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Early English Plays

1. First told religious stories, where performed near churches, subjects were events of religious history (disobedience of Adam and Eve, Noah and the great flood, Abraham and Isaac, events of life of Christ etc.) These plays were called Miracles or Mystery Plays and were acted by townspeople on pagent – stage on weels. English comedy was born in Miracles (characters in the play become human in their behavoir).

2. Morality Plays – similar to Miracles, but characters were virtues and vices which walked and talked. Best-known is „Everyman“ from 15^th century, which was translated from dutch.

3. The Interlude – common in 15^th and 16^th centuries, the origin of this name is uncertain (perhaps they were played between long Moralities, perhaps in the middle of meals). They are often funny and were performed away from church. Until the beginning of 16^th century the author are unknown.

 

The Renaissance

• The word reneissance meant the rebirth of classical arts and science in Europe in the 15^th and 16^th centuries. In that time many writers and learned men – humanists – became interested in antique literature. Humanistic learning placed man in the center of life on the earth and taught that man had right to live and enjoy himself.

• The literature of the middle ages taught that man was an evil being and that his life on earth was sinful.

• The Reformation took place at the same time, many countries broke away from Catholic Church.

• The great geographical discoveries made by Columbus, Vasco da Gama and Magellan changed greatly the map of planet. Great men appared in science art and literature.

• Renaissance began in the 14^th century in Italy and came to England later and more slowly, the last half of 16^th century and the beginning of the 17^th century were the golden age in English literature (Shakespeare). By that time the Wars of Roses were over, most of great feudal barons had been killed, England was united under one king, towns grew fast. In literature plays became very popular.

 

The Development of Theatre

• Most important period of renaissance was the reign of Elisabeth I. The Elisabethans – great philosophers, explorers and dramatist of that time. At that time there was a sudden rise of drama, which was closely connected with the development of the theaters.

• At first there were no playhouses and acting companies travelled from one place to another, acting in market-places and in inn courtyards.

• The life of actors was hard, because the laws against the poor were very cruel, so actors had to find a patron for themselves among the noblemen. That is why comanies were called The Lord Chamberlain’s Men etc.

• Puritans, who formed a religious sect, were also the enemies of the actors. They taught that acting was bad for people’s moral, so they attacked the theatre. The big merchants also attacked the acting companies because part of the money in inns went to the actors.

• The first playhouses were round wooden buildings, the stage was covered with a roof, but most of the building was open to the sky, most people had to stand duirng the performances. There were no curtains and little scenary. Performances began at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, from the beginning to the end of the performances there was a flag on top of the building. First theaters were the Globe built in 1599 and the Theatre built on 1574.

 

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was born at Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564 on April 23. His father was wool an lether merchant, his mother was the daughter of a wealthy landowner. At the age of seven he went to the local grammar school which he attended for six years. He was taugth reading, writing, Latin and Greek.

In 1577 he was taken from school, because his father’s affairs took a turn to worse and william had to help his father. In 1582 he married Anne Hathaway and their first child Susanna was born in 1583. Twins Hamnet and Judith were born two years later. From 1585 to 1592 after leaving his hometown to London virtually nothing is known about his life.

He was a good actor and as the director of the play he took the shorter parts for himself. He wrote comedies, historical plays and tragedies. By 1594 his was a shareholder in Lord Chamberlain’s Men and at least six of his plays had been produced. In 1599 the comapny built the Globe Theatre. After Queen Elisabeth’s death in 1603, the comapny was sponsoreb by King James and became known as King’s Men. In 1608 the comany acquired a second theatre in Blackfirars.

In 1607 Shakespeare stopped acting and between 1608 and 1613 he wrote his last five plays. In 1612 he returned to Stratford and bought the finest house in town. He died on 23 April 1616 and is burried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford.

 

Sonnet

Sonnet was originally a Italian form. The sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines, written in iambic pentameter. Each line has ten syllables with stress on every other syllable, starting with unstressed syllable. English sonnet divides into three quatrines and a rhymed couplet. The usual rhyme sheme is abab cdcd efef gg.

Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets. Shakespeare’s cycle seems to tell a story. Three main chracters are the Poet, his Friend, and the Dark Lady. The Firend must be younger and of higher rank than the Poet. The Poet gives his Friend advice, they seem to be psychologically dependent on each other. The Dark Lady is the beloved of the Poet, she is false and vicious, but the Poet, although aware of the fact, cannot help loving him. At the end the Friend and the Black Lady betray the Poet.

 

Shakespeare’s work

1. Optimistic Period (1590-1600)

During this period he wrote 10 comedies:

1. The Comedy of Errors – Eksituste komöödia

2. The Taming of the Shrew – Tõrksa taltsutus

3. The Two Gentlemen of Verona – Kaks veroonlast

4. Love’s Labour’s Lost – Asjatu armuvalu

5. A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Suveöö unenägu

6. The Merchant of Venice – Veneetisa kaupmees

7. Much Ado About Nothing – Palju kära eimillestki

8. The Merry Wives of Windsor – Windsori lõbusad naised

9. As You Like It – Nagu teile meeldib

10. Twelth Night – Kahteteistkümnes öö

He also wrote 11 chronicles or historical plays, for example:

1. Henry IV

2. Richard III

3. Richard II

4. King John

5. Henry VI

6. Edward III

• They are written in playful manner, ful of wit(vaimukus) and optimism. They are written in bright spirit of renaissance. The heroes are the creators of their own fate, they are notable for their wit and smoothly flowing langugage. The comedies take place usually in some imaginary country, the main motifs are the right of individual to free choice of love and contrast between appearance and reality.

• Shakespeare’s poems also belong into this period, most famous are „Venus and Adonis“ and „Lucrece“.

• He also wrote two trragedies „Romeo and Juliet“ and „Julius Caesar“.

 

2. Pessimistic period (1600-1608)

In this period he wrote mainly tragedies:

1. Hamlet

2. Triolus and Cressida

3. Othello

4. King Lear

5. Macbeth

6. Antony and Cleopatra

7. Coriolanus

8. Timon of Athens

• In this period Shakespeare reaches his full maturity.

• He proves that human relations depend on social problems.

• He was aware of discrepancy between the reneissance ideals and the possibility of their realisation in the conditions of that time.

• He turned from marry story-spinner into a severe critic and time of his time.

• He had faith in man’s suffering.

• In his tragedies in the end good always wins.

• Tragedies are devoted to the nature of power.

• His tragedies and historical plays made him the gratest humanist of English Renaissance.

 

• Characters:

• they are universal personalities of great depth an unusual intellects.

• The development of heroes can be seen.

• Noble figures are caught in difficult situations, where some weakness of their nature is exposed.

• A man’s tragedy is not individual, it spreads to other people.

• In early tragedies the death was caused by accident or political conflicts, in late tragedies the death is caused by some trait of one’s character.

 

3. Romantic Dramas (1608-1612)

The style has changed, the emotional and ideological conflicts are less strong.

Evil is not absolute, it has become realtive.

Shakespeare transports us into world of fantasy and allegory.

The plays meant here are: „Pericles“, „Cymbeline“, „The Winter’s Tale, The Tempest.

 

Shakespeare’s contribution to World Literature

• Shakespeare created a new epoch (ajajärk) in world literature.

• Shakespeare is considered to be the greatest dramatist the world has ever known.

• Characters are universal personalities of great depth an unusual intellects.

• He believed in better future for mankind.

• The development of characters can be seen.

• Shakespeare was the first dramatist to mix comedy and tragedy.

• He was great master of plot.

• Shakespeare’s plays do not grow old with time.

• Every generation discovers new ideas in his works.

• He was the first poet to write in the English language.

• He understood human nature.

• Shakespeare had knowledge in music, the law, the Bible, military science, the stage, art, politics, the sea, history, hunting, woodcraft and sports.

• By 1612 he had become England’s most popular playwright.

• He contributed greatly to the development of English languge.

• He invented phrases like: fair play, catch cold, for goodness’ sake, vanish into thin air, be hoodwinked, sleep not a wink, one’s own blood and flesh, lie low.

• Historians consider Elisabethan age as a peak of English culture.

• Most serios actors have considered the major roles of Shakespeare to be the supreme test of their art.

• Shakespeare’s ideas on such subjects as heroism, romantic love and the nature of tragedy helped to shape the attitudes of millions of people.

• His central themes:

The idea of freedom for people

Freedom for individual

Humanism

Patriotism

National unity under a strong monarch

The masses as political force

Love and friendship

The struggel against cruel medieval blood feud (verevaen)

 

Shakespearean theatre:

• The globe was octagonal building with roof only covering thr perimeter of the era.

• Under roof there were three levels of galleries surrounding 65 metres wide yard.

• Rectangular main stage occupied about a third of the yard, behind it was small curtained inner stage for indoor scenes.

• Above inner stage were two galleries, the first level was used as a balcony, musicians performed on the second level and sound effects came from the hut on top of the stage roof.

• Groundlings – less wealthy spectators, stood in the yard during the play. More wealthy sat on the galleries.

Costumes were allways colorful but there was almost no scenary.

 

Dramatic conventions of that time:

• No women appeared on the stage, women’s amd children’s roles were played by boys.

• In soliloquy the actor is alone on the stage, speaking to himself and revealing to the audience his inner thougts and feelings.

• In an aside the actor speaks words that the other characters on stage are not supposed to hear.

 

Hamlet

Hamlet, prince of Denmark is at the University of Wittenberg. A poor student, Horatio, becomes his friend. Unexpectedly Hamlet learns of his father’s death and goes home to Elsinore. He is shocked at finding his mother married to his father’s brother Claudius, who is now King of Denmark. His mother now takes on the tone and manner of her new husband. Hamlet suspects what his fathers ghost appears to teil him: that his brother murdered him and robbed him of Country, Crown and Queen.

Hamlet considers the murder of his father to be an indication of the general corruption of the age, and he wants to see all evil abolished. But Hamlet is not a fighter and humanist only, he is a philosopher, too. He foresees difficulties which cannot be overcome. His soliloquy tells us why he is dilatory in action. He simulates madness to conceal his plans. He puts aside his love for Ophelia. Hamlet’s mother thinks that her unfaithfulness has made him mad, Polonius thinks Hamlet’s love for his daughter Ophelia is the only reason. Seeing the change in Hamlet, Ophelia’s heart nearly breaks with sorrow and pity.

Hamlet wants to make the King admit his crime. He arranges a performance in which the actors perform a murder before the Court: the king is poisoned and the murderer marries the queen. Claudius now understands that Hamlet knows his secret. He dreads revenge and sends Polonius to play the spy on Hamlet. Seeing him behind a curtain in his mother’s room, Hamlet thinks it is the King himself, and stabs him. Ophelia becomes insane because of her father’s death, and she drowns herself.

Ophelia’s brother Laertes is ready to avenge his fathers death. The King arranges a duel between him and Hamlet. Laertes dies. Hamlet kills the King, his mother drinks poisoned wine, Hamlet is also poisoned and dies. Before he dies, he asks his friend Horatio to tell the world his sad story.

Although Hamlet is depicted as a pessimistic character, he is high-spirited, strong and courageous. He is limited in his opportunities to fight against evil.

 

Hamlet’s character:

He is many-sided. He is noble, beautiful, courageous. He does not fear to look truth into its face. His capacity for action and capacity for making decisions are one part of his nature. He also doubts, puts things off, falls into complete pessimism, avoids action. Indecision, doubts, hesitation are the other side of his character. These both sides are closely interconnected. He is a real live, clever man. He critisises himself for his slowness and not for having the will to act. He rises against his own weakness. Victory is that he had overcome his doubts. Play „Hamlet“ is the interior drama of human soul.

Kaur :: Oct.17.2006 :: Inglise kirjandus, Kool :: No Comments »

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