In Spanish theatre they used the phrase "Golden Age (Siglo de Oro)" to describe what is predominantly the Early Modern period in Spain.The period stretched from about 1550 to 1650. This was the most impassioned period of play-writing and production in history The Golden Age prompted an improvement in all the theatrical fields, as far as both structure and dialect. Theater turned into the people's most loved entertainment place and open air auditoriums were built in the most high-powered urban areas. These were antiquated theaters which had created a stage-hand insurgency Spain which had an impressive naval force, turned into a main politically influential nation, essentially due to its investigation and victory of the new world. (4)
Spain was one of England's chief rivals in the late 16th century and the early 17th. During the same time the two nations were in competition with one another, being that there were many similarities in their theatres. The only difference, is that the Spaniards adopted the techniques of the medieval religious drama and proceeded to produce religious drama throughout their golden age and until 1765. Secular drama, which prospered between 1550 and 1700 and was developed by Spain along with religious drama and was created by the same artists. Secular plays also known as
…show more content…
Unlike Elizabethan organizations, these Spanish organizations included ladies. In numerous spots on the European landmass as opposed to England-ladies had been permitted to act in medieval religious show, and the consideration of ladies in Spanish organizations amid the Renaissance was an outgrowth of this custom." Women were licensed to perform in 1587, but this practice remained controversial until 1599. Female and male actors could not dress in clothing of the opposite sex, though women disguised as men wore male clothing above the waist with a skirt below"
A ‘golden age’ can be interpreted in many ways; it can be a time of
Valle-Inclán and Lorca have both been very influential and important figures of the twentieth century Spanish theatre. During their time, the theatre was mainly made up of bourgeois theatregoers who did not enjoy thought provoking plays, but preferred a theatre that was conventional and contemporary. Both Valle and Lorca departed from convention and showed freedom in their style of writing, therefore earning their reputation of dramatists of utmost importance, respect and originality, who not only brought new trends to the Spanish theatre, but also embodied the signs of change and hope for the Spanish stage.
In the 16th century, England was a small nation compared to the massive, influential and seemingly invincible power that was Spain, therefore the defeat of the Spanish Armada was a cause to celebrate for the English, as they marked their place as an important and powerful country. The balance of world power was shifting from Spain to England and France, meaning that exploring and settling was no longer limited to the Spainairds.
The conflict between England and Spain only escalated with the continuous harassment of Queen Elizabeth's privateers. The attacks by the Sea Dogs began to disrupt the Spanish silver trade, piled on with the religious opposition Queen Elizabeth faced from Catholics, along with the execution of Mary of Scots. In retaliation of the attacks from England, Phillip II formed the Spanish Armada, or Invincible Fleet. Even before the attack on England, the privateers were already at work to deny the Spanish their victory...
One of England’s main adversaries was Spain. In May of 1702 England, Austria and the Dutch declared war to begin the ‘War of of the Spanish Succession.” The cause of the war was due to the death of the King of Spain, Charles the
The Golden Ages of Greece, Rome, and China were periods when certain cultures reached many achievements in certain fields. These fields could include drama, poetry, sculpture, philosophy, architecture, math or science. Their achievements in education, technology, and government have greatly influenced modern society. The artistic and literal legacies of these periods continue to instruct and inspire people today (Beck 120).
Since its creation the Spanish Golden Age Theatre has held an important role in the Spanish society. The golden age theatre was from 1590-1681. During this era, the Golden Age had a huge influence over the Latin American theatre world. Spain in particular saw a monumental increase in the production of live theatre. Before the Golden Age era, live theatre was non-existence. The production of live theatre became popular and was attended by both lower and higher class of people. In addition women was allowed to act in theatre plays with men. Before the Golden Age, male actors played female character roles. Over a period of time, live theatre plays started to incorporate religion, comedy and tragedy performances. Spain also introduced its own forms and genres of theatre with the development of the zarzuela. The genre zarzuela is a lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and singing acting. Zarzuela started to influence many Hispanic countries and Cuba developed their own traditions of Zarzuela.
During the age of exploration, the great European nations fought amongst themselves for their share of the new world. There were constant battles over the lands of the Americas and Africa. The two main religions of Europe were trying to spread its reach to new parts of the world and each had countries pushing each religion as much as they could. The Anglo-Spanish War between England and Spain during 1585-1604 is a great example of this, although it was never official declared a war. One thing that made this war quite note worthy was the Spanish Armada, a fleet of 130-armed ship versus the well-trained navy of England. It is possible the world most famous naval battle and showed the true strength of England. This is a look into the causes, the war itself and the after affects on both countries.
Elizabethan times in the 1600s was a progression for the world of the theater. A period named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, it is from this period that modern day society has its foundation for the entertainment industry. From the violence that was prevalent because of the Black Death, people turned to the theater for its poetry and romance. During this time period, there were two types of theatrical performances that were available for the people’s viewing, comedies or tragedies. These two genres were never really intertwined until the time of William Shakespeare. His play, Romeo and Juliet, is an example of both a comedy and a tragedy. It starts off as a comedy with Romeo weeping like a baby because of his love Rosaline, who did not love him back and ends as a tragedy when Romeo and Juliet, a pair of star crossed lovers, commit suicide because the lost of each other. It was also during Shakespeare’s time that writer were finally acknowledged by the people. Before this time, writers were not considered upper classman. Another group of people that began to rise into a higher social class were the actors. Actresses were not present back then because women were not allowed on stage. It was considered unladylike to have a female actor. Men played all the parts. Theater owners were dependent on actors to make them a profit. Rehearsals for the plays were fairly short, only lasting for about a week. The performances themselves would only show for three to four days.
The Elizabethan Era is considered to be golden age in English poetry, music, and literature. William Shakespeare uses the theater as a place to display the latest styles in clothing, poetry and music. Clothing plays an important part in Shakespeare’s plays. Clothing helped the audience understand the character and components of clothing are mentioned literally and metaphorically in several of his plays, often used as a plot device, and used in appearance versus reality.
The evolution of theatre conventions began with highly presentational Greek productions and changed through the Medieval and Elizabethan ages to the current conventions. Greek conventions included performances done on a mostly bare stage, the use of internal stage directions to indicate location, episodic play structure, and a chorus that served multiple functions including setting the overall mood, commenting on or explaining the action, and creating reflection intervals. Other conventions included an all-male cast, the “Three Actor Rule,” the presence of a tragic hero, and the plays typically served the purpose of teaching the public or making a political statement. Many of these conventions evolved to adapt to the time period of the performances.
William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, and Ben Johnson are names that have resonated through the centuries. Not since ancient Athens has there been such gluttony of talent, producing stories for the ages. Might Athens be were these Englishmen found their inspiration? Greece produced its share of legendary playwrights; Sophocles and Euripides are two of the most famous. There are far m Elizabethan England gave birth to some of the most famous names in theatre. ore similarities between Elizabethan and Greek Theatre then there are differences. The influence of both eras is felt even today, stage productions of Shakespeare and Euripides are performed from London too Broadway and everywhere in between. I believe that both eras have influenced modern theatre simply because the Greek so obviously influenced Elizabethan theatre.
Theatre serves to reflect society. From Shakespeare to Sophocles, a playwright’s work illustrates the different mechanics within a culture or time period or society. Theatre offers viewers the experience of taking a step back and looking in on themselves. In this way, theatre is a mirror for the world and the way it functions.
My experience watching a live theatre performance on stage was a fascinating one, most especially since it was my first time. I attended a staged performance of “The History Boys” in a small theatre called “The Little Theatre of Alexandria” at 8:00 pm on Wednesday June 8, 2016 in Alexandria, Virginia. The overall production of the play was a resounding experience for me particularly the performance of the actors and the design of the scene made the play seem real.
The Elizabethan age was a very important time in the history of England. The time period is named after the queen who ruled England during this time, Queen Elizabeth I (Haigh). This time was a great time for the advancement of England, as they were ushered out of the Middle Ages, and into this new era. While there were many hardships, and plague was a common occurrence, the people lived a much more comfortable life than they ever had before (Jonson). Many great accomplishments were also achieved, including Sir Francis Drake’s circumnavigation around the world, which was only the second time it had ever been done, and the victory of the British navy over the Spanish Armada (Haigh). Another one of the things that affected the Elizabethan age so greatly was the theater.