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English 10-1 > Shakespeare Theory > Flashcards

Shakespeare Theory Flashcards

1
Q

Why should you study shakespeare?

A
  • challenging in terms of language
  • storylines have intrige, action, unexpected twists, and suspense
  • topics and themes are very revelant today
  • regarded as the best playwright in the world and his works have been translated over hundred times
  • have a broader understanding of the world and its people across generations
  • appreciate the art form of poetry and script writing
  • better understand the concepts of character, plot, irony, foreboding/foreshadowing, and many poetry terms
  • further develop your vocabulary
  • develop your knowledge of Greek/Roman mythology and history
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2
Q

Why is it important to understand the writer’s background when looking at his/her writing?

A
  • greater understanding of his/her choices: poetry, allusions, characters, events, historical background,etc
  • improve comprehension of his text
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3
Q

How was Shakespeare in his time?

A

He was just a popular actor and playwright, he was recognized as a genius and honoured writer after he died.

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4
Q

When was Shakespeare baptized?

A

April 26, 1564

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5
Q

When is it assumed for Shakespeare to be born?

A

April 23, 1564

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6
Q

Where was Shakespeare born?

A

Straford-Upon-Avon in the country of England

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7
Q

How many siblings did he have?

A

He was the oldest of eight children, so seven siblings.

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8
Q

Who was Shakepeare’s father?

A

John Shakespeare, he was a prosperous glove maker, alderman, and bailiff (mayor). Had irregular business venture successes, well-respected by neighbours.

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9
Q

Who was Shakespeare’s mother?

A

Mary Aren, from a good family and had some fortune, inherited considerable farm property.

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10
Q

How was Shakespeare’s school?

A

He attended a grammer school where Latin was emphasized, students spent 9 hours a day, 6 days a week in school. They were also strictly disciplined with physical punishment from highly educated teachers.

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11
Q

His marriage?

A

He married Anne Hathaway who was 8 years older than him (unusual back then) and pregnant (embarassing for the family). They married in 1582 and had three children. He was only 18.

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12
Q

When did he go to London, what did he do?

A

Between 1585 and 1591 he moved to london and worked as a poet, playwright, actor, and part owner of the Globe Theatre.

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13
Q

He left his wife and children behind when he went to London, what does this suggest?

A

May suggest marriage problems.

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14
Q

Between what years did Shakespeare write all his famous plays and sonnets?

A

1591 and 1611

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15
Q

When did the threatres close and why?

A

They closed between 1592-1594 because of a plague epidemic, Shakespeare most likely wrote most of his poems during this time.

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16
Q

What did Shakespeare do after the theatres reopened (1594)?

A

He focused on creating plays, producing 37 of them before he retired.

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17
Q

What makes Shakespeare an unique playwright?

A

He wrote his plays for a particular performance, certain actors, various audience members, and a particular stage in his theatre. Modern playwrights write scripts with hope that someday they will be performed by any actor in any theatre.

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18
Q

Back then actors and acting companies weren’t respected and didn’t make much money, so what did they have to do?

A

The actors and companies were patrionized by a ‘‘great’’ man, and the patron or sponsor allowed his name to be used in connection with the company he supported. It gave them a lot more respect in the community. After the plague a number of actors belonging to different companies united to form a new company.

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19
Q

What was Shakespeare’s company of players called at first?

A

'’The Earl of Leicester’s Men’’

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20
Q

When and what was Shakespeare’s second company called?

A

'’Lord Chamberlain’s Men’’
- created in 1594
- Shakespeare was the chief shareholder

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21
Q

What did the ‘‘Lord Chamberlain’s Men’’ become?

A

In 1603 it became known as ‘‘The King’s Men’’ since King James I supported them.

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22
Q

When did Shakespeare retire?

A

He retired to Stratford in 1611 after prospering in London.

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23
Q

When did he die?

A

He died in Stratford on April 23, 1616 at 52 years old. His plays weren’t published until after he died.

24
Q

What were Early Playhouses?

A

None were built between 1500 to 1576. So companies of actors would travel the world and perform at certain inns. These actors were known as ‘‘strolling players’’

25
Q

How would ‘‘strolling players’’ announce their arrival?

A

Two ways:
1- parade
2- hand out playbills

26
Q

How were the inns used?

A
  • the rooms were grouped around an inner courtyard
  • balconies were used
  • stables were used as dressing rooms
  • planks of wood were put over barrels for the stage (portable)
  • very few props, great imagination, and loud voices were needed
  • costumes were not rich, but they were interesting
  • pay was thrown down (a collection)
  • innkeeper took his share
  • later as the popularity of strolling players increased, admission would be sought
27
Q

Problems with the inns?

A
  • actors had to share inns with the ‘‘carters’’ who brought freight and mail to London (so could only use 3/7 days)
  • difficult to collect admission
  • storage of props and costumes were difficult
  • innkeeper charged high rent
28
Q

How would the audience be seated in the inns?

A
  • the characterstic inn of the period had an innter coutryard with rooms opening onto balconies overlooking the yard
  • players could set up temporary stages at one end of the yard and audiences could find seats on balconies out of the weather
  • poorer patrons of the theatre could stand or sit on the cobblestones in the yard which was open to the sky. These patrons were called groundlings and the area in which they stood was the pit.
29
Q

What were restrictions put on companies of actors?

A
  • The play and the troupe had to be licensed; this meant fees.
  • the inn had to be approved (inspected)
  • the inn proprietor must give a guarantee regarding the orderly behaviour of his guests
  • the actors had to give money to the poor
  • no performances could take place on Sunday
30
Q

Why weren’t actresses used at the time?

A
  • not respectable
  • too weak for hard labour
  • tradition
31
Q

How were female roles played?

A

They were played by young boys (aged 12 and up- untiil voices changed)
- they were highly trained professionals
- Shakespeare believed in these skills and made many challenging female roles
- they would have to start in boys’ companies that were a feature of cathedral choir school then start their career in the adult companies at 12

32
Q

When did the first actress appear on the English stage?

A

In 1660 after the restoration of King Charles II when exiled english men brought back france practices of the French stage.

33
Q

What was the first permanent building?

A

It was called ‘‘The Theatre’’ and was built in 1576 by James Burbage (father of Shakespeare’s colleague, Richard Burbage).

34
Q

What was put into consideration when ‘‘The Theatre’’ was being built?

A

The ‘‘penny-paying public’’ (willing to stand long hours to see a production) which he regarded to be the backbone of the theatare business in England.
- so he chose the inn-yard system which could accommodate groundlings.
- disadvantage: cramped and unsatisfactory working conditions backstage
- he used the bear-baiting and bull-baiting amphi-theatres as models for his theatre (circular with curving tiers of upstairs seats)

35
Q

What was the design and benefits of ‘‘The Theatre’’?

A
  • the circular shape would be more appropriate for acoustics
  • smaller area behind the front stage was curtained off and set with moveable properties (ex. for a bedroom)
  • height of the building would allow for the action to be staged on more than one level
  • '’heaven’’ (ropes and pullyeys fastened to the roof) allowed for more interesting affects, such as gods
  • '’hell’’ (trap doors in the floor) allowed for more interesting affects, such as disappearance of devils or witches
  • admission could be colllected more easily and a concession could be created
  • open to the sky, but all seats were protected from rain by the thatched roof (only groundlings were in danger of getting soaked)
  • the stage was protected by a stage cover
36
Q

Where did he place the theatre?

A

He erected the building outside of London city limits because the London city council supported the views of the Puritans (although at the time they were not Puritans themselves) and were businessmen who saw no point to the theatre.
Puritans believed that any entertainment not originating from the bible was sinful

37
Q

What were some reasons the London city council gave the public for their dislike of players and playhouses?

A
  • die (of the plague)
  • robbed
  • accused of/arrested for sedition (rebellion)
  • money could be better spent elsewhere
38
Q

Examples of permanent playhouses?

A
  • The Rose
  • The Swan
  • The Curtain
  • The Fortune
  • The Blackfriars
39
Q

How was the business like when the Globe was erected?

A

Plays often ran for ten days at a time, five companies were working to attract 1500 patrons per week- 1/10 of the London population

40
Q

When was the Globe Theatre made?

A

It was built in 1599 by James Burbage and his sons and existed until 1613.

41
Q

What was the overall design of the Globe?

A
  • octagonal (eight sides)
  • thatched roof (overhanding, but open courtyard)
  • three galleries surrounding the yard
  • seating on five sides
  • stage took three sides
  • '’thrust’’ stage jutted out into area known as the ‘‘pit’’ where the groundlings would be standing
  • the platform had no curtain
  • at the rear of the stage, there was a curtained area that could be used as an inner room, a tomb, etc
  • a balcony was located above this room and could be used to represent the upper deck of a ship, Juliet’s balcony, etc
  • trap door in stage for ghosts and devils ‘‘hell’’
  • trap door canopied structure over stage ‘‘heaven’’
42
Q

What was the seating like in the Globe?

A
  • one penny (groundlings who paid to stand in the pit and look up at the stage)
  • two pennies (upper galleries- two and three)
  • three pennies (lowest gallery with cushions)
  • could seat approximately 2500 to 3000 people and no advance bookings
43
Q

Times of the Globe Theatre?

A
  • since theatre was affected by the weather and depended on natural lighting, plays had to be given in the afternoon
  • Globe was known as ‘‘The Woodeno’’
  • little attempt at scenery
  • lines in the play told you about scene changes
44
Q

How was the audience in the Globe theatre?

A
  • they were very vocal
  • could eat and drink in their area
  • they would hiss, boo, or throw objects to show their dislike of a perticular character, actor, or situation
  • the groundlings cuased the actors to do the following:
    a) rush through their lines
    b) exaggerate their actions and facial expressions
45
Q

When and why did the Globe burn the first time?

A

In 1613, a squib fired from a cannon during the performance of ‘‘Henry V’’ fell on the thatched roof and the Globe burned to the ground

46
Q

When was the globe rebuilt? When was it destroyed again?

A

It was rebuilt in 1614, but was destroyed in 1644 again by the Puritans who objected to live theatre

47
Q

What did England go through during 1547-1558?

A
  • had been ruled by unpredictable and ‘‘stormy’’ rulers
  • Roman Catholic revival
48
Q

What effect did Queen Elizabeth I have?

A
  • Ruled from 1558 to 1603
  • was vain, pleasure loving, changeable, and fond of money and clothes
  • was considered a ‘‘good’’ queen who was shrewd, determined, and devoted to her country
  • her people feared and adored her
  • she was a liberal-minded monarch who enjoyed the theatre:
    - she provided money for costumes and props
    - she even wrote her own plays (short)
    - Shakespeare gave 32 performances at her court during her reign
49
Q

What many great things happened under Queen Elizabeth I’s leadership, how did Shakespeare react?

A
  • Frances Drake circumnavigated the globe
  • Sir Walter Raleigh founded the first British colony in North America
  • both of these men journeyed to the ‘‘New World’’ and returned with reports of riches and savages
  • London then became the center of trade
  • foreigners came and different languages were taught in the hopes of increasing business
  • Shakespeare capitalized on the interest in foreign lands and cultures by writing plays set in foreign lands (ex. Venice, Scotland, etc)
49
Q

Why/When did Shakespeare write a lot of history plays?

A
  • in 1588, England defeated her longtime enemy, Spain, with the destruction of the Spanish Armada (fleet of ships)
  • the English people took pride in the victory and were eager to know more about their country’s history
50
Q

What happened in the Renaissance?

A
  • England had now entered the renaissance
  • people now believed that they had control over their own destiny
  • science and learning were emphasized
  • eloquence in speech was sought; art and literature (focus)
  • Given this observation, Shakespeare’s use of poetry and allusions to various subjects including astology and mythology were warmly received by audiences
51
Q

What was happening in London in the sixteenth century?

A
  • London was the only large ‘‘town’’ in England (ten times larger than others)
  • over 100 000 people (very rich to very poor)
  • River Thames was very important for trade purposes and foreign visitors
  • many inns and shops
  • some of the inns were used for plays
  • money could be made, but poverty and crime existed
52
Q

Who was King James I?

A
  • succeeded Queen Elizabeth I
  • ruled from 1603-1625
  • son of Mary (Queen of Scots)
  • also wrote poems and plays
  • saw many plays performed (Shakespeare wrote at least half of them)
53
Q

How was Shakespeare’s audience?

A
  • fond of suspense, fast actions, and adventure
  • enjoyed watching eyes being ‘‘gouged out’’ or limbs being ‘‘chopped off’’ and thrown into the audience
  • they were also very sensitive and sophisticated
  • they loved words, figures of speech (puns, metaphors, etc) , and poetry
  • the audience contained all classes of people including:
    • the Kind or Queen (private showings at the court)
    • lords and ladies
    • upstanding citizens (ladies and gentlemen)
    • middle-class
    • very poor (groundlinds- names comes from theiir designed seats- to sit or stand on the ground)
54
Q

What aspects of Shakespeare’s plays would the lords and ladies prefer?

A

Poetry, complex plots and characters, allusions to history and mythology, romance.

55
Q

What aspects of Shakespeare’s plays would the groudlings like?

A

Violence, sexual innuendo, disguises, deceit/trickery, comedy (puns)

English 10-1 (5 decks)

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