Elizabethan Drama

Queen Elizabeth I was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. She reigned as Queen of England from 1558-1603. This time period is known as the Elizabethan Era or the Golden Age.

Anne BoleynAnne Boleyn

King Henry VIII had Anne Boleyn’s head King Henry VIII had Anne Boleyn’s head chopped off because she could not chopped off because she could not produce a male heir. produce a male heir.

This made Elizabeth illegitimate and she This made Elizabeth illegitimate and she lost the title of princess.lost the title of princess.

Elizabeth later reconciled with her father; Elizabeth later reconciled with her father; he was unable to ever produce a healthy he was unable to ever produce a healthy male heir, and she was reinstated in the male heir, and she was reinstated in the line of succession. She reigned England for line of succession. She reigned England for 45 years.45 years.

NicknamesNicknames

Some of Elizabeth’s nicknames were:Some of Elizabeth’s nicknames were: The Virgin Queen: she never married. It is The Virgin Queen: she never married. It is

thought that she held a wedding ceremony thought that she held a wedding ceremony for herself to marry England.for herself to marry England.

Gloriana or Good Queen BessGloriana or Good Queen Bess Elizabeth’s half sister, Mary, was nicknamed Elizabeth’s half sister, Mary, was nicknamed

Bloody Mary because so many people were Bloody Mary because so many people were executed while she was queen.executed while she was queen.

The Signature of a Queen

Queen Elizabeth’s Signature

Westminster Abbey

Elizabeth is buried at Westminster Abbey in England.

Among those buried there are:

Charles Darwin Issac Newton Robert Browning Charles Dickens

The Current Queen: Elizabeth II

The current Queen of England is Elizabeth II. She is the Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (Sri Lanka 1972).She became Queen in 1952.

Elizabethan DramaElizabethan Drama

This time of Elizabeth’s reign over This time of Elizabeth’s reign over England is also known as the England is also known as the Renaissance- this means a rebirth of classical Renaissance- this means a rebirth of classical learning.learning.

Elizabeth I encouraged new learning in Elizabeth I encouraged new learning in England. The Golden Age was a time of England. The Golden Age was a time of learning and growth.learning and growth.

Elizabethan DramaElizabethan Drama

Before the Renaissance in England, Before the Renaissance in England, countries had fallen into a slump. The countries had fallen into a slump. The citizens were uneducated and had lost citizens were uneducated and had lost interest in education and arts.interest in education and arts.

Drama was the main form of literature Drama was the main form of literature because most people were illiterate, because most people were illiterate, therefore there was a demand for therefore there was a demand for theatres.theatres.

Elizabethan DramaElizabethan Drama

Before 1576, theatres Before 1576, theatres had not existed.had not existed.

Plays were performed Plays were performed in tavern (bars) in tavern (bars) innyards to entertain innyards to entertain the wealthy.the wealthy.

In 1576, James In 1576, James Burbage built the first Burbage built the first theater in London, theater in London, England, it was called England, it was called “The Theatre.”“The Theatre.”

Elizabethan DramaElizabethan Drama

Drama rapidly developed because of Drama rapidly developed because of Elizabeth I. She loved plays!Elizabeth I. She loved plays!

She was educated and wanted other She was educated and wanted other people to better themselves.people to better themselves.

During the Elizabethan Era, England was During the Elizabethan Era, England was called “Merry England,” because there called “Merry England,” because there were markets, fairs, dancing, drinking, and were markets, fairs, dancing, drinking, and rioting in the streets.rioting in the streets.

Drama of this time period is known as Drama of this time period is known as Elizabethan Theatre or Early Modern Elizabethan Theatre or Early Modern English Theatre.English Theatre.

Typical Elizabethan AudienceTypical Elizabethan Audience

Groundlings- a.k.a. Pennystinkers, Groundlings- a.k.a. Pennystinkers, dirty jokes and fighting appealed to dirty jokes and fighting appealed to them.them.

Middle Class- music appealed to themMiddle Class- music appealed to themRoyalty- poetry appealed to themRoyalty- poetry appealed to themAn Elizabethan playwright had the An Elizabethan playwright had the

task of appealing to all audience task of appealing to all audience membersmembers..

Weird Fact:Weird Fact:

Boys played all the women’s parts Boys played all the women’s parts because it was not acceptable, nor because it was not acceptable, nor suitable, for a woman to act.suitable, for a woman to act.

Until the reign of Charles II, female Until the reign of Charles II, female roles were played by young boys roles were played by young boys dressed in women’s costumes. dressed in women’s costumes.

Yes! Juliet was originally played by a Yes! Juliet was originally played by a man.man.

Acting RequirementsActing Requirements

Good voiceGood voice Good memoryGood memory Good dancerGood dancer Good healthGood health

Be able to singBe able to sing Be able to play a Be able to play a

musical instrumentmusical instrument Good swordsman-Good swordsman-

very importantvery important

Elizabethans liked Elizabethans liked their plays to be their plays to be gory, bloody, noisy, gory, bloody, noisy, and action packed.and action packed.

The PlaywrightThe Playwright

Not all playwrights fit the image of a poet or Not all playwrights fit the image of a poet or of an intellectualof an intellectual

Christopher Marlowe was killed in a tavern Christopher Marlowe was killed in a tavern brawl.brawl.

Ben Johnson was killed in an acting duel.Ben Johnson was killed in an acting duel.

The Plague

A.k.a. Black Plague, Bubonic Plague, Black Death, Great Plague

Horrible epidemic that began in Europe in 1592.

By 1593, so many had died from it that the government would wheel death carts through the streets and yell “Bring out your dead.”

Finale

All theatres were closed in 1642 due to the Puritan movement.

The Puritan people did not like young men dressing as women, theatres being located near taverns, or opposing political views being displayed on the stage.

William Shakespeare

• Shakespeare was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon on April 23, 1564.

• His parents were John and Mary Shakespeare.

The Bard’s Signature

Schooling

• Shakespeare attended Stratford Grammar School, an all-boy school.

• He attended year round from 7 am to 7 pm daily.

• His formal schooling ended when he was 14 yrs. Old.

Family

• He married Anne Hathaway. He was 18 she was 26.

• They had 3 children.• Susannah, and twins

Hamnet and Judith.• Hamnet was the only

son and he died at 11 yrs old.

Next Move

After his son’s death, he moved to London to act.

When he finally began to act the Plague closed the theaters.

He then began to write.

Lord’s Chamberlain’s Men

• In 1594, he formed an acting company with Richard and Cuthbert Burbage called the Lord Chamberlain’s Men.

• Acting companies had patrons who supported them.

• Their patron was Lord Hudson, who held an important position for Lord Chamberlain. It was the best company!

The Globe

• In 1599, Shakespeare and the Burbage brothers built The Globe, the greatest theatre in London.

Facts about the GlobeFacts about the Globe

It was built on the Thames It was built on the Thames River. (Pronounced River. (Pronounced “Tims”)“Tims”)

It was octagonal (8 sided).It was octagonal (8 sided). It was open air.It was open air. It accommodated 2,000.It accommodated 2,000. Its emblem was Atlas with Its emblem was Atlas with

the world on his the world on his shoulders.shoulders.

More Globe FactsMore Globe Facts

Costs to get into see a performance at the Costs to get into see a performance at the globe:globe:

1 pence- to stand in the pit (groundlings)1 pence- to stand in the pit (groundlings) 2 pence- to sit in the upper balconies2 pence- to sit in the upper balconies 3 pence- to sit in the best galleries3 pence- to sit in the best galleries 4 pence- to have a cushion4 pence- to have a cushion The rich could sit on Stage.The rich could sit on Stage.

3 Levels of the Globe

• “The Heavens”- upper balcony for musicians and sound effects

• Stage

• “Hell”- area under the stage- used for storage ( A trap door led to this area.)

The Globe Today

Shakespeare Plays

• Shakespeare wrote 37 plays. These are the three types of plays:

• Comedies– Ex. Taming of the Shrew, Comedy of Errors

• Histories– Ex. Henry VIII, Henry IV

• Tragedies– Ex. Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Macbeth

Sonnets

• Shakespeare is also famous for his sonnets ( 14 line poems ).

• His sonnets were a collection of 154 poems that dealt with such themes as love, beauty, and mortality.

• The prologue of Romeo and Juliet is a sonnet.

Queen’s Death

• Queen Elizabeth died in 1603.

• James I succeeded her.

• He took Lord Chamberlain’s Men and renamed them to the King’s Men.

Tragedy

• In 1613, the Globe burned down when a cannon backfired and caught the roof on fire.

• No one was hurt except for a guy whose pants caught on fire!

• It was rebuilt the next year.

Shakespeare’s Loops

• Shakespeare made his money by his ownership in Theatres.

• He owned 1/10 of the Globe and a portion of Blackfriar’s Theatre.

• He did not own his plays. They were owned by the theatre company.

RetirementRetirement

In 1611, Shakespeare retired to Stratford In 1611, Shakespeare retired to Stratford with his family.with his family.

They lived in the 2They lived in the 2ndnd largest house in largest house in Stratford.Stratford.

Death

• Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616.• It is said that a truly “great man” is born and

dies on the same day.

• Shakespeare’s gravestone reads the following words:• Good friend for Jesus sake forbear,

To dig the dust enclosed here!Blest be the man that spares these stones,And curst be he that moves my bones.

• These are thought to be the last words he ever wrote.

Death

• Shakespeare is buried in Stratford in Holy Trinity Church.

A Heir to the Name

• He always wanted a male heir, but did not have one.

• He left everything to his favorite daughter, Susannah.

• He did leave his wife his 2nd best bed.

Friends

• His friends put together his first published edition of complete works, entitled First Folio.

More Cool Facts

• Shakespeare’s first job in the theatre was holding horses at the stage door.

• Nothing is known of Shakespeare between the ages of 18 and 25. These are known as the Lost Years.

• The theatre competed for its audience with public executions. People loved to attend a good execution.

Will the real William Shakespeare please stand

up?• Many claim that Shakespeare did not actually write the plays or even exist.

• These claims have never been able to be proved.• Here are their arguments:

– His education was limited, so he couldn’t have had such an excellent command of English.

– Shakespeare did not travel the world, so he could not have been able to write plays that depicted Egypt, Italy.

– He knew little of foreign languages, so how could he have written passages that contained Latin and French.

– His plays depict the lives of Queens and Kings. How could he have known what this life was like?

How to Speak Shakespeare

• “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”