...3rd period Elizabethan Theatre The Elizabethan World This theory, based on the Greek philosopher Aristotle’s concept of the universe, was of great importance to Shakespeare’s contemporaries and was used by him in developing events in his plays. According to this idea, everything in the world had its position fixed by God. The Earth was the center of the universe and the stars moved around it in fixed routes. In heaven god ruled over the archangels and angels. On there was order everywhere. Society reflected this order with its fixed classes from the highest to the lowest- kings, churchmen, nobles, merchants, and peasants. The animals had their own degrees too, the lion being the “king”. Plant life and minerals also reflected this order. Among the trees, the most superior was the oak; among flowers, it was the rose. The Elizabethans called this hierarchical structure The Great Chain of Being. There are two major religions in Elizabethan Englan were the Catholic and Protestant religions. The convictions and beliefs in these different religions were so strong that they led to the executiong of many adherents to both of these Elizabethan religions. Elizabethan Court was wherever the Queen happened to be and was made up of all those who surrounded the Queen from servants to the courtiers themselves. Once a year the Queen would go on a progress to the southern counties, but most of the time she resided...
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...Performing Arts Theatre in London Amphitheatre –Romans at Guildhall Liturgical dramas (from the service of worship). Took place in church during the Easter celebration. Sung and in Latin – vast cycles performed all over Europe in medieval times. Performed by Monks and nuns inside church. The spice seller was the first comic character as well as the first non-religious character. Liturgical dramas developed into Mystery/ Miracle plays and were performed outside. This is when we get the first actors. Mystery Plays In England different Craft Guilds were employed to perform different plays e.g. Carpenters acted out the story of Noah’s Ark and the Fishmongers the story of Jonah and the Whale. They were performed on wagons or temporary stages. The audience would move to different wagons to watch different plays. They might see six or eight short plays in a day. The performers were all amateur and all male. The Mystery Plays that we know today are the York Cycle of Mystery Plays and the Chester Cycle. Most of the others have been lost over the centuries. The Tudor monarchy was very flamboyant. Henry VII had his own company of players. This dynasty loved tournaments, and royal processions etc. There was an increase of professional actors in 16thc. They were attached to noble and royal families who protected them from religious and political turbulence. This religious upheaval eventually silenced the performance...
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...The era of Elizabethan times was quite the historical mark on entertainment arts, because of the vast popularity that it began growing. The arts were specifically used for entertainment and fun, as well as jobs and a way of life for some entertainers. Some entertainers used drama and theatre as a way of art and expression, but also to make others just as happy. The importance of the era, drama, theatre, and politics have greatly affected today’s outlook on the arts of entertainment. Elizabethan drama and theatre has influenced the history of not only literature, but also how they are both used today. The Elizabethan era was predominately one of the most historical eras to this day. Historians believe it is one of the most historical eras because...
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...Click here http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-clothing.htm to answer this question 1. How was Elizabethan class structure maintained? Girls needed to learn household chores and manners to be an eligible bride and then she would marry someone and depending on who she married would decide her social life and status. 2. What was the Chain of Being and what did it uphold? It is a concept that says that everything in the world has its own place and no matter what you do, you cannot change your place by going up the chain. here http://schoolworkhelper.net/2010/08/the-chain-of-being-shakespeare/ 3. What is the Rotae Fortuna? It´s a concept that first appeared in medieval and ancient philosophies, and...
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...The Elizabethan Age (1558 - 1603) refers to the period of Elizabeth 1's reign and is characterized by vigorous intellectual thinking, an age of adventure and discovery, a time in which new ideas and new experiences were sought after. The period revolutionized many aspects of English life, most significantly literature. The Elizabethan Age is considered the Golden Age of English literature. English writers were intrigued and heavily influenced by Italian Renaissance writing and readily adopted this model. This period also saw the introduction of a new genre in English theatre, the tragicomedy, which became very popular. The era is also considered the era of sonnets. The works of writers such as Shakespeare, Wyatt and Thomas Campion became very popular as printed literature and was widely distributed in households. Drama, under Elizabeth's reign, became a unifying influence, drawing people of different social classes together, since watching a play became a common experience and was not exclusively restricted to the gentry or upper class. Commoners and royalty could enjoy the same performance in each other's company, albeit in separate seating arrangements. Elizabethan Literature has so deeply stamped its authority on all future literate endeavors and developments, that we, almost half a millennium later, still study it and admire its exceptional beauty and greatness. Women's Rights were nonexistent Women were meant to be seen and not heard They were baby makers and...
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...Grumio is head servant, he comes second in the scene then the other servants…and then Katharina, Petruchio’s wife, whom has no power in the scene. She is manipulated and told what to do by every other character. The dominance creates comedy in this scene as the Elizabethan audience would find is amusing due to the roles played and how people are treated in relation to their rank in society, they would find it funny to see servants challenge their social role so long as they were put back in their place at the end. However, a modern audience is more likely to find the dominance insulting and misogynistic and no amusing at all. Act 4 scene 1 present’s dominance throughout and I am going to explore the comedy Shakespeare reveals through the assertive attitude he displays. At the start of the scene Shakespeare uses sexual connotation during Grumio and Curtis’s comical row. ‘Curtis: Away, you three-inch fool, I am no beast! Grumio: Am I but three inches? Why, thy horn is a goof, and so long am I at the least.’ Lines 19-21. The two servants are caught up in a row due to Grumio’s leadership over the other servants, he in fact hits Curtis which is showing his dominance. The connotation would be seen as funny to the Elizabethan audience as they appear to be insulting each other and because they’re a lower class and even though they are both servants; Grumio thinks he has the upper hand. This is funny as the servants are acting like they...
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...story is of a young William Shakespeare barely making ends meet and trying to write a play for the local theatre. However, Shakespeare is suffering from writer's block, and is seeking inspiration by having a muse. A muse is a power, in this case a female, used to inspire a poet. Of course, a love story proceeds. Although fictional, the real story line is the writing of "Romeo and Juliet" by Shakespeare. The story line is wonderful. In addition, there are very educational aspects to the movie, which focuses on theatre in the days of William Shakespeare. The theatre life is educational and the reflection of scenery in theatres of this time seems well depicted. The theatre life of these times is called Elizabethan. In the sixteenth century the most powerful form of literature or drama was non-religious and more concerned with the inner workings of the human personality. Shakespeare's writings were tragedies that focused on human actions without thought to the consequences of these actions. There are two examples in this movie that come to mind illustrating this humanistic approach. First, Shakespeare falls in love with Viola, his muse, and follows his heart knowing that she has already been promised to marry someone else. Second, is the theatrical representation of Romeo and Julie and the tragic love story it entails. The dramatic style and preparation of theatre in this movie is of the baroque style. The Baroque style is a period following the Renaissance, from 1600...
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...Believe it or not, there was actually a time when people would go to a theatre instead of log on Netflix, shocking, right? One can see why it was of the utmost importance for play writers to please their live audience. Hamlet, a play by William Shakespeare, was originally performed in 1602 at the Globe Theatre by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (CliffsNotes). The play had an audience that consisted of both high and low class citizens. Shakespeare made his plays enjoyable to his diverse audience by making them relatable. Hamlet’s speech in Act 4 Scene 4 is one that does exactly that. It can relate to its various listeners, but still be interpreted differently by each one. The original Hamlet performance was astounding to the Elizabethan audience...
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...Max Reinhardt, a very influential Austrian director, could arguably be called the father of modern theatre. His innovations facilitate the direction and management of both plays and movies. Starting with a brief look at his early life and touching on the big moments in Reinhardt’s life, we will see that many of his beliefs and practices are still widely used today. Max Reinhardt, was born an Austrian Jew in 1873. Reinhardt was born under with the name Max Goldmann. Goldmann did not change his name until 1890, when he became an actor. After about 30 years of being involved with the theatrical world, Reinhardt and his colleagues created the Salzburg festival. By 1924 Reinhardt had made his way to America and he directed his first American production, The Miracle. In 1933, he is, “Forced by the Nazi government to give his theatres in Germany to ‘the German People”. In 1935 he opens his film adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Warner Brothers. 3 years later, Reinhardt’s property in Austria was confiscated but he did open his own studio called, the Max Reinhardt Workshop for Stage, Screen and Radio in Hollywood. Finally, 1943 Reinhardt suffered a stroke and passed away. Otto Brahm, the most notable German producer at the time, introduced a more impressionistic realism to Reinhardt. The impressionistic realism consisted, not only of acting with the voice and with gestures, but with the entire body. Similar to naturalism, everything should be as it was in normal, everyday...
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...t With underlying themes of revenge, incest, and suicide, William Shakespeare’s Hamlet was remembered by many Elizabethan Era viewers as both a philosophical and oft-debated masterpiece (Dickson). These controversial themes attracted viewers everywhere, enticing them to see the play. One scene in particular from the original text of the play where this proves true is act IV, scene iv, lines 31-65, in which the titular character Hamlet decides that the time for revenge is at hand in an insightful soliloquy. The audience would have been attracted to the scene because they would receive a moral insight into Hamlet’s mind, revealing his true thoughts. It also would have expanded on the theme of revenge, and how this theme would affect the final scene of the play. Finally, by focusing on the theme of morality, the soliloquy would have provided audiences with a thought-provoking look into their own consciences. In Shakespeare’s original version of Hamlet, Hamlet’s speech from Act IV, scene iv effectively targets the Elizabethan Era audience. Through the soliloquy, the audience is able to clearly see Hamlet’s thoughts, and this discerning look behind his motif effectively catches the audience’s attention. At the beginning of Hamlet’s speech, the audience becomes aware that Hamlet regrets his hesitation to avenge his father, and he decides the time for vengeance is upon him. The prince admits this when he thinks to himself, “How all occasions do inform against me,/ And spur my dull...
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...Module B: Critical Study of Texts In the context of your critical study of Hamlet, to what extent does your response to this section of the soliloquy inform your judgment of this play as a whole? In your response, make detailed reference to Hamlet. The third soliloquy primarily explores Hamlet’s struggle to take action and avenge his father’s death. This inner conflict creates a dramatic tension that is sustained throughout the play and contributes to the textual integrity. The themes of Hamlet’s self-loathing, his resistance to action, and revenge, dominate this soliloquy and recur consistently for the duration of the play. They reveal Hamlet’s weak and procrastinating character which only changes towards the very end when he overcomes his cowardice and takes revenge for his father’s death by finally killing Claudius. The audience’s attitude towards Hamlet develops through the third soliloquy as they are informed to a large extent about what the core of the drama is about. This in turn shapes their judgement of the play as a whole. Hamlet’s self-loathing arises from his frustration in not having avenged his father’s death. This is constant throughout the play because it is the character’s prime focus. His inner conflict of feeling he is incapable of killing Claudius, and then hating himself for it, begins in the first line of his soliloquy, when he uses direct speech to the audience, referring to himself as a ‘rogue and peasant slave’. This juxtaposes the image of his...
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...Raw: in its true state; not made to seem better or more palatable than it actually is. In this theatrical piece performed by the Theatre Arts Department of California State University, Long Beach, actors and actresses perform Macbeth in the raw using minimal production equipment to direct audiences focus on the playwrights dialogue, and acting to better understand the story line of Macbeth. It can be difficult to comprehend the context of literature during the Elizabethan era, especially for the new-age 21st century persons. Therefore, it is vital the director has a clear understanding of Macbeth, to properly place actors in a position where they can evoke enough feeling to articulate the setting in which they are in. For example, there is...
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...fall starts when he contemplates killing Duncan, the King. Macbeth starts an inner fight between wrong and good. In my opinion Lady Macbeth I the intellectual author of Duncan’s crime while Macbeth is only the material author. Lady Macbeth planed the crime, which make this crime a premeditated one. Lady Macbeth is a controversial character and in my opinion a key piece in this play. Many would argue that Macbeth was a good man that was push by his dreadful wife. However I believe that Lady Macbeth did what she believed she had to do to fulfill her avarice. As per Tillyard in The Elizabethan World Picture he explains the following “The conception of world order was for the Elizabethans a principal matter; the other set of ideas that ranked with it was the theological scheme of sin and salvation.” (Tilliard). Sin and salvation were important issues in the Elizabethan era, I find interesting the dark forces in the play like the three witches or when Lady Macbeth calls dark spirits to be strong and do what has to be done to accomplish her desire. However I don’t see divine characters,...
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...Shakespeare includes many ideas and themes that specifically relate to the Elizabethan era. Hamlet’s last soliloquy in the play, found in Act 4 Scene 4 lines 32-66, contains many fascinating references to the Elizabethan culture. These references to Elizabethan life helped Shakespeare’s audience gain a better understanding of the theme and true meaning of the play. Hamlet’s final soliloquy is a major turning point in the play; it presents the audience with a chance to witness Hamlet’s inner most thoughts and how they have changed since the beginning of the play. Shakespeare ensures that the Elizabethan audience will understand this shift in Hamlet by incorporating the political, religious and social beliefs of the Elizabethans into the speech. Shakespeare mimics the political situation of Hamlet’s Denmark to that of Elizabethan England in Hamlet’s speech in order for the audience to easily comprehend and relate to Hamlet’s thoughts. While Hamlet watches an army going to fight over a small, worthless piece of land, he realizes that he is “one part wisdom/and ever three parts coward” (4.4, 42-43). He is astonished that this army is willing to risk their lives for a piece of land “which is not tomb enough and continent/to hide the slain” (4.4, 64-65) simply because their king said so. During the Elizabethan era, the monarchy had complete power over their country and were respected by all (Alchin). The Elizabethan audience that this play was written for would have been able to easily...
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...The History of Theatre Alanna Leon Effective Essay Writing/COM/150 May 27, 2012 Michael Macbride The History of Theatre Theatre is a fantastic, entertaining, and very old art form. An evolution of storytelling, theatre is an expression of life. The history of theatre can be traced all the way back to the time of Ancient Greece. The art of theatre has survived many years and has evolved greatly during those years. A performance you would have seen in Ancient Greece is not at all what you would see in a performance today. Many things in theatre have changed, from the dialogue and costumes, to the sets, themes, and the playwrights themselves. Just as the human race has had to adapt to changes in order to survive over the years, theatre has done the same. There is one thing that has not changed all that much and that is that people still use theatre as an escape. While theatre was originally used as a form of worship to the Greek god Dionysus, the art of theatre has greatly evolved over the years and is now mainly used as a source of entertainment. There is not much history pertaining to the origin of theatre. Most research comes from wall paintings and hieroglyphics. One of the first dramas was performed in Egypt and is said to be the beginning of theatre. This drama was the Abydos passion play, involving the story of Osiris (Robinson, 2002). Most of the first recorded examples of theatre come to us from Ancient Greece. Ancient Grecians had four festivals honoring...
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