Elizabethan England
Theater in Elizabethan England
William Shakespeare
How to Read Shakespeare
Background for the Play
100
What was the name of the era (time) when learning, art, and new ideas grew and blossomed?
The Renaissance
100
What is the name of the most famous theater in England?
The Globe Theater
100
How old was Shakespeare when he got married and had kids?
He was 18 years old
100
What were Elizabethan expectations for life?
They expected them to be short, difficult, and fated (they could not control their destinies).
100
Where did Shakespeare get his inspiration for Romeo and Juliet?
- An Italian legend well known in England
200
Which city lead the way in the Renaissance?
Italy
200
What are "groundlings"?
Theatergoers who paid a penny to stand and watch the play in the 'pit' area.
200
What life advantages contributed to Shakespeare's writing abilities?
His family was wealthy/well off
He attended grammar school and learned Greek, Latin, English, and world history.
200
What was power in Elizabethan families like?
- Parents controlled the children's lives, and husbands controlled that of their wives.
200
How old was Shakespeare when he wrote the play Romeo and Juliet?
-29 or 30 years old
300
What delayed the Renaissance in England?
Civil War between two great families that ended with Elizabeth's grandfather taking the throne.
300
What is the name, location and opening date of England's very FIRST theater?
The Theater, Shoreditch, 1576
300
Why did Shakespeare's acting company change their name to The King's Men, an how were they able to increase their profits?
King James I was their patron (meaning he supported/paid for many of their performances), and they began performing in the Blackfriars.
300
Translate this contemporary English sentence into Elizabethan English:
If you come in the morning, and I do not have the flowers, then please come in the evening; I will have them then.
- An thou cometh in the morrow, and I hath not the flowers, then please cometh in the even; I wilt have (hath?) them then.
300
Why does the phrase "star-crossed lovers" reference the stars? What does it imply?
- It indicates their tragic ending is written in the stars = it was fated/beyond their control.
400
Why did England separate from the Roman Catholic Church and become Protestant?
The current King Henry VIII wanted to divorce his Spanish wife and remarry so that he could have a son (because he was a sexist jerk that thought only men could rule -_-), and the Roman Catholic Church does not condone divorce.
400
What is a main difference between a modern theater and the theaters of Elizabethan time (before the Blackfriars)?
-They did not have a roof/they were open to the sky
- They did not have seats in the "pit" area/in the area close to the stage
- No artificial lighting
- No set changes/ background scenery
400
What 3 ways did Shakespeare earn money?
- Acting salary
- Paid for his playwright skills
- He partially owned the company
400
List 3 things that our textbook explains why Shakespeare's language is so hard for us to read today?
- Certain words have changed meaning and fallen out of use
- Idioms, slang, and humor are different
-Way of reality has changed
400
What does Shakespeare's version of Romeo and Juliet stress is the reason for the lovers' doom?
-Fate & their disobedience
500
Name 5 accomplishments/successes of the Elizabethan Age.
1. Defeat of the Spanish Armada
2. Economic & Political stability
3. Advances in mapmaking
4. Improved transportation
5. Thriving artistry
6. English women enjoyed more freedoms
7. London became a popular city
500
Based on the differences between the Globe and the Blackfriars, why do you think the Blackfriars were allowed to be in London when the earlier theaters were not allowed?
- (Banned in London) As the English Renaissance grew the value and popularity of plays grew, so having theater's in London was a supply for the demand of theater entertainment.
- (Groundlings) Popular cities, like London, wanted to attract wealthy and sophisticated people ONLY. Unlike the general public (who were usually dirty/messy) that often attended the plays.
500
Translate this paragraph that uses Shakespeare's expressions:
I was in stitches when my friend told me of a man who wore his heart on his sleeve when it came to food. He was a guest in my friends house and almost ate him out of house and home with a passion that made your hair stand on end. He would eat for ever and a day to the point where my friend was in a pickle because he was losing so much money. Eventually, my friend ran out of the milk of human kindness and decided to lock the man out with a note that said "I'll give the devil his due, but NO MORE FOOD FOR YOU!"
- I laughed so hard when my fried told me of a man who did not hide his love for food. He was a guest in my friends house and almost ate so much that it made my friend poor in a way that was really frightening. He would eat with no end in sight, and my friend was in trouble because he was losing so much money. Eventually, my friend ran out of compassion and decided to lock the man out with a note that said "I'll recognize my opponent (your) achievements, but no more food for you!"
500
What is special about Shakespearean syntax?
-Sometimes the verb and subjects switch.
500
Give an example of how the story of Romeo and Juliet has been adapted to point out other prejudices
West Side Story is about the hate between races and a love story amidst it.