Elizabethan Theatre and The Epitome of all things literature.

William Shakespeare, is undoubtedly, the first thing that should enter our minds once we hear the word “Elizabethan Theatre”. "The Elizabethan History of theatre is fascinating" is one of the many doctrine statements that people have said. Yet, quite frankly, I have never found myself fascinated by theatre and I can’t fathom why people are so allured and emotionally moved by such nonsense. You see, Elizabethan theatre was a very big deal, and why was that you may ask? Because Shakespeare, a gay man, a paradox, the epitome of all things literature derived 38 plays, 154 sonnets and 4 narrative poems. And where were all these masterpieces performed before Elizabethan theatre? Well in the inn-yards of course, so called as they were basically inns. 

       A typical inn-yard scenery. 

It may seem archaic for most of us to understand why theatre had such a high reputable name during the Elizabethan times, yet, to them, theatre was the way that people expressed themselves and it was one of the most entertaining aspect of their days. The Elizabethan inn-yards were very popular and were a forerunner to the Elizabethan theatre. Inn-yards were not expensive and therefore attracted a vast amount of people, however, amongst these people were pick-pockets, thieves and harlots and this lead to a huge decline in inn-yard performances. 

Yes. And no that yes was not supposed to be emphasised in such a way that is supposed to convey excitement. Let me refresh your memory with the statement I mentioned above "The Elizabethan History of theatre is fascinating" no, it is not. Are you ready to be bored? Because, we have finally reached the main topic of my blog the-so-called-fascinating-alluring-and-amazing-Elizabethan-theatre. And yes. I am yet again forced to relate the epitome of all things literature to this blog subject. Such glory. 

Now... Elizabethan Theatre. I find it very ironic and yes, again, very boring and quite absurd. Theatre during the English Renaissance wasn't a favourable reputable profession nor was it paid fairly. As acting wasn't a respected profession women were prohibited to act until after 1660 and boys who hadn't hit puberty were forced to play the roles of women. Now what does that spell? Irony. You see, during the Elizabethan Times, females were seen as subservient and inferior to men and yet, England was run by who? A woman by the name of Queen Elizabeth I who was not married. And these boys were yet forced to play the roles of women? Oh, the irony.

Segregation between the wealthy and the poor was a huge issue highlighted during Elizabethan Theatre and in my opinion, theatre -although not amazingly interesting- should be able to be seen by all types of people from the unfortunate poor people to the wealthy, high class. The most expensive seats in the theatre were in the top row which were situated the furthest from the audience. The rich always preferred the most isolated and high-toned seats in the theatre, away from the "unruly, less-fortunate people". The poor paid a penny to stand directly in front of the stage. So much for comfort right?

Fellow Shakespeareans, do not fret, the time has come to relate all this information to shakespeare.  

THE GLOBE THEATRE!

The Globe Theatre built by Shakespeare's playing company, The Lord Chamberlains Men in 1599, was and stil is one of the most famous theatres in the Elizabethan Era.  The Globe was once owned by two of the globes six shareholders, Richard Burbage and his brother Cuthert Burbage and owned 25% each.  Whilst the other four men including Shakespeare, John Heminges, Augustine Philips and Thomas Pope owned 12.5%.  

The motive behind building the "Globe Theatre" was to allow stage productions to become more sophisticated and advanced using the larger space and massive props. This was a huge improvement from the former "inn-yards". The Globe Theatre was a huge success and had a broad amount of plays performed in it. 

Now, let me ask you this question....

Did you find any of this interesting?

I certainly did not. And frankly enough, I believe modern theatre is more interesting.

Websites Used- 

http://www.william-shakespeare.info/william-shakespeare-globe-theatre.htm

http://essentialshakespeare.wikispaces.com/Elizabethan+Theater

http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/listelizabetma1.html

For more Information-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYfM0RFZ5cs

The Bard of Avon.

To be or not to be was Shakespeare’s question. Who was Shakespeare is the question. Shakespeare isn’t widely recognised amongst our generation and very little people know about who Shakespeare was and how significant he was in the history of English literature.  William Shakespeare, often known as the “Bard of Avon”, was born on the 26^th of April 1564 and passed away on the 23^rd of April 1616. The Bard was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. He was widely known as one of the greatest writers in the English language and was acknowledged for his famous poems and plays.  

In 1582, at the age of 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, whom was the daughter of a farmer from a nearby village called “Shottery”. In 1582, Anne conceived their first daughter of the name Susana, and then had twins, Hamnet and Judith. However unfortunately, Hamnet died in 1585 at the age of 11. Approximately around 1588, Shakespeare and his family moved to London and within a few years was given the fortunate success as an actor, a poet as well as a famous playwright. A major factor that resulted in his success, were the Sonnets that he wrote. The sonnets established his wide reputation as a talented and famous poet, however the 38 plays that he wrote have established his global reputation as the most prominent dramatist who ever lived.

The Bard, in 1594, became a charter member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a theatrical company. He first worked in theatres owned by James Burbage, the Theatre and the Curtain. Most of his plays were performed at the courts of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I, who became the sponsor of his theatrical troupe in 1603, The Kings Men.

Shakespeare’s work was divided into four time phrases. His early plays (1589-1595) were experimental and included historical themed plays, that was the popular genre of the period which included medieval tragedies and a range of comedies. The second period, from 1595 to 1600 featured significant plays that dealt with English history. During his 3^rd period (1600-1608) “Great Tragedies” was known as his most prominent work. Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth were also written during this time period. Shakespeare’s 4^th period, included his profound romantic writing, such as “The Tempest” and “Romeo and Juliet”