The Other Mechanicals

The Mechanicals are used by Shakespeare to give some insight into the role of theatre in our society. Their flubbing of lines, missing of cues, and terrible creative decisions highlight Shakespeare’s opinion of what constitutes good theatre. Their utter lack of imagination (as proven in their belief that there needs to be a prologue to explain that their play isn’t reality) suggests to the audience that good theatre arises from an ability to imagine the unreal (from both the audience and the actors).