elizabethan theatre Flashcards
dates
1558-1603
SOPOCO?
Renaissance, exploration and discovery, education, knowledge, power of London at peak.
issues: plague, lack of heir, England vs Spain and France, catholicism vs Protestantism
what were the elizabethan beliefs
Believed in God, heaven and hell
chain of being (belief that you must accept place or chaos, disorder)
Believed excess of any liquid (humors)would cause imbalance and manifest to physical or mental illness
what were humours and why did playwrights use this?
humours = The health of the human body considered to be controlled by four key liquids:
1. Black bile: melancholy and sadness (earth)
2.Yellow bile: quick tempered (fire)
- Phlem: sluggish (water)
- Blood: courageous (air)
believed excess of any of these would lead to physical or mental illness
= playwrights would use humours to create characters: morality and character traits based on this
what paved the way for modern drama?
Queen Elizabeth 1 banned all religious drama, therefore made way for modern theatre.
what did queen elizabeth 1 believe in and what did she do?
- believed in royal absolutism (wanted her only to be in complete control of everything)
- going against queen=blasphemous, criminal act
what was london like in the 1500s
River Thames divided London, lord mayor ran city, nobility lived in Westminster
what was the effects of the bubonic plague and what did the people think of it?
- halved population, puritans said God is punishing city for wickedness (SIN)
= theatre closed for outbreak, sick people sealed off in houses (Red Cross)
what were the influences in development of elizabethan theatre?
- stage practices learned from medival theatre = pageant wagon and static booth stage
- law=men only perform
- government in control of theatres content
- in early days: theatre space with courtyards of inns, larger homes of nobility, more action, and actors
- rise of theatre led to develpment and building of PLAYHOUSES.
what were inn-yards?
temporary stage (static booth stage) erected @far end
audience gather in yard or pay for view from window
=dictated shape and form of later open air theatres
what is the globe and why is it so important?
1598: james burbage designed the globe
=built from salvaged wood from theatre, co owner william shakespear.
=had flags:
1. black=tragedy
2. white = comedy
3. red=history
BUILDING:
= 3 tiers, stage on end with balcony behind it. thrust stage, thatched roof, open air, trap door in stage
what did the globe consist of?
- building octagonal, in front of stage was THE PIT
- THREE tiers, stage was at one end with balconies behind it
- thrust stage roofed by fabric called THE HEAVENS
- roof thatched, pit=payed for entrance, groundlings
- area above stage = MACHINERY
- open air= plays performed SUMMER, DAY
- trap door in stage = show supernatura;, doors on either entrance and exits
- middle area=chamber (indoor scenes)
- above chamber= GALLERY (musicians and balcony)
- plays= paid by theatre owner
anyone could attend, charge according to class
who were the enemies of theatre?
the city officials and puritans
what were the differences between private indoor theatres and enclosed indoor theatres?
private indoor theatres:
1. plays held all year around, presented for educated audience
- music= strong feature
- torches used for lighting
- enterence fee = expensive
- more exclusive
what were the THREE genres?
give a brief description of each
- Comedies
=comic possibilities of falling in love, humours used to create comic types, satire, human nature, problem= serious, romance.
- History plays
=nationalism, will of God, country punished when strayed, political points, themes of leadership and power
- Tragedies
= heightened, tragic hero struggling against odds. bloodshed, gore. central characters downfall, tragic hereos, crisis, appeal to audience. internalise.
