R+J Context Flashcards
When was the play written and who was the ruler?
Written 1594-96 (exact date unknown), Queen Elizabeth I (Elizabethan era)
When and what were the Wars of the Roses?
1455-85; war between House of York (white rose) and House of Lancaster (red rose) fighting for the crown
What religious conflict was there during the Tudor Dynasty?
1553 Mary Tudor becomes Queen Mary I, she burnt protestants at the stake to try to make England Catholic, she died 1558 and was succeeded by Queen Elizabeth I who brutally restored Protestantism but never married (30+ yrs stability, audience likely worried about succession, war or feuds?)
What is “courtly love” and where did it come from?
The literary tradition of a knight falling for an unavailable lady and doing something brave to ‘win’ her; originates in courts of Eleanor of Aquitaine (husband became King Henry II) who was a famous patron of the arts
Describe marriage for Elizabethans.
Legal age for marriage was 12 for girls and 14 for boys, marriages were often for business (gaining money/status) not love, wife belonged to husband (after father) and promised to have children and look after home/servants but would have some freedom (control of household and children), father could evict daughter who refused to marry (only other options were nunnery or prostitution)
What was the difference between a duel and a brawl?
A duel was planned and pre-arranged, put forward as a challenge, and was used to settle a dispute (politely) between 2 people (e.g Act 3 Scene 1 Mercutio vs Tybalt), a brawl was unplanned (spontaneous) with any number of people (first scene servant’s brawl)
What laws relating to fighting were there in Elizabethan times?
Young men carried daggers and rapiers as part of dress and street violence was a big problem so in 1562 a law passed limiting rapier length in London to under 1 yard, 1593 Marlowe (big playwright competitor) at 29 in a London tavern brawl
What was the significance of astrology for Elizabethans?
Astrology - study of the positions and aspects of celestial bodies in the belief that they have an influence on human affairs and events
Elizabethan era during Renaissance, as scientific knowledge increased so did curiosity about proving mystical/theological things, Elizabethan scholar + astrologist Dr John Dee chose date for Liz’s coronation based on horoscope, Shakespeare makes >100 references to astrology throughout work
What was the significance of ‘The Heavens’ for Elizabethans?
Characters mentioning “greater power”/”heavens” could be God or fate/fortune, might not be distinction as they believed God ruled heavens and heavens ruled lives, question posed in play of free will vs destiny (“I am fortune’s fool”)
What was the significance of the Bubonic Plague for Elizabethans?
Bubonic plague a big problem at the time, Globe closed down 2yrs before first R+J performance due to outbreak, victims locked and bolted at home from outside (almost death sentence for family), 1563 80K people died in outbreak
