ence between "romantic
comedy" and "romance," what is it? This is a difficult question, which
Professor Thorndike has attempted but failed to answer. He admits that
"Philaster" has some generic resemblance to "Measure for Measure," but
says that "No one would think of finding close resemblance between it
and anyone of the 'romances.'" If the resemblance is generic, does it
matter whether it is "close"? If "Measure for Measure" falls within the
laborious definition of a "romance," or of a "tragi-comedy," as both
that play and "Philaster" are called, why shouldn't we think of "Measure
for Measure," produced in 1604, four years before the wildest conjecture
puts the date of "Philaster," as the model upon which Beaumont and
Fletcher built?

"Measure for Measure" answers every detail of the definition: the plot
is taken from "Promos and Cassandra"; it is ingenious and improbable,
lacks realism, deals with heroic persons and actions, a sovereign duke
and his rascal brother; the characters are not historical; the location
is far off; the action has little to do with the real life of any
historical period; the story involves sentimental love, as distinctly
contrasted with sensual passion; there is variety of emotional effect;
the denouement is happy. If therefore the definition of "romance" is
correct, "Measure for Measure" is as much of that type as "Philaster";
Beaumont and Fletcher did not "create" it, and there is no reason for
supposing that Shakspere imitated them in "Cymbeline," "Tempest," or
"Winter's Tale."

But certain traits of construction are named as peculiar to the six
"romances" of Beaumont and Fletcher and those of Shakspere, and it is
sought to show that Beaumont and Fletcher set the fashion in these also.

1st. They did not observe the unities.

2nd. They disregarded the chronicle method.

3rd. They left out battles and armies.

4th. They presented a series of contrasted and interesting situations
leading up to a startling climax.

5th. The by-plots assist the main action.

6th. There is the use of tragi-comedy.

Does any attentive reader of Shakspere's comedies, whether called
romantic or tragi-comic, or by whatever other name, need to be told that
many of them contain all these traits? General review is impossible, but
take "The Merchant of Venice" as an illustration:

The unities are not observed. We think it is generally thought that
Shakspere was in the habit of disregarding them. The chronic