English Renaissance theatre

This essay will aim to explore the ways in which themes of societal breakdown and honour are defined through violence in both Ovid’s The Tale of Philomela and Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus . Violence is not used here as a single broad term, for in both texts there is clear delineation between masculine and feminine violence, and again between honourable and dishonourable violence. To quote Jessica Lugo, “Shakespeare’s Ovidian precursor delivers a tale of gore that develops the themes of…

Audience Engagement in Macbeth Tragedies such as Macbeth have engaged and fascinated audiences for centuries. Shakespeare’s famous tragedy Macbeth depicts the ill-fated journey of Macbeth, a brave and loyal soldier, who murders several innocent people to become King, and is soon after killed himself. The play engages the audience, which is defined as “occupying and maintaining the interest or attention of the audience. Through the use of characterisation, narrative structure and figurative…

wear anything by a certain color that was supposed to be an example of an upper class character. Evaluation: The author was an honors student in a freelance writer specializing in Shakespeare, Renaissance political theory, theatre history, comparative literary history, and linguistic topics in Renaissance literature. The website provides more information on her education, and work. The website provides it's own page of more sources to other Shakespearean topics that are very trustworthy. This…

Hamlet’s monolog is one governed by rationality. It is a meditation on life and death, being alive and not being, over the disadvantages of existence and the act of suicide. Hamlet compares life with death. He sees life as missing the power, humans as being exposed to the blows of life and outrageous fortune. The only way to dodge the blows will be to stop existing. The death is thus a desirable state. Nevertheless, it is also seen as a journey to the unknown, to a place for which there is no…

Shakespeare lived during the reign of Queen Elizabeth l, commonly known as the Elizabethan era. The Elizabethan epoch is seen by many as the pivotal point in English literature; historians regard it as being the golden age in England’s history. A plethora of books, movies, and plays, including many of Shakespeare’s works, were based on ideas and interests of the time. Consequently, many of his works are reminiscent of values and ideals found throughout this time period. Learning about the…

The Merchant of Venice: Comedy or Tragedy? Many would agree that William Shakespeare is one of the world’s greatest playwrights. He is known for his ability to entertain audiences and capture their affections through his beloved characters. Many of his plays contain themes that are everlasting and able to move audiences through several generations. One play in particular, though, leaves many critics asking questions about how to classify the drama. Shakespeare’s play, The Merchant of Venice, is…

William Shakespeare is a writer from the 16th century and is to this day still seen as the greatest English poet of all time. His play Othello was written between 1601 and 1604, it was first performed by the King’s Men in 1604. Othello is a play about a general, named Othello, who is being manipulated into thinking that his wife, Desdemona, is unfaithful. The way that women are represented in this play, differs from the way women were viewed during Shakespeare’s time. During the Elizabethan era…

Shakespeare was a strong supporter of the ruling powers of England, first Lady Elizabeth then King James I. The acting company that performed Shakespeare’s plays often performed for the king and queen. When King James I became the ruling power in England Shakespeare’s acting company was renamed the “King’s Men” (2014). 1606, the year that the play Macbeth was written and first performed, was King James’ third year as ruler of Great Britain (2017, June 21). King James I was Christian, and…

Over the centuries, theatre conventions evolved from the highly presentational performances of the Greeks to the extravagance of Elizabethan productions and eventually conglomerated to produce contemporary theatre. The University Playhouse’s performance of Acting: The First Six Lessons expressed this conglomeration of Greek and Elizabethan conventions through elements of presentational theatre, a non-localized set, and a supporting cast that functioned similar to a chorus or ensemble. This…

so many people liked. “The Elizabethan plays and theatres were as popular as the movies and cinemas of the early 20th century” (Alchin 1). This quote means that people really liked these plays and watched them for a great amount of time. By making people happier, they were more willing to come to watch more. From the website, “In spite of its popularity, the Elizabethan theater attracted criticism, censorship, and scorn from some sectors of English society” (1). However many people enjoyed the…