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TRAGEDY (and Shakespeare’s Theatres)

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1 TRAGEDY (and Shakespeare’s Theatres)
This lecture addresses western drama only, and is intended as a general introduction to some basic themes and ideas Public Ritual and Spectacle Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

2 from … SCHOLES ROMANCE TRAGEDY COMEDY SATIRE
Schole’s is concerned with looking at the history of literature The idea of the ‘continuum’: history = realism, romance, fantasy These three categories are not mutually exclusive of one another but work as a kind of cyclic nature, each one feeding off of one another so that literature ends up overlapping these categories. Vertical axis: the nature of the world around us vs. Horizontal: which looks at the quality of that human experience in the world. Romance is the world as it ought to be: that is, beautiful, peaceful, Eden-like. Satire is the world as it actually is: flawed, imperfect, fallen. Comedy is the human experience where there is forgiveness and redemption as well as justice and fairness (i.e. land that is usurped is returned) Tragedy is the human experience where there exist excessive punishment or random punishment that doesn’t make any sense or follow any kind of justice TRAGEDY COMEDY SATIRE Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

3 THE GREEKS Drama’s roots in ancient religious festivals
Stories about the gods (ex: Dionysius) Theatre festival: full day event with critical audiences. Thesis (“Thespians”) wins play competition in 534 BCE Tragedy … from tragos = “goat” tragedy =“goat song” Dionysius as you may already know is the god of Wine and Spring. Later, stories are expanded to discuss the other gods as well. This information is based on information that is not entirely conclusive. That is, not much has survived. This is what we can gather regarding Thespis and the birth of drama. This is where we get our word “Thespian” which is used to refer to actors. Thespis writes this play in honour of Greek god Dionysius During these one day festivals audiences would stay in the theatre all day and offer a prize to the best play. They were very critical and made their feelings about play known. Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

4 THE GREEKS cont’d Only 3 speaking actors on stage at once
protagonist, deuteragonist, tritagonist 3 unities: time, place, action 24 hours 1 setting 1 plot: no comic relief or sub-plot Chorus reminds us that men do not have complete control Choryphaeus chorus leader who delivers lines of spoken verse on behalf of the chorus as a whole The chorus offers moral comment on the action taking place in the play but does not participate in the action of the play. There is no relief in Greek tragedy. The focus is entirely on the one story. Comic episodes were considered to be inappropriate for the tragic form. Later, of course, Shakespeare would break all these rules. Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

5 THE GREEKS Aristotle on tragedy
drama should “imitate nature” Hamartia: “To Miss the mark” (error due to judgement, ignorance, moral shortcoming, character trait) leads to Peripeteia (reversal of fortune/expectation) leads to Anagnorisis (moment of self recognition/knowledge/awareness – ie Johari Window) leads to Catharsis (audience purgation of emotions: “pity and fear”) Aristotle’s Poetics deals with these ideas at length. Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

6 THE GREEK STAGE Theatres (usually) situated on a hill (amphitheatre) outdoors Skene (“scene”)= 1-storey structure used to store costumes and for entrances/exits Scenes painted on the side Orchestra = Circular space (apprx 85 ‘ diameter) used as main acting space Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

7 THE GREEK STAGE Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

8 RENAISSANCE By the end of the 15th century, mystery and morality plays evolved into secular pieces presented at court Theatre now state-dominated. Context is the rise of nation states England, France, Spain emerging as nation states Plays still “moral” Religious virtue replaced by themes of loyalty to the government or a stable state Embryonic realism Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

9 ACTING COMPANIES Acting companies licensed by monarch
Chamberlain’s Men license granted to Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester in 1574 Others included The Admiral’s Men (to which Shakespeare probably belonged as early as December 1594) – worked in The Rose The King’s Men (1603 under James I) is assigned to the Globe Theatre and Shakespeare belonged to this company too as well as being a shareholder Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

10 RENAISSANCE THEATRES “The Theatre” (from Renaissance Vol.9#1,issue 35)
Started by James Burbage (also an actor) Leased land in 1576 in a suburb north of London Outside jurisdiction of city (avoids by-laws and taxes) Builds London’s first playhouse simply called The Theatre (he obviously needed marketing people) Used open air model (no roof) derived from Inn-yards Octagonal design based on design of bear-baiting pits Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

11 RENAISSANCE THEATRES “The Theatre” (from Renaissance Vol.9#1,issue 35)
Used “apron stage” which jutted out halfway into the open area and had wooden and thatched roof Audience on x3 sides Immediate success but Ministers railed against it So popular he opened a second one! (The Curtain) Enjoyed 10 year monopoly Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

12 RENAISSANCE THEATRES “The Rose”
Built 1585, completed 1587 by Philip Henslowe Was a tradesman (a dyer): when master died he married the widow and presto – instant $$ Invested on London south side in brothels and inns Built the Rose amidst brothels, taverns and bear-baiting pits Partnered with John Chomley – a grocer Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

13 THE ADMIRAL’S MEN Company founded by Edward Alleyn
Was partnered with Burbage at The Theatre for a while (the Lord Strange’s Men) but had a falling out In 1592 he joined Henslowe and the Rose theatre and brought an injection of capital into the theatre so it could expand Repertory included Marlowe's Doctor Faustus, Jew of Malta and Tamburlaine Kyd's Spanish Tragedy Shakespeare's Henry VI pt 1 and Titus Andronicus Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

14 RENAISSANCE THEATRES “The Swan” Opened by Francis Langley in 1595
Just west of the Rose theatre Used by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (incl. Shakespeare) But in 1597 the Swan closes b/c owner of land refused to renew the lease Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

15 RENAISSANCE THEATRES “The Globe”
Opened 1599, burned down 1613 & immediately rebuilt Octagonal or circular (more or less) Born of a business consortium between Burbage (Blackfriar’s Theatre) and the Lord Chamberlain’s men Southwark location chosen (near pubs and brothels) Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

16 RENAISSANCE THEATRES “The Globe”
Born of a business consortium between Burbage (Blackfriar’s Theatre) and the Lord Chamberlain’s men William Shakespeare, John Heminges, Augustine Phillips, Thomas Pope, William Kempe, Burbage, and the sons of Edward Alleyn (Cuthbert & Richard) Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

17 THE GLOBE “The Globe” (cont’d) Held 3000 patrons (Rose held 2400)
Contained open “heavens” but added trap door for hell Painted (decorated) with pics of the planets “Groundlings” paid a penny for admittance By 1600, the Lord Admiral’s men (the Rose) unable to compete & the move May 19, 1603 Chamberlain’s men become the “King’s Men” (under King James I) Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

18 SHAKESPEARE Burgeoning of public entertainment (spectacle)
Theatre Public executions Bear baiting William Shakespeare ( ) Other notable playwrights Thomas Kyd Christopher Marlowe Ben Johnson Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

19 RENAISSANCE TRAGEDY (Unnecessary) death of main character
Failed attempts to control conflict compound problems Society (ostensibly) reintegrated through grief Challenges the three unities Some moral purpose intended Disproportionate suffering/punishment Character is destiny Tragedy: generally ends with death of main character, learns that attempts to control conflict only compound problems and is thus, responsible for his situation (Lear, Hamlet, Macbeth) Both Shakespeare as well as his contemporaries appropriate different forms such as the mysteries and morality plays, classical drama and Italian comedia and used them for their own purposes. So that plays such as Othello draw on the form of morality plays. Othello becomes a character who is divided between Iago (dark angel) and Desdemona (good angel). Here Shakespeare discards the theological use of morality plays in order to look at the psychological make up of his protagonist. Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

20 RENAISSANCE COMEDY Starts with a world of order, moves to disintegration through conflict or misunderstanding Redemption Forgiveness Ends either in promise of marriage (never actual marriage) or appropriate punishment for the corrupt Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

21 THE RENAISSANCE STAGE Theatre design (intimacy) allowed actors to make subtle gestures (unlike the Greek amphitheatres) See Hamlet’s instructions to players Actors surrounded on 3 sides by audience Trap doors and upper stories allowed entrances from above/below as well as left/right and back/front Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

22 THE RENAISSANCE STAGE Fall / Winter 2018 - 2019
Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

23 THE GLOBE THEATRE Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

24 THE GLOBE THEATRE Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

25 THE GLOBE THEATRE Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

26 PROSCENIUM STAGE Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

27 PROSCENIUM STAGE Fall / Winter Peter Paolucci: EN 3535

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