AO3 Flashcards
James I
Scottish and disliked.
His court were notorious for sycophancy and corruption.
Shakespeare tackled this issue in a play.
1597- Daemonology- magic/ supernatural published by James I.
1611- James I funded Shakespeare.
Sea, travel and island symbolism.
Abroad settings are utilised to allow playwrights to critique society. A blank canvas to critique bad government/ corruption in leaderships.
Tempest- stormy conditions. The calm before the storm foreshadows a sense of comic potential.
Travel around the globe is becoming easier as maps are becoming more accessible.
The island is non-specific and has no governance.
Problem play?
Shakespeare’s final, mixed-genre play.
Contains music, spectacle, magic, dance and masque.
Risky political plot as Xp criticises the government.
Plato’s influence
Correlation between the King and thinking will make a good ruler and a safe society.
Aristotle
Noble ruler, rich noble behaviour suggests decency.
Machiavelli
Machiavellian- cunning and scheming.
Synonymous with political deceit and conniving behaviours.
The chain of being
A social structure.
God had set out an order for everything in the universe and everyone belonged to a certain group depending on where God placed you. Uphold patriarchal society of the time and to remind men and women are their places in society.
God/ angels at the top.
Humans, animals, plants, rocks, minerals at the bottom.
Daughters and fathers
The father would be the protector of the daughter until she was married off to her husband, the marriage would usually resemble a business contract with many families having a dowry on their daughters.
The father was the head of the household.
Magic.
Very superstitious, the supernatural characters were often portrayed as malevolent and evil which could be an interest to James I who had been extremely interested in society.
Shakespeare used the supernatural to gain the attention of James I and appeal to bigger crowds.
Colonisation
Britain was expanding its territories across the globe.
The natural man
This theme can be shown through Caliban, the native island inhibiter whom had been enslaved by people on his land.
Colonisation.
Gonzalo and the Cannibal
Gonzalo’s ideas for the island heavily plagiarises Montaigne’s Cannibal, they both reference a utopian society were inequity does not exist.
The ideas are retrospective and progressive for their time periods.
Gonzalo and Montaigne were placed in a similar position because Montaigne’s speech was inspired by the “New World” further demonstrating that Gonzalo’s opinion is Shakespeare’s opinion.
Types of plays
Tragedy, comedy and the supernatural.
When James I first took over England it was very theatre focused and playwriters began to flourish.
Masque
Festive courtly entertainment that flourished in the late 16th century and early 17th century
Phyisonomy
Psuedo-science, your physical appearance is an indication of your personality.
