British Literature

AN HISTORICAL CONTEXT FOR

HAMLET

Introduction to History and the Tudor sagaCultureTheaterCustoms specific to Shakespeare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction to the Elizabethan Renaissance• Early 16th century into the early 17th century• Time of “rebirth” and new ideas• writing poetry and drama• composing music• painting• experimenting in monarch’s

name • Exploration became vital in this era.• This was the first time people in England had excess wealth to spend. • This was one of the factors

that created the theater

The Beginning of the Renaissance:The Arrogant King Henry VIII

• The Renaissance really begins with Henry VIII. • Inherits peaceful kingdom• Second son, very educated (much

like Hamlet)• First marriage: Katherine of Aragon

is arranged, loveless• Only a daughter, heirless• Anne Boelyn Elizabeth I• Denied divorce• Creates the church of England• Centralizes all power under his rule• Has many wives• Finally has a son, dies young

Bloody Mary•Edward dies•Mary inherits throne•Catholic•Converts country quite violently•Tyrannical rule•Childless• Imprisons Elizabeth

Return of Protestantism:

Queen Elizabeth• Not accepted due to birth, gender• First real female ruler• Refuses to marry; leaves no heir• Returns the country to

Protestantism• Tolerant• Loved the theater and the arts• Defeated the Spanish armada,

then is accepted and grows to be liked

• Survives several assassination attempts

• Dies in 1603• Throne goes to her nephew, James

Stewart• Ends the Tudor Dynasty

King James 1: The New Era• King James takes the throne• Scottish• Hamlet spans this transition• Private• Still supports the theater, in particular Shakespeare’s company• Commissions the Bible in English• Interested in the occult and unknown• Not as much pomp and circumstance (or drama)• Shakespeare dies when he is king

Shakespeare’s World:

THE CULTURE

London: Cultural Epicenter

• Major trade center• Population hits 100,000• Rise of a new middle class of tradesmen, or merchants• Zero Sanitation• Disease is high, plague closed down theaters• High infant and female death rate• Rise of the theater (on the other side of the themes, technically not London)

Life and Laws

•Women were treated as property and could own nothing (unless they were widowed)• Only options for women: Brothel, Nunnery, marriage• Husbands could beat wives. No real divorce options for women.• Laws were in place that determined what a person could wear, where they could live, what they could eat; all based on social standing and class• Marriages are arranged. The upper class, courtier marriages, had to be approved by the monarch. Esp. under Elizabeth

Unintended Results of

Rejection of Catholicism

• Henry VIII’s break from the church allowed several other advancements that were originally outlawed. These include:

• Medicine (new ideas and experiments)

• Astronomy and science• Mathematics• Exploration (the newest and

coveted thing in Elizabeth’s court was tobacco)

• A consolidation of power and a very powerful monarch

• The printing press and quartos• New exchanges of ideas with other

non-catholic countries• First time translations of Greek and

Roman texts into English– Mythology was like pop culture• Still much experimentation with

English • The Puritans

The Elizabethan Theater• The theater was for the uneducated

masses.• Considered a “low” profession• No women on stage. Young boys only.• Buying in to a company would insure

financial stability • Puritans hated the theater and tried to

close them• Open to the elements• Few set pieces, costumes came from rich

patrons• The Groundlings• No “fourth wall” audience interacted with

actors. • Shakespeare would have played some of

the parts.• Most could not read. The color of the flag

that flew above the theater indicated what type of play was being performed.

More Theater Before a play could appear on the Elizabethan stage, it first had to be approved by the Master of the Revels

Parts were often written for certain actors. Most likely the part of Hamlet was written for lead actor Richard Burbage, for example.

Only the property master has complete script. Actors have their lines only and

lines before entrances and exits

Rhymed Couplets Quartos

Shakespeare’s Globe• Shakespeare’s theater was not the first, but one of the most famous.

• It was built on in the seedy area outside of London proper.

• An almost exact replica was created in London in the mid 1980’s. Only additions were safety features and speakers. It is built right next to the original Globe site.

• Shakespeare's plays are intentionally ambiguous in places

Globe virtual tour

Hamlet

CULTURAL CONTEXT AND

CUSTOMS

A Few Notes on Customs….

Marriage and Women• Marriages are arranged

• Members of the royal family are “subject to their birth”

• Virginity is valued above all else in a woman

• A divorced or unmarriable

woman is a disgrace to her family and has two options: nunnery or brothel.

• Not permitted to be in the company of men unaccompanied

The King and His Position• One must have permission

from the king to leave his palace.• Mourning period for a king is

6 months to a year• Speaking against a king is

considered “treason” and can be punished by death.• King may hire a traveling

acting group to entertain at a party (like with a Scop and Beowulf)• Kings are often sent away to

school (from about age 13)

More Customs…• Children were excepted to

avenge a parent’s murder. • Suicide is a mortal sin• Last rites• Belief in Astrology and the

supernatural• Women are considered

fragile and weak• Duals or playing are common

entertainment in a Renaissance castle• Honor is of the utmost

importance