The Renaissance & Shakespeare

1. The Renaissance & Shakespeare

2. The Renaissance (or Early Modern period) • A cultural movement beginning in Italy in the 14thc., which spread throughout Europe until end of 17thc. • “Rediscovery” of classical Greek scholars and tragedians - educational programs revived classical subjects of poetry, grammar, ethics, and rhetoric as a result • Increase in technology, travel and trade • New insights in mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and philosophy from the Middle East and elsewhere gained wider circulation • Humanism : A philosophy usually taken as the appreciation and dignity of the human subject (the dignity of several characters is compromised in this play!)

3. The Reformation Martin Luther The Back Story • Though there had been a call for reforming the Catholic Church for several years, the Reformation begins decisively with Martin Luther’s nailing of his 95 theses on the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517. • Initially as a Protest against the selling of indulgences, Luther’s theological assertions resulted in a dramatic shift in religious thought among many in Europe.

4. Effects of Reformation • A break from the authority of the Church; a reflection of reformers’ views on the necessary distinction between secular and spiritual authority • Translation of the Bible into the vernacular • A more individualist approach to Biblical meaning and spiritual interpretation • A complete abandonment of Catholic teachings that were not found in scripture • Religious debates ended the ritual re-enactments of medieval biblical drama, and banned God, in both body and name, from the public stage (1606).

5. Queen Elizabeth I (reign 1558-1603) • England becomes Protestant • Flourishing new print culture • Establishment of England as a European power with the defeat of the Spanish Armada – naval power leads to exploration and colonization of America as well as the beginnings of an international merchant system of trade and export • Female ruler complicates notions of patriarchy and authority! Important for thinking about Tamora, Queen of the Goths. • Importance of the sovereign in the play – we begin with ascent to the throne. Public ceremonies reaffirm public order but are interrupted throughout…

6. Elizabethan Theater • Theater was the most popular entertainment and past-time for the citizens of London during Elizabeth’s reign • Plays were originally performed solely by male actors; boys played the female parts • There was no curtain, and only a few necessary pieces of scenery, such as a throne or a rock • Pioneered the concept of pre-paying for a performance rather than taking a collection afterwards • Theaters usually located in the suburbs of London,outside of the city proper; this ensured freedom from the city authorities who were hostile to public performances • Shakespeare’s acting company, known first as the Lord Chamberlain’s Men and later as the King’s Men, put on plays in any number of places—from the courts of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I to churches and guildhalls in the countryside.

7. The Globe • Built from the materials of an older theater • A flag (seen here) would be flown to indicate a performance, which usually took place in the afternoons • Later (1608) they also staged plays at a private indoor theater, the Blackfriars, while continuing to operate the Globe • In the yard of the Globe stood the spectators who chose to pay less, the ones whom Hamlet contemptuously called "groundlings." • For a roof they had only the sky, and so they were exposed to all kinds of weather

9. William Shakespeare • Born circa 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon • Did not attend university. His only education would likely have been at a Grammar school level, which would have been heavy on Latin and classical literature • In 1582 (age 18) marries Anne Hathaway, a woman 8 years his senior. They have a daughter, Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet dies at age 11. • In 1592, Shakespeare becomes an actor, and then writer, for the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (a player owned company that was to become the leading troupe of the day). • In 1599, the company builds the Globe. • In 1608, the company takes over The Blackfriars, an indoor theater on the city-side of the Thames • Shakespeare dies on April 23, 1616

10. Shakespeare: The Works • The whole of Shakespeare’s work was compiled into a large folio edition by his fellow actors, John Heminges and Henry Condell, published in 1623. • The folio divides his works into three broad categories: Tragedies, Comedies, Histories. • Later scholars have added an additional category, Romance, to the late plays like The Tempest, which incorporate certain tragic and magical themes not strictly found in more traditional forms of comedy. • Shakespeare’s immediate legacy was fair, but nowhere near the acclaim he’s given today • Shakespeare’s reputation as a genius and as one of the greatest poets of the English language occurs in the early 19th Century with the Romantics. Before that he was held in relatively low regard for his tendency to mix genres

11. Titus Andronicus • First performed sometime between 1590-92, revised for first recorded performance in 1594 at the Rose Theater • Thought to be S.’s first tragedy! • The play is very popular in Shakespeare’s time, but loses popularity in Victorian era b/c of graphic violence • authorship disputed – both style and content seemed “beneath him” • One of his earlier plays but features common theme of violence vs. just desert

12. Revenge Tragedy (or Tragedy of Blood) Mutilated Lavinia Typical Characteristics • A popular genre in Elizabethan England that originates with Kyd’s Spanish Tragedy • Its generic features include: • A secret murder/revenge/mutilation • A ghost that initiates the action • Intrigue and disguise • Madness • A bloody eruption of violence, that normally claims all the central characters including the protagonist • Instead of following Greek tragic models, the plays derive from the work of the Roman writer, Seneca, especially his play Thyestes.

13. Sources • Ovid’s Metamorphoses – story of Philomela who is raped by her sister’s husband who cuts out her tongue (not hands!) • Fictional accounts of Roman general Titus Andronicus (chapbook and ballad) • Popular tales/chapbook of a “wicked Moor” circulating in 16th century

14. Aaron, a Moor, her lover • A "Moor” is a Muslim of North African ancestry, but definition of this term for the Elizabethan English is far less stable. • For several centuries, Aaron was played by white actors wearing black-face. • Critics have scrutinized the prejudices of Shakespeare for the historical and cultural context of the play. • Aaron and Titus supposedly stand for opposite poles of barbarism vs. civilization. Aaron’s “blackness” has also been read as a metaphorical state rather than a physical description (like the state of his soul or his position as an outsider).