martius, and Saturnius seizes the opportunity to reject Titus, as he fears his popularity, and instead accuses him of treason and decides, preferably, to marry the captured Tamora. In this scene, how Titus views his family is very apparent; he expects complete loyalty and obedience, and because in this scene his children’s obedience is faulted, it causes him to slay his own son, circling into the other major theme of violence, as Titus does not hesitate to use it. Tamora then whispers to Saturnius to take revenge on Titus later when his throne is actually secured and assures him that she will get the job done herself and will seek revenge on Titus for both of them.
 

Besides the complexity of family dynamics, Shakespeare also explores the complexity of romantic relationships throughout many of his plays, specifically through the addition of love triangles. In A Midsummer Nights Dream, he expresses the love triangle, or rather a love square, between Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius, and Helena in the opening act. Specifically, Helena is pining after Demetrius even though he is engaged to Hermia, but Hermia is in love with Lysander and vice versa, and therefore plays into the overall dominant theme of love. Through this opening love triangle, he mostly explores how love is truly different between people, specifically through how Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius, and Helena experience this theme of love in a very fast-paced and almost whimsical way.
 

Just like A Midsummer Nights Dream, Twelfth Night also expresses the theme of love through the more traditional love triangle between the main characters Viola, Countess Olivia, and Count Orsino. In the opening scene of act one, Count Orsino, Duke of Illyria, is deeply in love with Countess Olivia, and goes on to talk about how much passion he has for her. However, she has made a vow to not marry for seven years in order to mourn her brother. But as we go on to the next scene, we meet Viola, who has become shipwrecked onto Illyria and decides with the help of her Captain to disguise herself as a man in order to become a follower of Orsino.
Even though this love triangle becomes more apparent as we continue throughout the play, these opening scenes, specifically Orsino’s speech about Olivia, tells us about the central themes of love and the suffering that may come with it. Unlike A Midsummer Nights Dream which displays young love through romantic relationships in an almost playful way, Twelfth Night makes it seem like the theme of suffering goes hand in hand with love through their relationships through these opening lines, specifically when Orsino states “if music be the food of love, play on”(act 1, scene, 1, lines 1-3), it seems as though he is overwhelmed by love, therefore it is causing him some sort of suffering already.
 

Othello also sets up a love triangle within its opening scenes, but unlike A Midsummer Nights Dream and Twelfth Night, a true villain is incorporated through the character of Iago, the aid of the main character, Othello, and Shakespeare makes sure that the audience knows by breaking the fourth wall, therefore engrossing the audience further into the play. The love triangle in Othello is introduced through the characters of Othello, a high ranking general in Venice, Desdemona, and Roderigo, a common Venetian, but instead of a traditional love triangle, Othello and Desdemona love each other, which can be considered as a love parallel. In these opening scenes, we learn that Iago has told Roderigo, who has been courting Desdemona, that she has eloped with Othello. However, Iago then goes on to state that he despises Othello, and that he only continues to serve him to seek revenge, as he has given his associate Cassio a promotion instead of himself. Because Othello and Desdemona are in love and therefore have eloped, love becomes the catalyst for many of the other themes that come throughout the play; it provides the reactant for the major themes of suffering and revenge.
 

Like Othello, A Winter’s Tale also uses love as the catalyst for revenge as well as betrayal, through the relationships and supposed love triangle between King Leontes of Sicilia, his wife, Queen Hermione, and King Polixenes of Bohemia. But unlike Othello, it explores the theme of friendship as well. In the opening scenes, specifically scene two, King Polixenes has been visiting Sicilia, and is about to leave but Leontes wants him to extend his visit, but he refuses until Queen Hermione persuades him to stay.
 

Because of this, Leontes suspects that they are lovers, creating a suspected love triangle, or love parallel, and discusses his suspicions with his courtier Camillo, who, even though rejects them, orders him to poison Polixenes. Reluctantly, he agrees, but instead of going through with the poisoning he informs Polixenes and together they leave for Bohemia. In this opening scene, it sets up how the romantic love between Hermonie and Leontes, and the suspected romantic love between Hermonie and Polixenes, creates the theme of betrayal and revenge, just like in Othello. However, what sets this play apart is that this romantic love complicates the strong friendship between Polixenes and Leontes.
 

Just like many of Shakespeare’s relationships between characters centers around a love triangle, Merchant of Venice sets up a sort of “money triangle” between the characters Antonio, Bassanio, and later on in the play, Shylock. As the act begins, Antonio is seen with his group of friends Salerio and Solanio, who tells them that he does not know why he is so depressed, but they tell him that it is due to his worry for his investments in trading voyages. Because Salerio and Solanio want to cheer Antonio up, it shows that they almost have a duty as his friend to try and help his emotional state through this conversation. It introduces not only the theme of friendship, but also camaraderie through their relationship. Bassanio, Gratiano, and Lorenzo enter, ask when they will all be able to get together, and all of the friends depart except for Bassanio.
 

Antonio then asks Bassanio about his new courting venture, and he tells him that he is trying to court Portia, a rich heiress, and if he does he will be able to pay back his friends, especially Antonio, for the many loans they have given him. However, he asks Antonio for an additional loan to be able to impress Portia, and Antonio agrees, but tells Bassanio that he must borrow the money to give him as his money has all been invested. This opening scene shows the devoted friendship between Bassanio and Antonio, as Antonio would sacrifice anything to help Bassanio even before hearing the details of how he would attempt to woo Portia.
Unlike many of the plays discussed, Henry V displays the relationship between leaders and commoners, specifically between King Henry V and the Church, through the characters of Ely and Canterbury at the beginning of the play. In this scene, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Ely discuss the movement in Parliament to take huge amounts of the Church’s wealth. The Archbishop of Canterbury says that even though King Henry V is young, he is likely to support the Church as he is not only a wise statesman, but has also offered him an immense amount of money from the Church to support the war in France. This conversation not only shows a sort of behind-the-scenes look into politics during that time, but it shows some of the dynamic that the leadership, specifically Henry V, had when it came to those classified as more common-folk, like the Church. However, he tells the Bishop of Ely that before Henry could accept his money, the French ambassador arrived and cut their conversation short.
 

In conclusion, each play that we have discussed during the class period uses the complex relationships between their characters to uncover and reveal the central themes, ideas, and conflicts within the play. For example, The Comedy of Errors and Titus Andronicus used their family dynamics to uncover different themes; isolation in The Comedy of Errors and revenge in Titus Andronicus. In A Midsummer Nights Dream, Twelfth Night, Othello, and A Winters Tale, the character’s romantic relationships are revealed through the use of love triangles, which then in turn uncovers the central theme of love, whether it be unrequited or painful. Even friendships between characters in the opening scenes can reveal the central theme of the play, specifically in the Merchant of Venice, where the main character, Antonio, feels his friendship deeply for Bassanio, and his friends feel deeply for him, revealing the central theme of camaraderie. Henry V, however, displays the central idea of leadership vs commoners through the relationship between King Henry V and the Church.