Shakespeare and the Renaissance Drama

1. Shakespeare and the Renaissance Drama

2. The born of the English Renaissance • 1534 ,Henry VIII’s schism from Rome • The Reformation • 1558, Elizabeth I ascended the throne • (her court in London was the centre of artistic and literary activity) Speeded up Favoured THE END OF MEDIEVAL DRAMA DRAMA DURING THE RENAISSANCE It ended in 1642, when all theatres were closed down by the Puritans (they controlled the city of London)

3. Drama features • The COMPANIES of actors were uniquely composed of men. Acting for a woman was considered inappropiate and immoral. Yung boys generally played women’s roles • Initially THE BIULDING LEASE were movable platforms , during the Elizabethan age playhouses were circular or polygonal in shape, with a rectangular platform that has n’t got a roof and seats, it was occupied by the spectators who payed the basic admission fee • Performances took place in DAYLIGHT (there was no eletricity) • Il was the MAJOR GENRE OF RENAISSANCE: playwrights could express themselves in • The ADDRESSEES were people of all social classes, from the sovereign to the lowest class • it reflected the HUMANISTIC SPIRIT that exalted men’s feelings and position in the universe • The LANGUAGE USED expressed strong emotions and disruptive passions but it was also joyful, hilarious and vulgar

4. Renaissance Playwrigths • Elizabethan playwrigths • wrote plays • To provide entertainment • To make money PLAYS Once written -they were sold to a company of players an became property of that company (the name of that company was usually written on the frontispiece of the text)

5. The ‘University Wits’ • They were the group of playwrights who founded the English drama of the Renaissance • The name derives from their university education John Lyly • The most know • Jiohn Lyly • Cristopher Marlowe • Thomas Kyd Endymion and Midas (it paved the way for romantic comedy) Dramatis, he wrote 4 tragedies:Tamburlaine,Edward II, Doctor Faustius, The jew of Malta Cristopher Marlowe His Spanish tragedy was an extremly popular paly at the time Christopher Marlowe Thomas Kyd

6. LIFE -He was born in Stratford in 1564 , he died in 1616 -he attended the grammar school -the married and he had 3 children -he died in 1616 ACTIVITY -in London he was a member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men -he was first an actor and later a playwrigth, he wrote 37 plays (tragedies, comedies and histories) -he became the resident playwright of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later called the King’s men’) William Shakespeare COMPOSITIONS -he wrote 37 plays (classified in HISTORIES, COMEDIES, TRAGEDIES) -he was a great skill in the use of rhyme, blank verse and politic imagery (he coined a great amount of new words)

7. Arianna Zanchin 4a