Lecture2 - 14/09
Wednesday,September 14, 2011
12:11PM
KeyConcepts:“Shakespeare’sWorld”
- Thecurtain,theglobe,thedateofthefirstLondontheatre
- Capacityofplayhouse
- Dangersofthetheatre
- Gentlemen,Citizen,Yeomenartificers,labourers
- Liberties
- PopulationofLondon(1520: 60 000/ 1550: 120 000/1600: 200 000)
- Placeswithinthetheatre:TheYard;Groundings;Lord’sRoom
- Theatricaldetractors(stagevpulpit)
- Deuteronomy22:5
- Masterofthe revels,SirEdmundTilney
- Allowedcopy
- Quarto:FirstFolio(1625); Foulpapers;faircopy;“The bookof theplay”/promptbook
LectureOutline
1. TheTheatreinRenaissanceEngland
- ThetheatreandtheatricalityofearlymodernLondonlife
- Theatricaldetractors
- Shakespeareandtheprintedbook
- TheOxfordShakespeare-Norton
Situatingourselveshistorically
- ImportantDates:
- TheEnglishRenaissance:early16thcentury-mid/late17thcentury
- Shakespeare'slife:BaptisedApril1564- April1616
- Writinglife1590-1613
- Renaissance-rebirththatcameoutofItalianand Mediterraneanart
- ReinvigoratingNorthernEurope
- Revisitingclassicaltexts(GreekandLatin)thatinfluencedBritain
- AlsoknownasEarlyModernperiod
Reflectsoursamewayofthinking
Historicalperiodthatmarksmanyofourideas
□ Historyofliterature,science,thought
Race,ethnicity,nationhood
Partofourinheritance
- ThefruitionofeverythingclassicalORthebeginningofwhereweweregoingtogo
Nexttime:Sonnets
- Practicereadingactively
- Practiceusingadouble-entrynotebook
- BeginyourShakespeareDictionary
- Readasonnetoncethrough
- Writedowntheimagesyourecall
- Readagainandwritedownparticularwordsand imagesthatare governingthestoryofthe
sonnet,whatimageschange?
- Readagain,tracingwherethesonnetthe toneseemstoshift
**BRING YOURTEXT ON MONDAY
Londonand its Liberties Londonandits Liberties
- BeforeLondonersbeganattendingperformancesandflocktotheGlobetheatreinnumbers+3,000
- Beforetheywereconsideredcontroversialsiteswheredifferentstationsmixedandmingles
- Itwasa theatricalcity
- Thoselivingduringtheearly16th-mid/late17thcent.TheycouldseeQ.LizI movethroughthecity,
seehugetriumphalmonumentserectedbyKingJames(1603)
- Wouldstandinthemiddleofthecity
- Hugeamountofceremony
- Thosehigherupinstationcouldbeinvitedtocourtto seeotherpeopleofstatus
- i.e.theMoroccanambassadorwhocame downto visit
- Portraitsofforeignguestsweremade
- Spectacleslastedfordays,almostaweek
- AttheRoyalExchangeamerchantmightpassperformersonanygivenday
- "Orangewomen"-actuallyprostitutes,maskedaswomensellingoranges
- Jugglers,etc.
- Bear-baiting-tiedabeartoa postand foughtthemwithdogsforentertainment
- Passingbybloodsport,prostitutes,anactive,vibrantcityofspectacle
- Executionswaseverywhere
- Doneinpublictoshowpeoplewhohadcommittedactsoftreason
- Scaffold-wherepeoplewereexecutedandalsothenameforwhereplayswereputon
- Lateplaygoingbeganin1590s
- Manyof thetheatresaregone,becausetheywerebuiltofwood
- Neverdrawnout,becauseitwasadirty,low,seedyplace
- Nomemoryofwhattheylookedlike
- Excitingtogoto as wellasattend
- Hamletreflectshowtravelerscamethroughallthetime
- Dangerous-cityauthoritieswereverymuchagainstthis
Anycrowdofpeoplewasseenastheseedofriot
Drewthesomeofthelargestcrowdsthat Londonhad everseen
Nocentralpoliceforce
Mayorhad to controlwithoutapoliceforce- noteasilycontrolled
□ Hehadto answerto thePrivycouncil,ifanydisordererupted
□ Authoritieswerefearfulofsedition
- Mysteryplays-characterswerenamedaftercharacteristics
- Psychologicalportraits-evil,vice,good,etc.
- LegacylivedoninShakespeare'splays
- Authoritiesworriedthatifpeoplewhodon’tusuallymeetstartsharingideasariotmightbreakout
- Protestagainstauthorities
- Theatresallowedforgossipandspreadingideas
- Andtheplayscouldspreadnew/dangerousideas
- Infectious
Metaphoricalandliteralway
- Newideasexplored
Womenexertauthorityovermen,whichisn'ttraditionallyascribed
- Puritansdisapprovedonreligiousgrounds
- Topretendtobecharacters whotheyweren'tinreallifewasadeception
- Forboysto performaswomenwasagain Biblicalandnaturalorder
Feelthegroundshiftintermsofwhatgendermean
- Fearofdeceitan
More
Less
