Concetti Chiave
- The Court of Henry VIII featured drama as its primary form of entertainment, overseen by a Master of the Revels.
- The Court supported public players, aiding the survival of popular theatre and likening companies to commercial enterprises.
- Each theatre company had its own dramatist, with plays crafted to suit the actors' physical and personality traits.
- The late 16th century experienced a theatre boom, with special buildings emerging outside city walls due to concerns over moral behavior.
- The Globe Theatre, built in 1599 in Southwark, became the most successful venue, notable for male actors playing female roles.
What was the entertainment at the Court of Henry VIII?
The drama rapresented the main Court entertainsment. Henry VIII had appointed a Master of the Revels whose aim was to superintend the perfomances.
Public players were normally employed; in this way the Court helped them and contribuited to the survival of the popular theatre.
A public company was very much like a commercial enterprise, in which all the partners were sharers.
Each company had its own dramatist, and the plays had to suit the actors, both physically and in particular aspects or their personalities.
This is why the main character in Shakespeare's plays becomes gradually older at first Romeo, then Hamlet, Othello, King Lear: the main actor remained with the company.
The Expansion of Theatre in the 16th Century
The last decades of the 16th century saw the booming of the the theatre.
Plays were usually performed in couryards or public halls, only occasionally in private theatres.
Soon special buildings began to spring up on the south bank of the Thames out of the city walls, because plays were thought to encourage bad behaviour.
The first to be built was the Theatre, followed by the Curtain.
Other important theatres were the Rose and the Swan, but the most successful of all was the Globe, Shakespeare's theatre, which was built in Southwark, south London, in 1599.
The women did not appear on the stage and female parts were performed by boys.
Domande da interrogazione
- What role did the Court of Henry VIII play in the survival of popular theatre?
- Why were special theatre buildings constructed outside the city walls in the late 16th century?
The Court of Henry VIII played a crucial role in the survival of popular theatre by employing public players, which helped sustain the theatre industry. The Master of the Revels was appointed to oversee performances, ensuring that drama remained a central form of entertainment at the court.
Special theatre buildings were constructed outside the city walls, particularly on the south bank of the Thames, because plays were believed to encourage bad behavior. This led to the establishment of notable theatres like the Theatre, the Curtain, the Rose, the Swan, and the Globe, which became the most successful.
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