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Renaissance Drama

During the Elizabethan era in England from 1558 to 1642, drama flourished as a major art form and literary contribution to the English Renaissance. Plays appealed to all social classes and broke from the religious roots of the Middle Ages by focusing on human nature and humanity's position in the world. Travelling acting companies helped spread the popularity of drama, performing on wooden platforms in inn yards and town squares. The typical Elizabethan playhouse was circular or polygonal in shape, with an open pit area for standing spectators and three tiers of galleries above providing better seats for higher social classes. Plays used no scenery, relying on speeches to describe settings for the audience to imagine.

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608 views3 pages

Renaissance Drama

During the Elizabethan era in England from 1558 to 1642, drama flourished as a major art form and literary contribution to the English Renaissance. Plays appealed to all social classes and broke from the religious roots of the Middle Ages by focusing on human nature and humanity's position in the world. Travelling acting companies helped spread the popularity of drama, performing on wooden platforms in inn yards and town squares. The typical Elizabethan playhouse was circular or polygonal in shape, with an open pit area for standing spectators and three tiers of galleries above providing better seats for higher social classes. Plays used no scenery, relying on speeches to describe settings for the audience to imagine.

Uploaded by

nariah32
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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DRAMA IN THE RENAISSANCE

Henry VIIIs schism from the Church of Rome hastened the end of the Medieval reli ious drama! Drama flourished a ain over a "eriod of a#out a century from $%%&' (hen Eli)a#eth I #ecame *ueen' to $+,-' the year (hen all theatres (ere closed do(n #y the .uritans' (ho controlled the City of /ondon! Durin those years' drama #ecame a ma0or enre and the *uality of the "lays (as so e1ce"tional that they #ecame the ma0or literary contri#ution to the En lish Renaissance! They a""ealed to "eo"le from all social levels' from the soverei n to the lo(est classes! Renaissance drama #ro2e a(ay from the reli ious roots of the Middle A es to reflect the humanistic s"irit of the ne( a e' (hich e1alted human nature in all its as"ects and em"hasised mans life and destiny on earth and his "osition in the universe! Eli)a#ethan drama "resented heroes and heroines lar er than life as (ell as human ty"es' ta2en from contem"orary En lish society! It also dealt (ith themes ta2en from En lish history 3li2e Sha2es"eares historical "lays4 to e1"ress "ride in the nations achievements and tradition! Travelling companies of actors: the "o"ularity of drama s"read than2s to travellin com"anies of actors' (ho held the status of servants of a /ord and called their com"anies after him5 for e1' the Earl of Leicesters Men, the Lord Chamberlains Men etc! There (ere no (omen in these com"anies #ecause actin (as considered immoral and' therefore' ina""ro"riate for a (oman! The roles of (omen (ere inter"reted #y youn #oys! .erformances too2 "lace on mova#le "latforms in inn yards or in to(n s*uares or in the manor houses of no#les until "layhouses (ere #uilt' es"ecially in /ondon! The Elizabethan Playhouse: The Eli)a#ethan "layhouse (as circular or "oly onal in sha"e! The sta e consisted of a rectan ular "latform (hich "ro0ected into the theatres central "it!This area had no roof and no seats and (as occu"ied #y s"ectators from the lo(er social classes' (ho could only afford to "ay the #asic admission fee of one "enny and stood throu hout the "erformance! Around the theatre (alls' three tiers of alleries "rovided #etter and more e1"ensive seats and #o1es for the hi her social classes! The "erformance too2 "lace in dayli ht! If a fla fle( from the to" of the "layhouse' it meant that a sho( (as in "ro ress! Eli)a#ethan "lays used no "ainted scenery! The settin (as usually indicated or descri#ed in the characters s"eeches and it (as u" to the audience to use their ima ination to visualise it!

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