Elizabethan era and theatre

Elizabethan era and theatr

Life and work of William

Shakespeare

Shakespear

Elizabethan era

•

Reign of Queen

Reign of Quee

Elizabeth 1558 – 1603

Elizabeth 1558 –

•

Expansion and

Expa

exploration

•

London – heart of

England and leading

centre of culture

•

Theatres in Southwark

Theatres in Southwa

Elizabethan theatre



Play writers – Shakespeare, Marlowe

Play writers – Shakespeare, M



1st proper theatre – The Theatre 1576



Other - Rose, Swan, Hope, Globe (Lord

Other - Rose, Swan, Hope, Globe (Lord

Chamberlain´s Men – Shakespeare –

1613 burned down)

Play houses



Private and public

Private and publ



Audience: 2000 – 5000

Audience:

people

peopl



Round, square wooden

Round, square

structure



Rich – galleries, poor in

Rich – galleri

ground



2 doors on stage =

2 doors on stage

opposite locations

opposite locat



Effects – fire, smoke,

Effects – fire, smoke

flying



Actors – only men

Actors – only



Performances –

Performances

afternoon = artificial

afternoon = artificial

lightning

William Shakespeare 1564 -

1616



born in Stratford

born in Stratfo

upon Avon in 1564

upon Avon in 1



As 18 years old

As 18 years o

married Anne

married Ann

Hathaway

Hathaw



His plays were on

His plays were

London stage by

London stage

1592

1



From 1594 his plays

From 1594 his pla

performed only Lord

performed only L

Chamberlain´s Men

Chamberlain´s M



The company built in 1599 own theatre

which they called the Globe



Shakespeare continued to act in his own

and others plays also after his succes as

playwriter



His last plays wrote together with John

His last plays wrote together w

Fletcher



Shakespeare retired to Stratford and

died on 23 April 1616

Plays



1st period – until 1590 =

1st period – until 1590

mainly comedies

mainly comedie

influenced by Roman and

influenced by Roman a

Italian models, and

Italian models, a

traditional history plays

traditional history pla



2nd p. – began in 1595

2nd p. – began in 15

with Romeo and Juliet,

with Romeo and Ju

ended in 1599 with Julius

ended in 1599 with Juliu

Caesar, period of greatest

Caesar, period of great

comedies and histories

comedies and histo



3rd p. – 1600 – 1608,

3rd p. – 1600 – 16

„tragic“ period - tregedies

„tragic“ period - tregedie



4th p. – 1608 – 1613,

4th p. – 1608 – 16

tregicomedies, romances

tregicomedies, roman

General description of

Shakespeare’s plays



Early point of effect

Early point of eff



several lines of action which might seen independent at the

several lines of action which might seen independent at th

beginning but later they merge (splynú) together, we speak about

beginning but later they merge (splynú) together, we speak ab

unity in diversity, best example is King Lear

unity in diversity, best example is King



there is a large number of & variety of incidents, mixed emotions as

there is a large number of & variety of incidents, mixed emoti

tears & laughter, violence

tears & laughter, v



ideas of time &space are used freely, S doesn’t stick in classical unity

ideas of time &space are used freely, S doesn’t stick in classical un

of time & space, audience has feeling of ongoing action or life behind

of time & space, audience has feeling of ongoing action or life beh

the scene

the sc



large number of characters – 30 is quite common, they represent all

large number of characters – 30 is quite common, they represent all

social levels, they can be poor or rich but they are still individual

social levels, they can be poor or rich but they are still individ



language also differs from play to play – can be elegant or witty even

language also differs from play to play – can be eleg

obscene & its function is to enhance character & his or her actions

obscene & its function is to enhance character & his or her action



subjects are taken from different sources – as mythology, history,

subjects are taken from different sources – as mythology

legends, fiction

legends, fi

Poems and sonnets



Shakespeare wrote 3 narrative poems

Shakespeare wrote 3 narrative p

on erotic themesVenus and Adonis, The

Rape of Lucrece, A Lover´s Complaint



The Sonnets (1609) – planned 2 series,

one one about uncontrollable lust for a

married woman of dark complexion

married woman of da

(the "dark lady"), and one about pure

(the "dark lady"), and one about p

love for a fair young man (the "fair

love for a fair young

youth")

Style



adapt traditional style to his own purposes,

adapt traditional style to his own purpose

he combined traditional and free style

he combined traditional and free st



his standard poetic form - blank verse in

his standard poetic form - blank verse

iambic pentameter, later

iambic pentameter, la

he began to

he began

interrupt and vary its flow

interrupt and vary its



His style was "more concentrated, rapid,

His style was "more concentrated, rapi

varied, and, in construction, less regular, not

varied, and, in construction, less regular, n

seldom twisted or elliptical"

seldom twisted or ellipti



Use

U

run-on lines, irregular pauses and stops,

run-on lines, irregular pauses and stops,

and extreme variations in sentence structure

and extreme variations in sentence structu

and length

and le

Influence

Infl



He expanded the dramatic potential of

He expanded the dramatic pote

characterisation, plot, language, and genre

characterisation, plot, language, and



His work heavily influenced later poetry. The

His work heavily influenced later poetry. T

Romantic poets attempted to revive Shakespearean

Romantic poets attempted to revive Shakespear

verse drama, though with little success.

verse drama, though with little succes



Shakespeare influenced novelists such as Thomas

Shakespeare influenced novelists such as Thomas

Hardy, William Faulkner, Charles Dickens and

Hardy, William Faulkner, Charl

American novelist Herman Melville. In Shakespeare's

American novelist Herman Melville. In Shakespeare

day, English grammar and spelling were less

day, English grammar and spelling were

standardised than they are now, and his use of

standardised than they are now, and his us

language helped shape modern English.

language helped shape modern Engl