An Elizabethan Introduction Shakespeare’s Language Shakespeare did NOT write in “Old English.”...
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Transcript of An Elizabethan Introduction Shakespeare’s Language Shakespeare did NOT write in “Old English.”...
An Elizabethan An Elizabethan Introduction Introduction
Shakespeare’s LanguageShakespeare’s Language•Shakespeare did NOT write in “Old English.”
• Old English is the language of Beowulf:
“In the dark night the shadow-goer came stalking. The warriors slept, those whose duty it was to guard the building, all but one. It was known to me that, if the Ruler did not wish it, the injurer could not draw them into the shadows, but Beowulf, awake and fiercely angry, awaited the battle’s result, enraged in heart.”
Shakespeare’s LanguageShakespeare’s Language• Shakespeare did NOT write in “Middle English.”
• Middle English is the language of Chaucer, the Gawain-poet, and Malory:
And it is don, aftirward Jesus made iourne bi cites & castelis prechende & euangelisende þe rewme of god, & twelue wiþ hym & summe wymmen þat weren helid of wicke spiritis & sicnesses, marie þat is clepid maudeleyn, of whom seuene deuelis wenten out & Jone þe wif off chusi procuratour of eroude, & susanne & manye oþere þat mynystreden to hym of her facultes —Luke ch.8, v.1–3
• Shakespeare wrote in “Early Modern English.”
Shakespeare’s LanguageShakespeare’s Language• Shakespeare coined many words we still use today:
• Critical• Majestic• Dwindle
• And quite a few phrases as well:• One fell swoop• Flesh and blood• Vanish into thin air
The RenaissanceThe Renaissance
1500-16501500-1650 ““Rebirth” of arts, Rebirth” of arts,
culture, science culture, science Discovery of “New Discovery of “New
World”World” King Henry VIII = King Henry VIII =
renaissance man renaissance man (ideal)(ideal)
Reformation of Reformation of Catholic ChurchCatholic Church
Rulers of NoteRulers of Note
King Henry VIIIKing Henry VIII
17 when crowned17 when crowned 6 marriages6 marriages 1530—broke with 1530—broke with
the Catholic the Catholic church and church and created Church of created Church of England (a.k.a. England (a.k.a. Anglican Church)Anglican Church)
King Henry VIII King Henry VIII
Queen Elizabeth IQueen Elizabeth I
Daughter of King Daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn (2nd of his 6 Boleyn (2nd of his 6 wives)wives)
Henry had Anne Henry had Anne beheaded for beheaded for “treason”“treason”
Younger sister of Younger sister of “Bloody Mary”“Bloody Mary”
““Virgin Queen”?Virgin Queen”?
Renaissance A.K.A. Renaissance A.K.A. Elizabethan EraElizabethan Era
• Elizabethans considered drama a lower form of literature than poetry • English women had limited rights.• Commoners suffered from poor diet and crowded living conditions.• The people were vulnerable to outbreaks of the bubonic plague.
• In 1564, the plague killed nearly 1/3 of the people in Shakespeare’s hometown.
• Queen Elizabeth died in 1603, and King James of Scotland assumed the English throne.
• He was a supporter of the arts and literature.•He renamed Shakespeare’s theater company the King’s Men.
No electricity
Women forbidden to act on stage
Minimal, contemporary costumes
Minimal scenery
These control
the dialogue.
These control
the dialogue.
*A theatrical convention is a suspension of reality.
Audience loves to be
scared
Audience loves to be
scared
Soliloquy
AsideTypes of speech
Types of speech
Blood and gore
Use of supernatural
Use of disguises/ mistaken identity
Multiple marriages (in comedies)
Multiple murders (in tragedies)
Last speaker—highest in rank (in tragedies)
Theatre in LondonTheatre in London Traveling troupes of Traveling troupes of
actors performed in actors performed in courtyards of innscourtyards of inns
The Theatre-first The Theatre-first public theater-1576public theater-1576
Daytime/open airDaytime/open air Limited set designLimited set design Relied on music, Relied on music,
sound, costumes, sound, costumes, props and great props and great descriptiondescription
The Globe TheatreThe Globe Theatre Built in 1599Built in 1599 Across the Thames River- “Wrong side of Across the Thames River- “Wrong side of
town”town” King’s Men - Shakespeare’s companyKing’s Men - Shakespeare’s company
Rebuilt Globe Theatre
The Globe The Globe TheatreTheatre
Capacity 2,000- 3,000 spectators
The theatre stood until the 29 of June, 1613. The thatched roof was set ablaze by a cannon firing during Henry VIII;1614 reconstructed, shut down in 1642, and torn down in 1644
AdmissionAdmission 1 shilling to stand1 shilling to stand 2 shillings to sit in the balcony2 shillings to sit in the balcony 3 shillings to sit in the Lord’s Rooms3 shillings to sit in the Lord’s Rooms 1 shilling was 10% of their weekly 1 shilling was 10% of their weekly
incomeincome Broadway today:Broadway today:
$85 Orchestra$85 Orchestra $60 Balcony$60 Balcony 10% of a teacher’s weekly salary10% of a teacher’s weekly salary
The GroundlingsThe Groundlings
Poor audience members Poor audience members Stood around stage in “the Stood around stage in “the
pit”pit” Theatre was open-air; pit Theatre was open-air; pit
became mud when it rainedbecame mud when it rained Women not allowed (had to Women not allowed (had to
dress up as men to attend)dress up as men to attend) Threw rotten vegetables at Threw rotten vegetables at
bad performancesbad performances
ActorsActors
All men; All men; theatre/acting theatre/acting considered too considered too “dangerous” for “dangerous” for womenwomen
Actors looked down Actors looked down upon in societyupon in society
Female parts played Female parts played by young boys who by young boys who had not yet hit had not yet hit pubertypuberty
No actual kissing or No actual kissing or hugging on stagehugging on stage
TragediesTragedies End in the death End in the death
of one or more of of one or more of the main the main characters.characters.
Most of Most of Shakespeare’s Shakespeare’s tragedies involve tragedies involve historical historical individuals and individuals and eventsevents
Tragic HeroTragic Hero
Often a man of Often a man of high rank, such as high rank, such as a king or princea king or prince
Creates, or is put Creates, or is put into, a difficult into, a difficult situation which he situation which he must try to must try to resolve.resolve.
Tragic HeroTragic Hero
A combination of bad A combination of bad luck and bad decisions luck and bad decisions lead to his death.lead to his death.
Often a relatively Often a relatively sympathetic figure. sympathetic figure. His soliloquies show His soliloquies show his feelings and his feelings and motives, and show the motives, and show the audience how easy it audience how easy it would be to make would be to make similar mistakes.similar mistakes.
Doom and DestinyDoom and Destiny Many people believed in fate, or
destiny, and in the power of the stars to foretell the future.
Shakespeare uses the idea of fate or destiny to add excitement and anticipation to the tragediesUses a prophecy as a way of
holding the audience’s interest, because everyone wants to see if it will be fulfilled.
Tragic EndingsTragic Endings Tragedies give a very bleak view of the Tragedies give a very bleak view of the
world.world. At the end, the hero (and usually several At the end, the hero (and usually several
other characters) are dead, and the other characters) are dead, and the survivors are left to start again without survivors are left to start again without them.them.
Although most tragic heroes are partly to Although most tragic heroes are partly to blame for their own fates, death can be a blame for their own fates, death can be a very high price to pay for what may have very high price to pay for what may have seemed initially like a small failing.seemed initially like a small failing.
Tragic EndingsTragic Endings In most tragedies, there is also a feeling that
some good may have come out of the terrible suffering.At the end of Romeo and Juliet, because the
families’ fighting has partly caused the tragedy, they finally resolve to end their feud.