historical context 1

The globe

 

 

This is my sketch of the globe theatre where Shakespeare's plays were performed its circular shape and open roof out set created a mystical feel that interconnected with all of his plays although it created challenges for his actors as their voices would have to travel around a large auditorium.

 

 

Hamlet was the first performance at the globe theatre when it was on the south bank of the river thames in the city of London: the images that we have of the swan theatre in 1596 gives us an incite into what renesaunce theatre and performance were like and where they took place.

 

 

The globe theatre was split into different sections:

 

 

Actors , audience and performers: the audience stood and sat very close to the stage with the audience space spanding right to the standing floor, the standing area ccost as little as a penny which is the equivalent to £5 which is the current price for a standing ticket at the new built globe in london today. the staging by the audience was on a thrust stage and it was bare. very few probs were used so a lot of the focus was on sound and movment. costumes of the actors were relevant to the time making the performance contepary. for example the production of antonio and Cleopatra which was performed all in elizebeathan clothing

 

 

 

Shakespeare's political exsperience.

 

The rein of henry 8th represented medieval sector the "populars" who controlled all the land, money and people.

Theses who aren't within the popular bracket were known as "Surf" this sector consisted of: farmers, shopkeepers and peasants.

 

New worlds were discovered meaning there was a new outlook on the world, the printing press was also invented. Before then everything was hand written such as documents letters and books which were ornate bound with gold and knowledge was therefore exclusive only to rich men or the "populars" bracket so the printing press changed this making knowlage more accessable around the "surfs".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Religious movements were a massive part of the 1500's  such as Protestant christians where the bible was written in english where as the catholics had it written in latin thus creating an end to the hiprocrosy of the catholic church creating the middle class which is where shakespeare was positioned being called the renaissance period.

Henry 8th created the church ofEngland

Splitting from the catholic church just to divorce his wife. Henry then created his own treasury where he killed who ever would not contribute meaning there was a lot of greed involved , in the space of 11 years there were 4 monarchs.

 

1. Edward 6th staunch prodistant (1547- 1554)

 

 

2. Lady jane grey - beheaded after 9 days (10th july-19th july 1554)

 

 

 

 

 

3.(Bloody) Mary 1st - catholic burning Protestants (1554-1558)

 

 

 

 

4. Elizabeth 1st - (1558-1603) Protestant and just tried to keep the peace creating a police state

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

is made people very agile between religions and political views.Shakespeare was a Recusats catholic - this was dangerous as it was punishable by death and or imprisonment.

 

What influenced Shakespeare's writing of  the tempest

In the 1500's there was a real shipwreck on a desert island they were there for around 10 months and to return to be seen as hero's.

It is rumoured that Shakespeare might have talked to the crew to get a first hand accounts and realistic research to inspire his writing of the play.

 

William Strachey transcribed the events making the story famous as it was printed around the country.

 

The boat crashed in Bermuda which is thought to be cursed and magical it was called the new world

 

Strachey was an english writer who wrote about the sea venture crash in the 1600's  which was supposed to be going to the new world of virginia. Nearly two months into the voyage they were blown off course by a hurricane and blew onto an island in Bermuda, 115 crew members and a dog survived they then built 2 ships out of the wrecked boat over 10 months to then voyage back to Virginia.

 

The knowable savage Caliban was taken from the word cannibal (the cannibal book), gonzarlo's speech talks about prospero's rule over caliban and is this right. Gonzarlo's idea about ranking was a push towards breaking the system in this utopia. Thomas More created the word utopia meaning no place where it was based in the new world in his fictional book. It also questioned how interaction with the natives changed their perception.

 

Prospero's character influences

 

 

 Prospero may have been an image of henry 8th as he had vast power that was controlled by anger relating to his magic through henry's collapsing of the catholic church controlling people through fear and being greedy with his position on the island sending out spies such as the spirits he also did what he could so he was the greater person who kept power for a long time this also follows the trait of ambitiousness.

                                                   

Prospero could have also been developed through shakespeare's image of himself through his talking and references to art and prospero letting go of his art and painting, meaning it was the last play he wrote by himself. Prospero gives away his power of the island as such Shakespeare giving up theatre to move back to stratford with his daughters as the same as miranda.

 

Prospero could have been based on ohn D, he straddled the world of science and magic one of the cleverest men at the time, he knew about science and atronomy he also tried to speak to angles he also had a vast libeary as such does propero saying knowlege is power.