Concetti Chiave
- Elizabethan drama was the main art form, deeply connected to the communal life of medieval towns and villages.
- Plays attracted a diverse audience accustomed to listening, despite opposition from city authorities against public performances.
- New theatres emerged in suburban areas due to the authorities' disapproval, with Southwark in London being a notable location.
- Influences on Elizabethan theatre included Italian plays, Greek theatre, and Latin writers like Seneca, shaping its structure and themes.
- "The Spanish Tragedy" by Thomas Kyd was a notable drama, combining Senecan tragedy with Machiavellian elements of horror and corruption.
What was the relationship between Elizabethan drama and its audience?
Drama was the main form of Elizabethan art.
Entertainment was rooted in the communal life of medieval towns and villages.
Drama was addressed to a mixed public, more trained in listening than in reading.
Cities' authorities were against public performances, but the Queen enjoyed plays.
Because authorities were against public plays, theatres were usually built in suburbs, like Southwark in London.
But then, with the development of a mercantile society, started being built new theatres.
The playwrights source's were from old plays, ballads, sermons.
The Elizabethan Theatre was linked with Italian Plays, Greek Theatre and also with some Latin writers, like Seneca.
Influences and popular works
The English Theatre was inspired from Niccolò Machiavelli works' for displaying horrors, vices and corruption.
From the Greek theatre, the Elizabethan one took some features, like being public or nationalistic and being a celebrating theatre for English history.
Moreover Seneca influenced this theatre in the division of the play in five acts, in the tragic incidents.
One of the most popular Drama of the time was “The Spanish Tragedy” of Thomas Kyd, a play influenced by Seneca, full of horror, mixed with Machiavellian ingredients; it had a play within the play.
Domande da interrogazione
- How did Elizabethan drama engage with its audience despite opposition from city authorities?
- What is an example of a popular Elizabethan drama, and what elements did it incorporate from its influences?
Elizabethan drama was a communal form of entertainment deeply rooted in the life of medieval towns and villages. Despite opposition from city authorities, who were against public performances, the drama thrived as it was addressed to a mixed public more accustomed to listening than reading. Theatres were often built in suburbs like Southwark in London, and the Queen's enjoyment of plays helped sustain the art form.
"The Spanish Tragedy" by Thomas Kyd was a popular Elizabethan drama that exemplified the era's influences. It was heavily influenced by Seneca, featuring a five-act structure and tragic incidents, and incorporated Machiavellian elements of horror and corruption. The play also included a play within the play, showcasing its complex narrative style.
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