The Plays of William Shakespeare

A third blog entry? I had rather chop this hand off at a blow, And with the other fling it at thy face! (King Henry VI, part 3)

Oh, who am I kidding? Writing these blogs are the highlights of my weekends! It beats stressing over which IB subjects to select ANY DAY.

This week’s topic is Shakespeare’s Plays. A very vast though intriguing subject.

Shakespeare, along with the title of "Playwright", was also an accomplished poet and actor. When people hear the name Shakespeare, automatically they think, “Dude, isn't that the guy who wrote like a lot of plays about people falling in love and people dying.” I can’t argue with that definition as for the most part it is correct. More 'elaborately', William Shakespeare wrote around 37 plays and 157 sonnets. No one has come to a conclusion regarding whether or whether not Shakespeare wrote all 37 plays.

The plays that William (yes, we are on first-name basis now) wrote range across a few different topics: comedies, histories and the ever-popular tragedies. On several occasions the plays would blur in between topics. For instance, the comedies would contain elements of tragedy. One of the main reasons why William was such a conversed and highly noted playwright was due to the depth and range of his characters and how well he portrayed them and their social standing with their dialogue. The language used in his plays had to be highly descriptive of the surroundings and environment as a lot of the time, the plays would be performed without props and a proper set. Old Scottish castles, battlefields, barren landscapes and streets filled with bustling amounts of people are examples of what had to be described successfully for the viewer to conjure the scene up in their own minds.

                     

A few other reasons why William’s plays were commended of so highly was due to their great stories and compelling characters. Many say, to this day, that no one has lived up to Shakespeare’s level of generating a story. His characters are all moulded so well into the stories whether they were a supporting role or a main character. All characters are said to be so complex and well-constructed; no one is perfect, every single one has their own faults or inabilities, real human emotion is present and each character has their own weaknesses. Most modern actors deeply admire William’s creations and consider playing a Shakespearean role to be the most difficult, though most rewarding.

A favourite among William’s plays were his tragedies (especially among Elizabethan viewers). Typically the story lines of the tragedies would follow the rise and fall of a powerful lead role, typically a nobleman. A common characteristic of the protagonists are that they have a fatal flow that propels them towards their bloody end. Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth are among Shakespeare’s most popular tragedies.

Shakespeare’s comedies were another popular genre of his plays. They were driven often by language and complex plots involving mistaken identity. For example, Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night revolves around a man and a woman in which she is later revealed to be a disguised man. She’s The Man (2006) is a movie based on this play of William’s. Some say that if you are watching a play of Shakespeare’s and it includes a character dressing or pretending to be the opposite sex, BINGO! It’s a comedy.

The histories that William Shakespeare wrote were not necessarily historically accurate or correct. They were written rather to make social and political commentary on events that have occurred in the past. Popular histories include Henry V and Richard III.

Shakespeare had to be very careful when writing his plays as politics were a very controversial topic and most of his plays include the theme of politics heavily. With the addition that women couldn't originally perform the plays in theatre during Elizabethan times, very few of his female roles were constructed differently to those of men. This was only a minor defect in Shakespeare’s mind as often he disregarded this when writing.

Personally, my favourite play by William Shakespeare is Macbeth. Before studying Macbeth I was familiar with the story lines of several other plays by man himself such as Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet though Macbeth is just so versatile and filled with interesting characters who help form the complex story line. My favourite character is either Macbeth or Lady Macbeth as I find it very intriguing to see the development of a person’s personality and actions completely flip upside down. The journey to that point and the consequences are very interesting to monitor and discuss why it occurred (maybe I just like power-hungry people). Also, who doesn't like to see one of their favourite characters either commit suicide and end up a pile of broken bones on the ground or get hanged only to be beheaded? I certainly do! The way Shakespeare constructed Macbeth is very odd in ways when it explores politics and incorporates the super-natural aura of the witches. Now that I have seen Macbeth performed adaptively, I would love to see the regular version performed identical to the original script. 

Happy 450^th Birthday, William Shakespeare! *

You’re now one year closer to the grave.

Oh wait...

*It is 26^th of April (when I wrote this) which marks the day William Shakespeare was baptised. No one knows his exact birth date so people celebrate his birth on the 26^th.

Elizabethan Times and Theatre

The Elizabethan Period
I don't about you but I assume this is a period of time ruled over and highly influenced by a woman named Elizabeth...?!

LET'S FIND OUT!

Here are the facts*: 

• Queen Elizabeth reigned over the UK from 1558-1603. 
• It was a period of time when people were judged on what they wore (I guess if people dressed alike, others would have thought it was in their jeans).
• The water was too dirty to drink so the poor drank and ale and the rick drank wine. (I don't think that was a particularly the grapest decision to make..)
• Queen Elizabeth is believed to have owned over 80 wigs. (who was she trying to impress?!)
• Women in the Elizabethan times were seen as inferior to men. (wow, so much has changed.)
• Non-attendance to the Church was punishable by law!
• It was only during this period of time in which the English were introduced to more exotic food and drink such as chocolate, potatoes, tea and coffee.
• Marriage and producing children were seen as a sort of 'top priority' during the Elizabethan times. This was so their children could carry on their family name and heritage.
• Elizabethan's were extremely superstitious. They feared witches, believed in magical animals and sought out good luck charms.
• Music, poetry, theatre and literacy flourished during this time. William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe and Edmund Spenser are among of the more famous playwrights and poets of this time period. 
• Disease, infection, poverty and occupational accidents could result in ones untimely demise. 

*..and a few bad puns.

Theatre During the Elizabethan Times

With theatre becoming a popular attraction during the Elizabethan Era, many playwrights rose to the occasion. Among these were William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe and John Fletcher. The playwrights and poets were the celebrities of the Elizabethan Era (watch out Leonardo DiCaprio) and were treated this way as well, often becoming close friends with the current reigning king or queen. These playwrights had busy but wealthy lifestyles.

If you think about theatre, most people will think of a group of talented men and women on a stage performing a play for an audience. 

Wrong.

It was illegal for women to perform on stage, resulting in men having to play women's roles. This was somewhat a dilemma for a few of the plays cast, in particular "Romeo and Juliet" by Shakespeare. 

(A great movie that delves a bit deeper into this subject is below.)

The first permanent theatre built during the Elizabethan Era was "The Red Lion". This theatre was a short-lived failure. 

Three other theatres that were built on the outskirts of London, England during the same time period were: The Globe, The Fortune and The Swan; all of which seated 2-3000 people. Stages were in the center of the seating and had hidden holes (trap doors) in the floor for effects such as REAL fire and REAL smoke.(i really like fire)

Shakespeare in association with Queen Elizabeth and Theatre

Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth only became close acquaintances towards the end of her reign, in fact he was even born during her reign. Speculations rose regarding whether she could have possibly been his mother! Talk about scandal...

Queen Elizabeth, out of the very few plays of Shakespeare's she saw, raved on and on about their quality.

Queen Elizabeth personally provided a large fraction of the theatre and performance costs for Shakespeare. 

The Globe Theatre is most renowned for performing a large assortment of Shakespeare's plays. The theatre was built and managed by two actors. The Globe was split into six shares, one of which was Shakespeare's. In 1613, the original Globe Theatre went up in flames during the performance of Henry VIII. It has since been reconstructed twice. Rumours have risen stating that Shakespeare's "As You Like It" was written especially for The Globe Theatre. Still to this day performances can be seen at the theatre or at replicas in Tokyo and London. (added to bucket-list!)

Overall, the Elizabethan Era was a fashionable period of time in which Queen Elizabeth I ruled. Theatre additionally flourished (kinda like a flower) and playwrights were made celebrities. Queen E. also was trying to impress someone but we don't know who.

Until next time, thou qualling rump-fed fustilarian!