ABSTRACT
The study so far has argued that early modern drama in general is fascinated by laughter and weeping, very frequently displaying both actions, and associating them with a rich theatrical vocabulary, involving associated phrases of dialogue, gestures, and even properties such as the handkerchief. Also, contemporary accounts of and allusions to early modern theatre are fascinated by audience laughing and weeping, which is considered an important element within the performance occasion; by the volume and intensity of audience laughter; and by the mysterious nature of audience weeping. As a general principle, by and large, audience laughter is cued by stage laughter, and audience weeping is cued by stage weeping. This eighth and final chapter asks: what are the implications of these ideas for study of Shakespeare?
