Shakespeare

Lucy Smith English 8-1 4.16.09 __ What were costumes and sets like in Shakespeare’s theatre? __  In Shakespeare’s theatre, the sets were quite simple and the costumes were extravagant according to __Shakespeare for Dummies__ by John Doyle and Ray Lischner (16). There were no backdrops because the plays were literary and depended more on the actors and their lines. The actors could describe the scenery in their lines. This allowed each character to have a different view of the location. If there were backdrops, then the setting would be concrete and it would look the same to each character. “This had the advantage of allowing characters' reactions to a particular setting to provide an insight into their nature in a way which would be less effective, were scenery present,” according to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust website’s section “FAQs.” Setting descriptions from characters appealed more to the audience rather than detailed scenery. Just a simple movement of props could change the location of the scene. An ornate chair could be used as a throne to suggest that the location has changed to the court of a king. This permitted the play to flow smoothly without any intermissions or other interruptions. Because only a few props had to be changed, there were no long pauses between scenes. Characters could continue the play as they traveled to a new location. Sets were not as fancy or as detailed as they are today in modern productions. An actor’s costume was probably his most expensive possession he owned according to authors Michael Dobson and Stanley Wells in their book __The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare__ (89 and 93). Occasionally, a company’s costumes would be more valuable than the theatre. These exquisite and expensive costumes were necessary to provide an excellent visual appeal of the theatre. Characters must dress appropriately to play their parts. For example, if a particular character is part of the upper class, he must have the most luxurious clothing. According to Terry Gray, author of the website __Mr. William Shakespeare__, actors obtained their costumes from upper class men after they died, through the servants. The men of rank would pass on most of their finest clothing to the servants. The clothing would not be suitable for a servant, so he would sell it to the actors. Historical accuracy in clothing was disregarded; a few small additions would do. For example, if an actor was wearing Greek clothing, but the play was not set in Greece, this detail was ignored. Outside of the theatre actors were not allowed to wear their fancy costumes. Doing so would be considered a crime by the Sumptuary Laws, which were in effect through 1603. According to the website __Elizabethan Era__ section “Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws,” the word “sumptuary” means expenditure, so it can be assumed that the Sumptuary Laws were created to control the expenditure of the people and ensure that the class structure (upper, middle, lower) was kept in place. Disobeying the Sumptuary Laws could result in the death penalty, so actors were always sure to change out of their theatre costumes before exiting the theatre. Costumes were a crucial part of theatre and undoubtedly contributed to the audience’s understanding and enjoyment of the play. __ Who were the leading actors in Elizabethan England? __  In Elizabethan England, actors were known as players. According to __The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare__, written by Michael Dobson and Stanley Wells, the word acting referred to gestures by the narrator. Black players, of course, were not allowed. The website __Kinema__ indicates that when there was a black character in a play, like Othello, a white player performed the part with his face painted black. Heather Thomas’ website __Elizabethan I,__ the section entitled “Elizabethan Women,” says that it was considered disgraceful for women to act, so as a result women did not act in any Shakespeare plays until 1660 following the defeat of Cromwell’s puritanical government. A puritanical government is emphasizing strict religious and moral behavior. Such a form of government probably did not allow women to act. After Cromwell’s puritanical government was overthrown, women were allowed to pursue more careers, such as acting. Margaret Hughes is the first recorded woman player, acting out the character of Desdemona in //Othello//. Boys with higher pitched voices or older players played women’s roles. When women were finally allowed to act, they could only act in private performances, such as balls at court. They could also only act alongside professional players. Many players at this time became famous for their dramatic roles in Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies. There were four main players in Elizabethan England according to the section entitled "Who were the leading actors in Shakespeare's day?" on the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust website. Edward Alleyn was the most prominent actor in Elizabethan England. A.L. Rowes, author of __Shakespeare The Man__, refers to Alleyn as a star (34). He acted with the Admiral’s Men. In //Dr. Faustus//, he played the lead role of Faustus, a man who disregards the power of God and instead sells his soul to the devil to receive 24 years of knowledge and authority on Earth according to the website __BBC__. This website also states that in //Tamburlaine the Great//, he played the lead role Tamburlaine, a rebel who begins a triumphant campaign of gaining kingdoms. Alleyn’s performance of Tamburlaine quickly became his signature role. According to the section entitled “FAQs” on Amanda Mabillard’s website __Shakespeare Online,__ after Alleyn retired in 1598, Queen Elizabeth specifically requested him to come out of retirement. Her request shows that Alleyn was highly regarded. Richard Burbage was the leading player in Shakespeare's company. The parts of King Lear, Hamlet, and Othello were most likely written for him. Burbage was extremely popular in the public’s eye; he was mentioned in Shakespeare’s will and there are several modern references to him. Burbage and his brother, Cuthbert, built the Globe Theatre, so half of the profits went to the brothers. Shakespeare wrote his comic roles for Will Kempe and Robert Armin. Kempe played Dogberry in //Much Ado About Nothing//, and Armin played the Fool in //King Lear// and Feste in //Twelfth Night.// These four players were considered the most popular by the audience and were quite influential in the public’s view of Shakespeare’s works. Other well-known players, as mentioned in the website __Globe Theatre,__ in the section entitled “Globe Theatre Actors,” included John Heminges, William Ostler, Augustine Phillips, and Nicholas Tooley. A player’s personality, as shown through his character, would make the play seem more realistic and believable to the audience. Play critics relied on the players to perform well, and if they did not, criticism would be harsh. These first class players greatly contributed to Shakespeare’s success as a playwright. __ What is the First Folio and why is it important? __  The First Folio is the first collected edition of Shakespeare’s works. It was published in 1623, seven years after Shakespeare’s death. According to L.K. Alchin’s section entitled “The First Folio” on the website __William Shakespeare__, the word “folio” means a sheet of paper almost a foot high. Smaller page sizes are called “quartos.” Folios were normally used only for works of important authors and Shakespeare certainly fits into that category. A.L. Rowse, author of __Shakespeare The Man__, explains that “never had there been such an undertaking before, thirty-six plays in one volume by one man” (264). The First Folio consists of 900 pages with 36 of Shakespeare’s plays; it was titled “Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies.” The image of Shakespeare on the front cover was a copper engraving done by Martin Droeshout. There is much controversy about the validity of the picture; Shakespeare’s head is not proportional, the clothes look mismatched, and the body looks like one of a child’s. This debate is important because there are only three known portraits of Shakespeare currently. If the image of Shakespeare on the cover of the First Folio is actually him, that would be one more picture depicting the great playwright. Henry Condell and John Heminges were responsible for compiling the works. Shakespeare mentions both actors in his will, so it is not surprising that they were involved. According to the website __Globe Theatre__ section “John Heminges,” Shakespeare leaves a bequest to Condell and Heminges: "to my fellowes John Hemynge Richard   Burbage & Henry Cundell a peece to buy them Ringes." Condell was a member of the Chamberlain’s Men and the King’s men, both acting companies led by Shakespeare. Hemminge was also a member of the Chamberlain’s Men. In the section “Henry Condell” on the website Globe Theatre, it is said that John Hemminge and Henry Condell stated that they published the Folio "onely to keepe the memory of so worthy a Friend, & Fellow alive, as was our Shakespeare, by humble offer of his playes." The First Folio was dedicated to the sons of the Earl of Pembroke and the Countess of Pembroke, William and Philip. According to the section “Historical Background” on the website __RSC__, William is thought to be the young male that Shakespeare writes about in many of his sonnets, so it makes sense that the First Folio is dedicated to William and his brother. In the website __William Shakespeare__, the section entitled “The First Folio”, author L.K. Alchin says that Shakespeare never authorized the publication or printing of his plays, but William Jaggard, his son Isaac, and Ed Blount, without Shakespeare’s permission, published the First Folio. No copyright laws existed at this time, so bitter rivalries existed between acting companies as playwrights attempted to keep their plays out of print before production. Playwrights also wanted to avoid having their plays fall into the hands of printers. Once the plays were published, they became the possession of the printer. Because there were no copyright laws, the only way printers could claim their rights to books was to enter them in the Stationers’ Register. The First Folio is important simply because it is the first collection of Shakespeare’s plays. Without it, we would not know of Shakespeare’s magnificent work today. In fact, we may not even know of Shakespeare’s existence. The First Folio was also the first folio book printed in England that contained only plays. About 500 copies of First Folio were printed at the price of £1 each. Only 238 of these copies survive today, with one-third of them being held in the Shakespeare Folger Library in Washington D.C. Of all Shakespeare’s plays, only eighteen exist because of the First Folio according to Peter Blayney’s section entitled “The First Folio of Shakespeare” on the website sponsored by the Folger Shakespeare Library. These eighteen plays were not printed anywhere else, but the First Folio. It is not shocking that the First Folio is considered to be the most significant work in the English language. __ Who is the Dark Lady? __  Shakespeare’s Dark Lady is the woman who is being addressed in 24 of Shakespeare’s sonnets. According to the website __Shakespeare Birthplace Trust__, she is thought to be one of three ladies: Mary Fitton, a lady in waiting to Queen Elizabeth; Lucy Morgan, a former maid of Queen Elizabeth; or Emilia Lanier, the mistress of Lord Hundson, who was a patron of Shakespeare’s theatre. The only information we have about the Dark Lady is what Shakespeare has written in his sonnets. Shakespeare describes her as “a woman color'd ill, with black eyes and coarse black hair”. According to Nigel Davies’ section “The Dark Lady of Shakespeare’s sonnets” on the website __Geocities__, “woman color’d ill” means a woman with a dark complexion. Black eyes and coarse black hair obviously can be interpreted as dark, giving her the nickname Dark Lady. In Sonnets 130 and 144, Shakespeare describes his feelings for the Dark Lady. Sonnet 130 entitled “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun,” shows that Shakespeare thinks she’s ugly and that he’s seen better. However, the last two lines suggest otherwise: “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare, As any she belied with false compare.” In the first line above, Shakespeare says, even though she has many flaws, he loves her and that appearances do not matter in true love. His words describe a black woman: “If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.” This shows that she has black hair, which must be the Dark Lady. In Sonnet 144, Shakespeare is describing the relationship among himself, a male friend, and the Dark Lady. Helen Vendler says that “When Shakespeare wrote, ‘Two loves I have,’ reader, he was //not kidding//” (605). His two loves must only be his male friend and the Dark Lady. Shakespeare refers to the male friend as an angel and the Dark Lady as a devil. According to Amanda Mabillard, author of the website __Shakespeare Online__, in the section “Analysis of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 144,” Shakespeare says he favors the love of his male friend, who is believed to be the Earl of Southampton, but the Dark Lady is tempting the Earl away from him. Shakespeare then places all the blame on the Dark Lady for the affair between his male friend and the Dark Lady. Sonnets 130 and 144 show that Shakespeare has great love for the Dark Lady, but she has flaws and he often is angered by her. As previously mentioned, the Dark Lady could be Mary Fitton, Lucy Morgan, or Emilia Lanier. The case for Emilia Lanier being the Dark Lady is quite strong, but there is no solid evidence for this possibility. According to the section “Emilia Lanier (the Dark Lady?)” on the website __PBS__, she was dark and on her way to becoming an influential Elizabethan lady. Emilia certainly was part of Shakespeare’s circle as the mistress of Lord Hundson. Later on, she would visit Simon Foreman, a doctor, astrologer, analyst and part of Shakespeare’s circle for advice. Using her connections to Lord Hundson and Foreman, Emilia mixed well in Shakespeare’s circle. Shakespeare later had an affair with her after his son and heir died, but he was the last man in a love triangle with Emilia at the center. If Shakespeare was rejected by Emilia, his emotions for her would be ones of anger and annoyance. He may have used this experience as inspiration in Sonnets 130 and 144. In Sonnet 130, he insults the Dark Lady’s physical appearance by writing “ And in some perfumes is there more delight, Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.” This means that the Dark Lady’s breath smells awful. In Sonnet 144, Shakespeare is describing his anger and fury at the Dark Lady. “The worser spirit a woman colour’d ill” means that the Dark Lady can be compared to a devil. Emilia has strong connections to Shakespeare, but there are no concrete facts. Rumors, although weak, have suggested that Mary Fitton is the Dark Lady. One website, __BBC__, is firmly convinced that Mary is the Dark Lady. This claim is refuted by Michael Dobson and Stanley Wells in __The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare__ (106). They say that she actually had fair skin, so she could not be the Dark Lady. From the website __RSC__ section //Historical Background//, “Mary had a wild reputation.” Shakespeare could have caught her eye and had an affair with her. There is not much evidence to show why Shakespeare wrote the things he did about the Dark Lady if it were Mary. There is even less evidence that Lucy Morgan is the Dark Lady-no rumors or even fictional stories. The Dark Lady of Shakespeare’s sonnets is certainly a controversial and a hot topic in the world of Shakespeare. __ Works Cited __ Alchin, L.K. "The First Folio." __William Shakespeare__. 16 Nov. 2008. 10 Mar. 2009 . Blayney, Peter. "The First Folio of Shakespeare." __Folger__. Folger Shakespeare Library. 10 Mar. 2009 . Davies, Nigel. "The Dark Lady of Shakespeare's Sonnets." __Geocities__. 7 Apr. 2009 . Dobson, Michael, and Stanley Wells. __The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare__. New York City: Oxford University Press, 2001. Doyle, John, and Ray Lischner. __Shakespeare for Dummies__. Foster City: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 1999. "Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws." __Elizabethan-Era__. Elizabethan Era. 6 Apr. 2009 . "Emilia Lanier (the Dark Lady?)." __PBS__. 2003. PBS. 12 Mar. 2009 . "Globe Theatre Actors." __Globe Theatre__. Globe Theatre. 6 Mar. 2009 . Gray, Terry. "Theatre." __Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet__. 7 Mar. 2009. 7 Mar. 2009 . "Gwyrch Castle." __BBC__. 2 Dec. 2008. 7 Apr. 2009 . Hai-Leong, Toh. "Mixed Race Marriage." __Kinema: A Journal for Film and Audiovisual__ __Media__. 4 Jan. 2009. 4 Apr. 2009 . "Henry Condell." __Globe Theatre__. Globe Theatre. 7 Apr. 2009 . "Historical Background." __RSC__. Royal Shakespeare Company. 7 Apr. 2009 . "John Heminges." __Globe Theatre__. Globe Theatre. 7 Apr. 2009 . Mabillard, Amanda. "Analysis of Shakespeare's Sonnet 144." __Shakespeare Online__. 29 July 2003. 7 Apr. 2009 . Mabillard, Amanda. "FAQ." __Shakespeare Online__. 29 Aug. 2005. 7 Apr. 2009 . Rowse, A.L. __Shakespeare The Man. New York City: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc., 1973. __ "'Tamburlaine the Great ' by Christopher Marlowe." __BBC__. 12 Feb. 2002. 14 Apr. 2009 . Thomas, Heather. "Elizabethan Women." __Elizabeth I__. 7 Apr. 2009 . Vendler, Helen. __The Art of Shakespeare's Sonnets__. United States: President and Fellows of Harvard College, 1997. "What sort of scenery would they have used in Shakespeare's theatre?." __Shakespeare__. Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. 6 Mar. 2009 <http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/content/view/636/623/>. "Who was Shakespeare's 'dark lady' mentioned in connection with the sonnets?" __Shakespeare__. Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. 6 Mar. 2009 <http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/content/view/631/623/>. "Who were the leading actors in Shakespeare's day?" __Shakespeare__. Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. 6 Mar. 2009 < http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/content/view/733/623/>.