Drama Appreciation \ Drama 1
Pp 115-131
Chapter 5: Shakespeare
William Shakespeare: 1564-1616, born in Stratford-upon-Avon
Shakespeare wrote 12 comedies, 9 histories, 11 tragedies, 4 romances, poems and sonnets. Click here to see one of the best Shakespeare resources on the net from MIT.
Renaissance: (means rebirth in French)
The rebirth of classical Greek thought in Art & Literature.
England:
Playwrights: Playwrights of this time period are: William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson (most popular at this time),John Lyly, John Webster, John Ford, Thomas Kyd, Robert Green, & etc.
Public Theatre: The Rose, The Globe, The Swan, The Hope.
-All were Outside of London City limits; all 3-levels, partial roof, one entrance.
-All open air w./trestle stage, balconies, a tiring room, trap doors.
All clothes were adorned by a ruff around the neck.
Court Theatres:
Performed for the royalty in palaces to gain their patronage ($).
Touring Company:
Groups that traveled as a family from college hall to inn, to palaces, to public theatres, to villages.
The Shakespeare Players: ( originally called The Chamberlain’s Men)
During the time of Elizabeth I were called The Chamberlain’s Men. Later on became known as The King’s Men under the rule of James 1st in 1603. The group was all male, young boys played women’s parts. One script, read to the actors by the playwright (Shakespeare - a member of the Globe Theatre).
The FIRST FOLIO (of all Shakespeare’s Plays, published in 1620) was published by the King’s Men, after Shakespeare’s death.
Pp131-149
Italian Commedia dell Arte:
In the rest of Europe this was the forum of drama,- masked stocked characters (Pulchinello, Pantalone, Archellino) performed, juggled,did acrobatics (todays=clowns, mimes). Commedia began in
Bergamo, Italy; Commedia dell Arte developed from satyr plays.
Shakespeare’s writing:
1. Done in blank verse= unrhymed, iambic pentameter. A form of poetry= (last words of lines don't rhyme)
iambic= short long u /
blank verse= 5 beats to a line u / u / u / u / u /
2. Wrote soliloquys = a speech addressed to the audience, but it’s the character thinking to himself, i.e. Hamlet’s "to be or not to be!", MacBeth’s "She should have died hereafter."
"Romeo & Juliet": Written about 1590
-A tragedy & a love story, (Romance)
-Adolescent passion & romance in Verona, Italy
Plot:
The Montague and the Capulets are two waring family in Renaissance Italy. Romeo Mantague (16) meets Juliet Capulet (14). They fall in love and secretly marry. Romeo is involved in a street fight and kills Tybalt Capulet, Juliet’s cousin. Juliet feigns death to escape the town, Romeo thinks her to be dead and kills himself. Juliet wakes to find Romeo dead and stabs herself.
Characters:
Romeo Montague, Juliet Capulet, Tybolt Capulet,
Prince Escalus, Mercutio, & Etc.
Theme: Only love and understanding can conquer fear and hate.
Diction: Blank verse: "It is the east and Juliet is the sun."
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