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.
The name most associated with excellence in theatre is William Shakespeare. His plays, more than any other playwright, resonate through the ages. It may be safe to say that he has influenced more actors, directors, and playwrights than any thespian in the history of the stage. But what were his influences? During the Middle Ages theatre was dominated by morality, miracle, and mystery plays that were often staged by the church as a means to teach the illiterate masses about Christianity. It wasn’t until the early sixteenth century that Greek tragedy experienced a revival, in turn, inspiring a generation of renaissance playwrights.
Greek and Elizabethan theatre, while similar in some respects, had a few large differences. The Greeks believed in a certain unity of theme, which was prevalent throughout the production. Greek plays were often drawn from myth or of historical significance, so it seems that only ki...
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...s to, to stagnate is to die. I believe it is an unfair question to ask which era was most influential. Instead we should ask how each era has influenced the modern era. Without either era theatre today would be a vastly different arena.
Speaking from a personal perspective, however, I would have to say that the Elizabethan era has meant the most to me over the years. William Shakespeare, Kit Marlowe, and Thomas Middleton have all had an effect on how I write, on how I tell a story. While the language may have changed the fact that we look into our own hearts in an attempt to find the truth behind our existence has not. And while we may not always succeed, it makes the world a bit brighter, to have those times when someone can tell you a story that so enthralls you that you are able to leave the mundane world behind for awhile and drift in a world of imagination.
In the history of civilization, there have been many different types of theatre. There is Greek theatre and Elizabethan theater. Some are musicals, some are comedies and some are tragedies. Some types employ realistic techniques while others are more avant-gardes. But one type stands out among the rest, and that is Kabuki theatre. This classical Japanese style of dance and drama is not just theatre. It is a beautiful form of art, which has been carefully crafted over many centuries.
Elizabethan reign saw a sudden rise in the standards of the drama. The number of dramatic works increased along with the quality of writing.
The entertainment for both an Elizabethan and modern audience comes from different aspects of thinking, but doesn't make it any more or any less enjoyable for either. Infact the events in Othello have such an impact on both audiences; we tend to miss other interesting aspects of the play such as the beautiful iambic pentameter used in Othello's speeches.
...ike today. The period between the baroque and renaissance paved a new way for not only music, but for art. The change that took place was gorgeous causing art to become so vivid and images are portrayed to be so real. I never was a fan of art nor music, but if one actually pays attention to the evolvement of it throughout time one would have great appreciation.
By using just the right combination of words, or by coming up with just the right image, Shakespeare wrote many passages and entire plays that were so powerful, moving, tragic, comedic, and romantic that many are still being memorized and performed today, almost four centuries later. But the greatness of Shakespeare’s ability lies not so much in the basic themes of his works but in the creativity he used to write these stories of love, power, greed, discrimination, hatred, and tragedy.
Tragedies in the Greek and Renaissance theater were very effective in portraying the social and religious constraints that tainted society. Both playwrights, through the use of their ingenuity and vast literary knowledge were able to perfect and display such flawless spectacles. The differences and similarities between Greek tragedy and Renaissance tragedy, although vast, can be narrowed down to the audience. Greek and Renaissance theater targeted very different audiences that demanded a certain type of play in order to be entertained.
William Shakespeare’s plays have shown some of the most intriguing and insightful acting practices from past to present. The performances of his plays have influenced many actors and companies to abide by the guidelines that were put in place so many years ago. Shakespearean plays are in a sense in a category of their own as they have evolved with the changing times, while staying in similar forms.
Greek theater is something pretty amazing actually. Not many know or understand the Greeks and their ways of living, but it is the way Greeks get their entertainment they did not have movie theaters like we do today where we can just go and pay to sit and watch a movie on a big screen. Greek theatre or (tragedy), was a popular and influential form of drama performed in theatres across ancient Greece. Starting in the late 6th century BCE. A more formal definition is a play in which the protagonist, usually a man of importance and outstanding personal qualities, falls to disaster through the combination of a personal failing and circumstances with which he cannot deal.
The reign of Elizabeth, not only marked the debut of England as a great power in the European scene, but is also characterized with a large cultural and civil development, which is known to history as "Elizabethan age". This flowering dabbled in literature, mainly in the theater, especially with William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, John Webster, John Ford and others. Great development also had music and architecture, influenced by Italian Renaissance culture and the Flemish. Shakespeare is the best known author of plays in the “Elizabethan age” followed by Christopher...
This is how Shakespeare’s plays are a product of the Elizabethan theatrical context in which they were first performed.
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.
Many cultural enthusiasts, archaeologists, and architects have a common interest in theatre and its origins. People from a few decades back have located the remaining of the oldest theatres in Greece, England, France and some parts of minor Asia. Theatre was a part of people’s lives as it was one of the few sources of entertainment, and it was originated from when people collectively sit in a gathering and listen to a storyteller. There were performances done by different people present at that moment. Later on, this activity kept improving and innovating, and in the result, many theaters for entertaining purposes were built by emperors who ruled the countries or kingdom in those days. The design of these theatres
The sixteenth century period and the influence of the Elizabethan era would have affected the way Shakespeare wrote his plays. The technological advance since the sixteenth century is considerable. We believe Shakespeare's theatre relied on theatrical effects as minima, and that play's relied entirely on the language.
Arguably the greatest playwright of his time, perhaps in all of history, William Shakespeare's literary works have had a tremendous impact (see Appendix 2). Reaching into the pop culture of the modern world through movies and quotes used in everyday conversation, Shakespeare's influence is astounding (see Appendix 1). One rarely stops to think, however, about events that had an impact on Shakespeare's life, particularly his writing. The outbreak of the plague, social disparity, political unrest, just a few of the historical happenings that impacted Shakespeare's plays, including Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, and Henry IV
Over the 200 years from Thespis’ first accomplishments to the death of Sophocles, Greek Theater thrived. However, all good things eventually come to an end. The golden age was ending as Athenian culture was overrun in 404 BC by the Spartans. Theater, of course, evolved over time and is now a school subject, hobby and profession. Today, it wouldn’t hurt to look back over some historically recorded plays and appreciate what the ancient Greeks created for us.