A Era Elisabetana, o Teatro e Shakespere

Maria Luísa

21 Apr 202105:34

Summary

TLDRThe script provides a detailed overview of the Elizabethan era, particularly focusing on the cultural and artistic developments during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603). It discusses the rise of English Renaissance theater, highlighting the influence of classical Greek and Roman works, and the characteristics of Elizabethan drama, such as the use of blank verse and the absence of elaborate sets. The script also touches on William Shakespeare’s life, his contributions to theater, and his role in elevating storytelling through language rather than focusing solely on plot.

Takeaways

📜 The English Renaissance is historically limited to the 16th and 17th centuries, often referred to as the Elizabethan Era (1558-1603).
👑 The foundations of the English Renaissance began during the reign of Henry VIII, who broke from the Roman Catholic Church and redistributed church lands to the nobility.
📈 Elizabeth I's reign (1558-1603) brought stability and fostered political and economic growth in England, setting the stage for intellectual development.
🎭 Elizabethan theater, especially Shakespeare's works, emerged from medieval religious plays, transitioning to secular themes during the Renaissance.
✍️ Shakespeare's plays often broke classical rules of time, place, and action, using blank verse to capture the audience's attention.
🏛️ Early theater performances were held in public spaces, inns, and taverns, with stages positioned in central courtyards and minimal scenery used to suggest settings.
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 All actors during the Elizabethan era were male, and many performed under the patronage of the nobility, allowing them to avoid being seen as vagabonds.
🎭 Shakespeare led and managed The Lord Chamberlain's Men, a prominent acting company, later known under royal patronage as The King's Men.
📝 Shakespeare's plays were written for live performance, and he prioritized the way stories were told over the publication of his works.
💬 Shakespeare's language, rich in metaphor and expression, was designed to charm and engage audiences, making his storytelling style more important than the plot itself.

Q & A

What period is referred to as the Elizabethan era?
-The Elizabethan era refers to the period of Queen Elizabeth I's reign from 1558 to 1603.
How did Henry VIII's actions influence the Elizabethan era?
-Henry VIII broke with the Roman Catholic Church, redistributing church lands to the new nobility and aligning political and religious interests, setting the foundation for the political stability that marked the Elizabethan era.
What were the key cultural developments during the Elizabethan era?
-The Elizabethan era saw significant growth in various forms of artistic expression, such as literature, music, and especially theater, earning it the title of the 'Golden Age.'
How did Elizabeth I contribute to England's political and economic growth?
-Elizabeth I stabilized religious tensions between Catholics and Protestants, expanded international markets for English goods, and established a stable environment for intellectual and cultural development.
What role did religion play in the development of English theater during the Elizabethan era?
-Theater in England originally focused on religious and moral themes during the medieval period, but secular topics gradually took over in the 15th century, leading to the development of comedies and tragedies influenced by classical Greco-Roman works.
What are some characteristics of Elizabethan theater, particularly in Shakespeare's plays?
-Elizabethan theater, including Shakespeare's plays, often disregarded classical unities of time, space, and action, used blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter), and focused on keeping the audience engaged through compelling storytelling.
Where were most plays performed during the Elizabethan era?
-Many plays were initially performed on the streets but gradually moved to more permanent venues, such as inns, the houses of nobles, public buildings, and especially inns and taverns.
What was the typical structure of Elizabethan theaters?
-Elizabethan theaters were similar to inns, with a central courtyard where the audience stood and galleries or balconies on three sides for wealthier spectators. The stage was positioned at one end of the courtyard.
Why did Elizabethan theaters lack elaborate scenery?
-Elizabethan theaters did not use elaborate scenery to allow for greater flexibility and faster transitions between scenes. Simple objects, like a throne or cross, would symbolize settings, while dialogue provided temporal and spatial cues.
What was Shakespeare's primary goal in writing plays?
-Shakespeare focused on engaging his audience through the language and how stories were told rather than the plots themselves. He emphasized the richness of words to captivate listeners, aiming to 'court the ear' rather than publish his works for reading.

Outlines

00:00

🎭 Elizabethan Era and Shakespeare's Theatre

The paragraph discusses the Elizabethan era, which is historically situated between the 16th and 17th centuries, and is often referred to as the Elizabethan age due to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I from 1558 to 1603. This period is known as the golden age of England due to the significant development in various artistic manifestations. The era began with the reign of Henry VIII, who broke with the Roman Catholic Church, redistributed church lands to the new nobility, and balanced political and religious issues. Elizabeth I's ascension to the throne in 1558 brought stability and economic growth, calming tensions between Catholics and Protestants and expanding international markets for English products. This stability allowed for intellectual development, which is evident in the flourishing of Elizabethan theatre. Shakespeare's plays were written to be performed, emphasizing the storytelling over the story itself, with a focus on how the narrative is conveyed rather than the narrative itself. The theatre of this time was characterized by disregard for the classical unities of time, space, and action, the use of blank verse, and the ability to hold the audience's attention without the need for elaborate sets. Performances were held outdoors, fostering a close relationship between the actors and the audience.

05:04

📜 The Art of Shakespeare's Language

This paragraph emphasizes the importance of language in Shakespeare's plays. It suggests that the way the story is told is more important than the story itself. Shakespeare's use of language was designed to captivate his audience, with an emphasis on the eloquence and richness of his words. The opening and closing of his plays are particularly noted for their linguistic artistry, where 'the treasure of words opens fully, and the gold pours forth profusely.' This indicates that the beauty of the language and the manner of storytelling were paramount in Shakespeare's work.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Renaissance

The Renaissance was a period of rebirth in Europe, spanning from the 14th to the 17th century. It marked a cultural movement that began in Italy and spread throughout the continent, emphasizing the revival of classical learning, art, and science. In the script, the Renaissance is highlighted as the backdrop for the flourishing of English art and literature, including the works of Shakespeare.

💡Elizabethan Era

The Elizabethan Era refers to the historical period in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603). This era is often associated with the flourishing of English drama, led by playwrights such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe. The script mentions this era as the 'Golden Age' of English history, characterized by significant developments in the arts and the stabilization of political and economic conditions.

💡Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is a renowned English playwright and poet, often referred to as the national poet of England and the 'Bard of Avon.' His works, including plays and sonnets, are considered some of the greatest works in the English language. The script discusses Shakespeare's contributions to theater, emphasizing his plays' development during the Elizabethan Era.

💡Theater

The term 'theater' in the script refers to the dramatic art form that combines acting, dialogue, music, and spectacle to tell a story. It is highlighted as a significant artistic expression during the Elizabethan Era, with Shakespeare's plays being a prime example of theatrical works from this period.

💡Henrique VIII

Henrique VIII, or King Henry VIII, was a monarch of England from 1509 to 1547. His reign is noted for significant changes in the church and state, including the establishment of the Church of England. The script mentions Henrique VIII as the second Tudor monarch who initiated the religious and political changes that laid the groundwork for the Elizabethan Era.

💡Nobility

Nobility in the script refers to the social class of nobles, individuals of high social rank or birth, often with hereditary titles. The script discusses how lands previously belonging to the church were redistributed to the new nobility, tying their interests to the monarchy.

💡Comedies and Tragedies

Comedies and tragedies are two primary genres of戏剧 that originated in ancient Greece and Rome. The script notes that the first comedies and tragedies appeared during the Renaissance, influenced by Greco-Latin classics, and they maintained certain characteristics throughout the Elizabethan Era, such as the disregard for the 'three unities' of classical drama.

💡Three Unities

The 'three unities' refer to the classical principles of unity of action, time, and place that governed drama in ancient Greece and Rome. The script mentions that Elizabethan tragedies often disregarded these unities, allowing for greater flexibility in storytelling.

💡Blanco Verse

Blanco verse, or blank verse, is a type of unrhymed verse used in English dramatic poetry, where lines are composed in iambic pentameter. The script points out that the use of blanco verse was a characteristic of Elizabethan plays, including those by Shakespeare, as it did not require rhyme and could maintain the audience's attention.

💡Theater Architecture

The architecture of Elizabethan theaters is described in the script as having a design similar to inns, with an open courtyard and a stage at the back. The absence of large sets allowed for great flexibility in the action. The script also mentions that these theaters were open-air, contributing to a closer proximity between the actors and the audience.

💡Patronage

Patronage in the context of the script refers to the support, often financial, given by wealthy patrons to artists, writers, and performers. It was a common practice during the Elizabethan Era, where actors were employed by the nobility and received protection from being considered vagabonds or criminals.

Highlights

The English Renaissance is historically limited between the 16th and 17th centuries.

The period is commonly referred to as the Elizabethan era, named after Queen Elizabeth I's reign from 1558 to 1603.

During this time, there was a significant development in various artistic manifestations, earning it the title of the 'Golden Age'.

The foundations for these transformations began in the reign of Henry VIII, Elizabeth's father.

Henry VIII's break with the Roman Catholic Church altered the balance of power.

The lands previously belonging to the church were distributed to the new nobility, aligning monarchical interests.

When Elizabeth I ascended the throne in 1558, she calmed tensions between Catholics and Protestants.

Elizabeth I expanded international markets for English products, contributing to political and economic growth.

The stability created by Elizabeth I's government provided conditions for intellectual development.

The Elizabethan theater developed by Shakespeare is significant, highlighting the artistic form that already existed since the medieval period.

Medieval plays had a religious and moral character, but secular subjects gradually replaced them in the 15th century.

The Renaissance influenced by Greco-Latin classics saw the emergence of the first comedies and tragedies.

Elizabethan tragedies maintained characteristics such as disobedience to the three unities of time, space, and action.

The use of blank verse, without the need for rhyme, was a technique to hold the audience's attention.

During the Middle Ages, plays were performed in the streets and later moved to fixed locations.

Actors were traditionally male and employed in noble houses, occasionally performing plays.

The emergence of theater groups or companies led to the construction of more permanent performance spaces.

Elizabethan theaters were similar to inns, with a large open courtyard and a stage at the back.

The absence of large sets allowed for great flexibility in the action of the plays.

Elizabethan theaters did not have roofs, and performances were held outdoors, fostering a closer relationship between the actors and the audience.

William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon and married Anne Hathaway at 18, with whom he had three children.

By 1592, Shakespeare was a known playwright in London, leading and administering the theater company The Lord Chamberlain.

Shakespeare's plays were written to be performed, with a focus on captivating the audience with language rather than publishing the texts.

Shakespeare's interest was more in the way the story was told than the story itself.