Context Flashcards
what are Stock comic characters?
Stock characters are archetypal characters distinguished by their flatness.
Eg in ToS: Drunks and Wastrels- Christopher Sly, Young Lovers- Lucentio and Bianca, Disobedient Young Women- Katharina, Servants and Masters- Lucentio, Tranio and Biondello, Petruchio and Grumio
what is Commedia dell’arte?
Commedia dell’arte was a form of 16th-18th century comic Italian theatre based on stock characters.
what is The Shrew and Shrew literature?
A ‘shrew’ was a stereotypically bossy woman, common in 16th/17th century culture. Talking too much was a key characteristic of a shrew. Many ballads about shrews existed.
what are Elizabethan views on marriage?
In the upper classes marriage was transactional rather than for love. Fathers would choose a husband and provide them with a dowry - usually land, money or other valuables.
what are the Interpretations of Elizabethan gender roles?
Women could be seen as being men’s property: first they were ‘owned’ by their fathers before being ‘sold’ to husbands. Women were expected to be quiet and obey their male counterparts. However - Queen Elizabeth was on the throne so some historians argue that this visible female power influenced domestic relationships.
