Previous
Motifs
Definition of Setting
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or it can be an imagined... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the... read full definition
Setting
Explanation and Analysis:
The setting in the play alternates between a wide variety of geographical locations, including Egypt, Rome, and Messina, as well as the houses of various individuals in these locations. Scenes shift very quickly between these geographically distant locations in the play, moving almost at the pace of a modern film as Shakespeare chooses to cut from Rome to Egypt and then back to Rome again. While such a rapid pace was criticized as being difficult to perform during Shakespeare's time, the depiction of these rapid setting changes has become much more achievable with contemporary technology. On the whole, the expansive scope of the setting lends the play a certain grandiosity, emphasizing the god-like characters of the protagonists.
