Paper : 105 Assignment :
Drama in Elizabethan age
Name - Hina Parmar
Batch - M.A. Sem 1 (2022-2024)
Enrollment no - 40692064202221
Roll no - 11
Subject code - 22396
Paper no - 104
Paper - History of English Literature from 1350 to 1900
Email address - hinaparmar612@gmail.com
Submitted to - Smt.S.B. Gardi Department of English M.K.B.U.
Date of submission - 7 th November, 2022
This blog is an assignment given by Dr.Barad sir H.O.D of English Department M.K.B.U. In this blog I write about The Development of drama in the Elizabethan age.
Introductio-
In Elizabethan age there were many plays written. This period begins with rain of Elizabeth 1 in 1558. Nobody knows the date when this age was ended, some considered that this age was ended with Elizabethan death in 1603. Elizabeth was considered the most powerful monarch in English history. She was also an avid supporter of the arts which sparked a surge of activity in the theater. She supported all types of art, and artists. She was deeply connected with art. During her reign, some playwrights were able to make a comfortable living by receiving royal patronage. She made a great deal of theatrical activity at Court, and many public theaters were also built on the outskirts of London.
In that time women were not allowed to act in drama, they were only a part of the audience. In drama they creat such characters like pickpockets, cutpurses, and prostitutes. The puritans didn't like this thing and they succeeded in shutting down all theaters in 1642. Some most important writers of this area were William Shakespeare, Ben Johnson, Christopher Marlow. They were written Greek tragedy, Seneca's plays, Attic drama, English miracle plays, morality plays, and interludes and many.more. Tragedy which was written in Elizabethan dealt with heroic themes and on other hand comedy satires on tragedy in its way.
pre- Shakesprean Drama
In English language English tragedy was not developed from the miracle play, but from the classical models of seneca. Seneca was a Latin dramatist of the first century. His writing style was sophisticated, aristocratic. His influence was first felt in the Latin plays of the universities, especially Cambridge between 1550 and 1560. He also became the first classical dramatist to have all his works translated into English language. He wrote many plays and some of his important plays were Kyd's The Spanish Tragedies -1889, which was followed by Daniel's Cleopatra - 1593 and Philotsa -1604. Shakespeare's plays which show the influence of Senecan influence are Richard 3 and Macbeth.
Drama was considered the most powerful and popular form of English literature. Its chief glory is Shakespeare but the school of dramatists from which Shakespeare proceeds was the result of a steady growth.
University Wits
University wits are young men who were associated with Oxford and Cambridge, who founded the Elizabeth school of drama. They have same feature to each other's works like
They use heroic themes such as the lives of great figures like Mohammef and Tamburlaine.
They use heroic themes which need heroic treatment, with great fullness and variety. Varieties like splendid description, long swelling speeches, the handling of violent incidents, emotions etc.
They use heroic style. The main aim of that is to achieve string and sounding lines.
They use themes which are usually tragic in nature.
George Peel (1558-98)
He was born in London, educated at Christ's Hospital and at Oxford. He became literary and free lance in london. His plays include 'The Arraignment of Paris', a kind of romantic poetry. The old wives tale, which is a clever satire on drama.
Robert Green
His plays are sufficient to find a place in the development of the drama. He was born at Norwich, educated at Cambridge london. Hismost famous plays were Alphonsus, King of Aragon, an imitation of s Tamburlaine and Frier of Aragon .
Thomas Nash
He was born at Lowestoft, he was educated at Cambridge. Then he went to London to make his living by literature. He also took part in politics. His novel The Unfortunate Traveler, or the Life of Jack Wilton are important works in the development of the novel.
Thomas Lodge
He was the son of Lord Mayo of London. He was educated in law at London and Oxford university. His dramatic work is small in quality. The most famous of his romances is Rosalynde Euphues Golden Legacie which was published in 1590.
Thomas
Thomas Kyd is one of the most important university wits. He was very little known for his life. He was born in london. Educated in Merchant Taylor school. His most important play is The Spanish Tragedy. Most of his plays were lost.
Christopher
Christopher Marlowe was an important figure in his time.he was born in Canterbury on February 26, 1564. He was the eldest son of master shoemaker John Marlowe and Katherine Arthur. He was a brilliant student. During his time at Cambridge, Marlowe became part of Queen Elizabeth's secret service and carried out several secret missions for the Crown. After receiving his degree in July 1587.
The Decline of Roman Drama
Highly developed forms of tragedy and comedy only exist in ancient Greece and Rome. Tragedy and comedy both native to Greece and it flourished vigor. When the cristian church grew in power, opposition to the stage became a more effective thing.
Cycles of plays
Little plays which were written earlier were composed on the continent about the year 900. Plays or serious plays which were performed only one in a year. Three Of these sets of play cycles they are commonly called belonged to the cities of york wakefield and chester.
Mysterious plays
Mystery Plays apperted in the Middle Ages. During the twelfth century, it appeared because people didn't give interest to churchgoers in the typical church services and also their ignorance of the Latin language. This was a problematic thing. This problem prompted the elaboration of certain services. In the thirteenth century Mystery plays gained less support from religious figures because of their questionable religious values, they started to be performed in the vernacular and were starting to drift away from being performed in the church.
These are mysteries plays
Birth of Jesus
The Wise Men
Flight into Egypt
The Second Shepherd’s Play
There were many mystery plays written but one of the most widely known Mystery plays is 'The Second Shepherd’s Play', which puts three shepherds at the birth of Christ in Bethlehem.
Miracle plays
Miracle Plays are called Saint’s Plays, because they were plays dedicated to the lives of various saints. It was not written about Biblical events. They switched to the English language, became less and less religious, and performed in town festivals in the thirteenth century.
Most Miracle plays are performed about either St. Nicholas or the Virgin Mary. The plays about St. Mary regularly involves her in the role of “deus ex machina”.
Morality plays
Miracle Plays, also called Saint’s Plays, were plays dedicated to the lives of various saints, rather than Biblical events. Just like Mystery Plays the Miracle play originated to enhance the liturgical services, and were later separated from the church. They switched to the English language, became less and less religious, and performed in town festivals in the thirteenth century. Most Miracle plays are performed about either St. Nicholas or the Virgin Mary. The plays about St. Mary regularly involve her in the role of “deus ex machina”
Post Shakespearean Drama
Post shakespearean drama also considered as jacobean drama. It was decadent from the drama of Shakespeare and about his contemporaries. His age is considered a golden age because of some great writers. After shakespeare there were none of writer who can reach at writing style of shakespeare
Much of the work was composed during Shakespeare's lifetime. Drama works which were declined from the Shakespearean Standard we justify that kind of drama as post shakespearean drama.
There were many famous writers after Shakespeare who gave excellent works throughout their lifetime.
Ben jonson
He was born at westminster. He was educated at Westminster School. When Johnson was born his father died. He adopted the trade of his stepfather who was a master bricklayer. Johnson's numerous works, tragedies, , masques and lyrics are widely commented on literature and it shows the unity of aim in understanding his writing.
John sin was the first great English neoclassical. He was considered a conscious artist and reformer. According to him the chief function of literature was to instruct. His plays mostly divide into comedies and tragedies. His early comedies are
Every man in his Humor 1598
Every man out of his humor1599
Cynthia's revels 1600
The poetaster 1601
Francis Beaumont
He was born at Rye sussex. He may have been educated at Cambridge. He lives in London as a literary man. He died because of a plug in 1625.
Beaumont and Fletcher are excellent in their comedies, especially in the comedy of London life. They have the influence of great writers Shakespeare and Johnson. His typical comedies are A king and no king, The knight of the Burning pestle.
Francis Beaumont's first play was The blind beggar of alexandria was followed by many more, both comic and tragic.
John marston
He was born at coventry. He was educated there and oxford. He wants to become a literary figure in london. He was a member of the senecan school. He specialized in violent and melodramatic tragedies.
Thomas Dekker
Thomas Dekker was born in . In London his life was spent as a literary hack and playwright. His comedies get attention for his time. In his comedies it had sweetness, and also had an intimate knowledge of the common man. His plots are chaotic and his blank verse gives place to prose. He collaborates with many other writers.
Thomas middleton
He was born in London, he wrote much for his stage. In 1620 he was made city chronologist. He was considered the most literary of the dramatists of the age. His most powerful play which was much praised by people is `` The Changeling and others are WomeN beware Women, The witch.
Thomas Heywood
He was born in 1575 and graduated at cambridge. His best plays are A Woman killed with kindness, which contain some strong authentic scenes. His best plays are Royal.king and The Loyal Subject, The Captives.
John Webster
He was regarded as the best Shakespearean dramatist. His career falls into three parts. He produced two tragedies with Dekker, the first one is The white Devil and another one is The Duchess of Malfi.
Cyril Tourneur
His two plays The Revenger's Tragedy and The Atheist's Tragedy are melodramatic to the highest degree.
Prose and Verse
Prose and verse works mostly developed in Shakespearean time. He uses this to represent fashion physiological characters , chart relationships, and most important support plot developments, and even explore attitudes and ideas etc.
Shakespeare's mix prose and verse
In literature to mix prose and verse is an unusual thing. But this was common in Shakespeare and works of other dramatists of his age. Although we would probably expect a modern play to be written in prose, most English dramatists before Shakespeare were to write in rhyming verse.
Poetry was regarded as the most important literary form in that time, and prose was used for storytelling, such as chivalric romances and travelers’ tales. (The novel as we know it didn’t emerge until the 18th century). In English literature the use of prose alongside verse was something that happened at the end of the 16th century. Shakespeare's most of comedy is written in both forms like in verse and in prose, but his tragedy mostly written in verse form. the time when he wrote his later tragedies, he was using a lot of prose, 'Hamlet' was the best example of this thing.
Citation
Albert, Edward. History of English Literature. 5th ed., vol. 5 5, George G. Harrap & Co.Ltd., 1923.
Ballard, Kim. “Prose and Verse in Shakespeare's Plays.” British Library, 15 Mar. 2016, https://www.bl.uk/shakespeare/articles/prose-and-verse-in-shakespeares-plays.
"Elizabethan Drama ." Literary Movements for Students: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Literary Movements. . Encyclopedia.com. 27 Oct. 2022 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
Moody, William Vaughn, and Lovett, Robert Morss. A History of English Literature. United States, C. Scribner's sons, 1902.
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