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Assignment on elizabethan theatre
Elizabethan theatre in the Elizabethan era
The Roles of Women in Shakespearean Dramas
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I feel as if boys had actor role models to look up to within theatre. The idea that Shakespeare may have written roles especially for boys, and that the characters may have been female, may have been an inspiration to boys to take on those roles. During the eighteenth century it was mainly males who played characters on stage, and for the more comedic roles it was probably easier for boys to play the characters as they would tend to have a crack in their voice due to puberty that would add a comedic effect; especially with the younger or female characters on stage. Boy players would probably have been essential to Shakespeare’s writings as they would have been easier to create parts for. Boy players would have seen these opportunities to begin
Scene 1 of Act 4 is certainly one of the most visually impacting and intriguing scenes of the entire play. This strong effect is attained by the sequential presentation of mysterious images and a close reference to evil throughout the whole scene. On stage, the visual (the actions and apparitions) and audible (the speech and sound effects as the thunder) factors engulf the entire scene in an atmosphere of wickedness.
William Shakespeare’s writing reflected and at times emphasized the gender oriented stereotypical roles and responsibilities of the English Renaissance. However, many Shakespearean characters including Benedick and Beatrice of Much Ado About Nothing challenged the standard image and characteristics of men and women.
Gender roles defined in the dictionary as the pattern or masculine or feminine behavior of an individual that is defined by a particular culture and a child’s upbringing (Dictionary.com). Throughout cultural and social stereotypes, males are projected as the stronger gender, while females are projected as the weaker gender. Men are thought to be more significant than a women since they were usually the financial providers for their families. Women, on the other hand, were believed be jobless, helpless, and not able to think for themselves. From those days to present day, women are breaking cultural and social stereotypes from the older eras and striving to be deemed equal to men. William Shakespeare attempts to
One of the largest mysteries of current time is the debate over who the author of the plays commonly attributed to William Shakespeare really is. Commonly termed as the “authorship problem,” many skeptics believe that the William Shaksper of Stratford (the spelling of his name originally) could not have been the true composer of the plays he is traditionally attributed with. Although the thought of someone besides Shakespeare composing the plays is not popular with the American and European world, there are excessive theories concerning the truth behind the possibility of the works being authentically his.
According to Bulman, some of the roles were given a male cast to the boys in the Elizabethan for the different people to have their sexual desires and imaginations raised. The writer holds that the gay culture was prevalent during that time period (Bulman 76). For those that were heterosexuals the boys would boost their imagination and grow in the story through the different uses of all-male casts. These casts were well prepared and the right amount of make-up ensured that they were set-up perfectly for the role. In Bulman’s article it is clear that he was taken by the different attributes of the society and the different productions of the plays in the Elizabethan period. The article highlights how the plays were conceptualized and acted out by the different productions (Bulman 75). It is important to note that there are different methods used with each raising its own significance and perception from a given cause of action identified by the production
William Shakespeare, an accredited playwright and poet was born to the late Mary Arden and John Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s birthdate is not known but it is celebrated April 23 (Bentley 11). In this time period a child had to be baptized on the nearest Sunday and Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564. There are no records that proves that Shakespeare attended school as an adolescent but it was assumed that Shakespeare attended Stratford grammar school. Because of financial issues he was removed from school in his early teens (Walter 4). Shakespeare did not face many challenges growing but as adult that’s when he faced most of his challenges in life such as the death of his son, the heavy criticism of his work, and also the Black Plague. The death of his son was the first major tragedy in his life. During a time in Shakespeare’s life where he disappeared nobody knew of his whereabouts and none were recorded (Lindaman). These black periods lead to a lot of doubting and questioning did Shakespeare really write all of his work? Or did he use someone else’s work and sold it as his?
Ask anyone who Shakespeare was, and he or she will immediately rattle off at least three different plays that were required readings in English, not to mention a few blockbuster movies bearing his name. Many revere the works of Shakespeare as paramount in the world of literature, dedicating entire books, classes and festivals to the study and celebration of his work. Although the ancient language is a common stumbling block for even the most seasoned readers, his varied tales of love, hate, fear, betrayal, laughter, defeat and victory are just as fitting today as they were four hundred years ago. He is amazingly timeless. Yet, while we might know what Shakespeare is, will we ever really know who Shakespeare was? Ah, there’s the rub!
From the beginning, Macbeth is a play filled with contradictions. In the opening scene, the witches, who are women with beards, declare, “ fair is foul and foul is fair”(1.1.12 Shakespeare). In this disarranged and chaotic world, the conventional gender roles are sometimes unseated as well. However, when they are unseated, negative repercussions always ensue. Furthermore, in Macbeth, Shakespeare implies that traditional gender roles are the most beneficial and should be followed invariably.
The Life And Works Of Shakespeare William Shakespeare is the world's most admired playwright and poet. He was born in April, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, about 100 miles northwest of London. According to the records of Stratford's Holy Trinity Church, he was baptized on April 26. As with most sixteenth century births, the actual day is not recorded but people are guessing that he was born on April 23. Shakespeare's parents were John and Mary Shakespeare, who lived in Henley Street, Stratford.
“What’s in a name? Would not a rose by any other name smell as sweet?” William Shakespeare, a name we have all heard at some point, but who is he? William Shakespeare, the man who has influenced our culture through his various literary works. What is the truth behind the brilliant man whom penned the renowned words filling the pages of the ever significant Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, or The Tempest?
Across the Universe of Time: Shakespeare’s influence on 21st century society. It is harder to imagine a more universal writer than William Shakespeare. Rarely, if ever, is one of his many plays not being performed anywhere in the world and similarly rare is the tertiary English student who has not examined his work at length. His plays, sonnets and poems are common fodder for high school English departments across the globe.
“Gender hardly determines the nature of a character, in the plays of Shakespeare. It is for this very reason, that his plays are read, viewed and enjoyed by both the sexes equally, even after five hundred years of their composition” (Singh). Gender is not something that defines what a character is going to be like in Shakespeare’s plays. This quote illuminates that in Shakespeare’s writings females and males were on equal level playing fields when it came to their traits. Females during the time period were considered inferior to men.
England's most talented and well know poet and dramatist was born on April 23, 1564, at Stratford-upon-Avon, located in the cetre of England. His father, John, was a glove-maker and wool dealer involved with money lending. His mother Mary Arden was the daughter of a Farmer. William was the third out of eight children whom all died young. His father became Mayor in 1568, after serving on the town council for many years.
William Shakespeare was a very talented man known for his various works of literature. His works include poems, plays, and sonnets. His works are then broken down into tragedies, comedies, and histories. Shakespeare left this world centuries ago, but his writings continue to live throughout the world today. He has greatly impacted the world of literature and his existence will forever be remembered.
Throughout the United States and the entire world people are aware of Shakespeare; however, many people wonder why society wants their citizens to continue to read William Shakespeare’s plays and poems. Shakespeare continues to influence today’s environment and brings people together by speaking of a common author that most people know. All across the world, students must read at least one of Shakespeare’s works; which often develop those children who read his works into better writers. During the Elizabethan Era, William Shakespeare experienced an uneventful childhood and had a basic education; however, his life still seems to be shrouded with mystery and raises the argument that he was not only the most successful, but also the most mysterious playwright, actor, and poet from that time period.