Shakespeare and Twelfth Night Context Flashcards
Where does the New Globe theatre stand?
The New Globe Theatre stands on exactly the same spot as the original building
Who were all of Shakespeare’s plays originally staged without?
without any women actors at all
Who do some people believe are the true authors of Shakespeare’s work?
Some people say that Shakespeare did not write the plays that bear his name. Some people believe Christopher Marlowe and Sir Francis Bacon to be the true authors of his work.
Who was Shakespeare’s mother?
Mary Shakespeare
Who was Shakespeare’s wife?
Anne Hathaway
What did `Shakespeare’s acting company change its name to after Elizabeth I died?
Shakespeare’s Acting Company changed its name from the Queen’s company to the King’s Men when Elizabeth I died
Who did Shakespeare dedicate his poetry to?
Shakespeare’s dedicated his poetry to his patron Henry Wriothesly (Earl of Southampton)
What did a mother have to do in one of Shakespeare’s plays?
a mother has to eat one of her own sons when they are killed and served up to her
Name one of the Kings Shakespeare wrote about?
Henry VIII
Did Shakespeare die on his birthday?
It isn’t possible to say with absolute certainty that Shakespeare died on his birthday.
How and why was the Twelfth Night/Feast of Epiphany celebrated?
- it was a festival celebrated with music, masked balls, misrule, and general revelry
- the Twelfth Night is a day that commemorates the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus
- often celebrated with a temporary suspension of rules and social order
What was Shakespearean comedy like?
- the word comedy, when applied to the stage in Shakespeare’s time, had a very different meaning to today
- laughter was not the primary purpose; rather there were certain ‘conventions’ of comedy that were observed
Five Conventions of Shakespearean Stage Comedy:
- Mistaken identity
- Logic vs emotion
- Overly-complicated misunderstandings and plot
- Happy endings
- Use of puns/ witty banter
What was the Tradition of the ‘Lords of Misrule’
- during his reign (12 days to 3 months long), the Lord of Misrule was responsible for arranging all Christmas entertainment e.g. plays and feasts
- the Lord of Misrule was typically chosen by drawing lots
Clowns, Fools and Jesters in Shakespeare
- like the word comedy, the idea of the Shakespearean clown can be a bit misleading if we think of lots of men with smile make-up, oversized shoes and red noses getting out of a tiny car
- the clown or fool in Shakespeare can provoke laughter, but this is by no means his main rule in the play
- the clowns in Shakespeare are a composite of dark and light
- in general, he most often portrays two distinct types of fool: those that were wise and intelligent and those that were ‘natural fools’ (idiots that created light humour)
