1500-1660

1500-1660

The Renaissance

• Intellectual movement• Rebirth of scholarship based on classical

learning and philosophy• Spread from Italy

Rebirth of human spirit: the Individual!

• Realization of human potential for development

• Lead to discoveries in:– literature– science– religion– philosophy– invention– geography

The Rise of the Renaissance in England

1500-1558

Henry VII

• 1485--End of the Wars of the Roses• Henry Tudor became Henry VII• Married Elizabeth of York

– United the two warring factions• Brought peace and tranquility• Began to replenish the treasury

Henry the VIII• 2nd son (Arthur dies young)• Wasted treasury• Needed Cash• Needed a Male Heir• Broke with the Catholic Church

Act of Supremacy

• 1534• King declared Head of Church of England• Seized Catholic Church’s properties• Steady movement of population to cities

Henry’s Wives

Divorced, beheaded, died; Divorced, beheaded, survived

Catherine of Aragon Anne Boleyn Jane Seymour

Anne of Cleves Catherine Howard Catherine Parr

Edward the VI

• 1547 Henry VIII Dies• Edward VI ascends throne• 10 years old/Pawn of powerful men• weak and sickly physical constitution• 1549--Book of Common Prayers published• Died in 1553 of consumption or over-

medication

Mary I

• Daughter of Catherine of Aragon• Devoted Catholic• Known as Bloody Mary• 300 Protestant victims• Died childless

The Height of the

1558-1603

Elizabeth I• 1558--ascends throne at 25• Protestant• Never married• 45 years as Queen – made royal history!• Established 100 free grammar schools• great patron of the arts – a poetess herself• Middle class educated and gained power• Defeated the Spanish Armada; England becoming

a super power.

The Court of Elizabeth• Educated courtiers• Music and dancing• Masques (flamboyant musical dramas)• Entertainment included: public hangings, witch

burnings, bearbaitings, elevated discussions, and Italian poetry

• Golden Age of English drama (Marlow, Jonson, and Shakespeare)

• Civic and Religious leaders viewed theatre as evil

Evolution of Elizabethan Theatre

At first…• No elaborate sets• countryside -- on makeshift platforms• London -- performed in taverns and inns• considered traveling vagabonds• content of plays changes from strictly religious to

more secular plots and settings.• Church withdrew its support

Changes in Theatre

• Popularity lead to purpose built playhouses• Spectators who could afford it sat in balconies• “Groundlings” stood on ground around stage (called

“Stinkards” in summer time…)• No lighting – daytime performances (2pm)• large platform became the stage.• Professional acting companies got support of Queen

Elizabeth.

Theatres

• located outside city limits – reduce plague• first permanent theatres since the Romans• 1576 First theater – The Theatre• Later torn down and renamed “The Globe”• “All the world’s a stage” – As You Like It• Building also used for other entertainment

like bull or bear baiting

Theatre Layout

• Round/Octagonal open air structure• Platform juts out into open yard• Back wall – 2 doors for entrances/exits• Upper stage/balcony• 2 pillars holding up “heavens” painted with

Zodiac• Audience seated in galleries or standing on

the ground

Indoor Theatres

• During winter• In palaces of Queen Elizabeth or King

James• Large halls lit by candlelight• Many of these plays set at night • Macbeth one of these? (spooky…)

The Audience• Nobles (sometimes on stage)• Groundlings might throw garbage and heckle

performers if displeased• No restrooms for up to 3000 spectators • No intermissions• Smells and swells: urine, beer, ginger, garlic,

tobacco, sweat• vendors, prostitutes, general rowdiness • Plot of the play usually known (History&Legend)• Only one entrance/exit (Wait your turn!)

Actors• No female actresses! Too uncouth a job!• prepubescent boys play female parts• little actual sex or romance in plays– just brief kisses• strong female characters• women disguised as men -- a plot device • still British tradition – Monty Python• troupes = 15 men• members versatile. Required to be:

– acrobats– singers– dancers– swordsmen– know multiple parts

Costumes• extravagant, spangled affairs

– gold thread– lace– silk– velvet

• cast-offs of aristocratic patrons• actors wore make-up (generally considered an

abomination by church…)• anachronism – “out of time” Roman soldiers in

Julius Caesar wore Renaissance fashions.

Staging• No outside curtains used between scenes• very little scenery• Actors’ lines helped audience understand setting.

“Here I stand in a forest..”• 2 Doors symbolized different places• Synechdoche – part stand for whole

– 3 soldiers stand for an army– throne stands for castle of the king

• Prologues given as introductory speed– summary of story– points out the theme– spoken by narrator or chorus

Language• Combined a variety of action with variety of

language• Pun – a play on words based on two words sounding

alike but having different meanings.• Play written in iambic pentameter – natural speech

rhythms• Blank verse (verse, but no rhyme)• Often makes use of rhyme• Upper class characters – poetry• Lower class characters - prose• Proximity of Actors and Audience:

– aside –character speaks to audience– soliloquy –character speaks thoughts aloud to self

Special Effects

• Winch system to raise and lower things• Thunder – fire cannon or roll cannonball

down wooden trough• Lighting – gun powder• Trap doors – under stage, called Hell

Theatrical Taste

• Great love of blood, guts, gore, supernatural• lots of violence

– animal bladders filled with blood under costumes– battered pig’s head of chopped off human head

• Lots of ghosts, witches, spirits – all believed in at that time…

• Bawdy humor – plays very sexual– puns– double entendres

Scripts

• One copy of script complete – held by bookholder (stage manager)

• Actors got pieces of paper with just their lines and cue words on them

• Not a lot of stage directions – indicated by lines themselves– “Here comes Macbeth” spoken by a character on stage

meant Macbeth was to enter

Shakespeare

• Born in Stratford upon Avon• Father a merchant (Glove maker)• Married Anne Hathaway – older woman (by

6 years)• Anne already pregnant when married• Has a few kids• Heads out to London to become a STAR!

Shakespeare in London• Became an actor• criticized for being a stage hog• started writing (still some acting)• plays popular with the public, but not the

critics• Breaks the rules of “good” writing:

– murders on stage– mixed comedy with tragedy– did away with decorum

Shakespeare’s Company• Prominent members of Shakespeare’s acting

company:– Richard Burbage– Will Kemp– Cuthbert Burbage– John Hemmings

• Under patronage of Queen Elizabeth -- 1594 – Lord Chamberlain’s Men

• Under patronage of King James -- 1603– King’s Men

The First Folio• A folio is:

A book or manuscript consisting of pages folded in the middle Approximately 14x18

• Shakespeare’s First Folio is: The first compilation of Shakespeare’s work It consisted of 36 of his plays – 18 of which

it was the first time they were published Published in 1623 – 7 years after his death. Only 750 copies printed and it sold out!

The First Folio

The Decline of the

1603-1649

James I

• First Stuart King• Believed he ruled by divine authority• Commissioned King James version of Bible• Opposed Puritanism• Growing religious and political unrest• Catholics conceived idea to blow up

Parliament--1605-Gunpowder Plot• Guy Fawkes Day--November 5

Jimmy and Willy• Macbeth written for King James

– VI of Scotland – I of England

• House of Stuart descended from royalty in the play (Banquo and son Fleance)

• King obsessed with witchcraft and the occult• actually wrote a book about it called Demonology• One theme of Macbeth is “revenge and

retribution”• Shakespeare spices the plot to James’ satisfaction

with the 3 weird sisters (witches) and a few ghosts

• Women were second class citizens No right to an education Pawns used in marriage agreements A father’s word was final in all aspects of a women’s life If she did not marry, she had no future

• Shakespeare challenges these views in Taming of the Shrew A shrew is a strong willed, outspoken,

uncontrollable woman Shakespeare makes the audience recognize

the unjust way women are treated The major question of the play is if Kate is

tamed.

Women’s Rights

Charles I• Son of James I• Dismissed Parliament• 1642--Civil War broke out• Cavaliers--royal supporters• Roundheads or Puritans--Parliamentary

supporters• Beheaded in 1649• Oliver Cromwell ruled as Lord Protector• Playhouses closed in 1649