William Shakespeare - Humanities-Ebooks

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Part 1. Approaching Shakespeare 1.1 A Man of the Jacobethan Theatre The basic facts of William Shakespeare’s life—birth in 1564, education at Stratford Grammar, marriage to Anne Hathaway (1556–1623), children, work, death in 1616— are perfectly clear and without serious doubt ►; but detail of any kind is almost nonexistent, and what there is is dubious or unhelpful. For a man born in the mid-sixteenth century this is already a notably full record—Shakespeare has attracted millions of hours of research, and Early Modern English records are better than most—but there is, blazingly, one thing more: that Shakespeare’s central passion, occupation, art, and craft was the Jacobethan theatre, dominantly the public amphitheatres. As actor, sharer, and resident dramatist of the Lord Chamberlain’s / King’s Men he was a major player in a particular emergent art, craft, and trade about which much is known and more can be inferred. A basic problem in imagining the Jacobethan theatre is that the closure of all English theatres from 1642–60 severed professional continuity; theatres built after 1660 were strongly influenced by continental European models dominated by perspectival scenery—quite different from the London amphitheatres of Shakespeare’s day. All older English plays struggled after 1660, losing as much as gaining in being forcibly adapted for and into the new theatre—a change bluntly recorded in the shift from going, as Elizabethans did, to hear a play, as auditors in an audience, to going (as we still do) to see a play, as spectators of something we hope will be spectacular. Susanna, 1583–1649; fraternal twins Hamnet, 1585–96, and Judith, 1585–1662. ‘Jacobethan’: a portmanteau of Elizabethan (in the reign of Elizabeth I, 1558–1603) and Jacobean (James VI & I, 1603–25), used because Shakespeare’s working life straddles the reigns. ‘Sharer’: Like partners in a modern professional practice, sharers invested a substantial sum to buy their share, entitling them to a percentage of net receipts. There were eight sharers in Shakespeare’s company who probably played larger roles in most plays, while minor ones were played by hired men. ‘Lord Chamberlain’s’ / ‘King’s Men’: Under Elizabeth, the official patron of the company to which Shakespeare belonged was from 1594 the Lord Chamberlain, so they were the ‘Lord Chamberlain’s Men’; after 1603 King James assumed that role himself, so the company became the ‘King’s Men’.
Hamlet 11 So there has since 1660 been a particular sensory and intellectual gap, and to meet Shakespeare on his own ground (where he makes fullest, most immediate sense) modern readers must be aware of auditing as well as spectating, and of the theatreworld that supported Shakespeare’s full, passionate, and successful career. Perhaps the most obvious thing about that theatre-world is its energy. London was buzzing, and throughout Shakespeare’s career (c.1590–1613) remained the largest, most innovative city in Europe. Trade, war, expansion, investment—and new ways of investing—were powerful drivers. England as a whole had also forcibly stopped an activity that had long been important, and the impulses it had satisfied needed a new outlet. Under Roman Catholicism theatre was sacred: mystery cycles were performed in public procession at their time in the liturgical round, while morality plays taught doctrine and miracle plays celebrated exemplary lives. Many people acted and very many more audited, so when Henry VIII broke with Rome in 1533 he couldn’t simply suppress traditions of sacred performance—but the Catholic doctrine and faith they celebrated could only be a problem for an Anglican monarch, so the weight slowly came on, and there is no known English performance of a complete cycle after Coventry in 1574. That date should give pause, for the mystery cycles and morality plays are often firmly labelled as mediaeval, as they are in origin—but they were performed into Shakespeare’s lifetime, and he certainly knew about them. Just as importantly, many people he spoke to, worked with, and wrote for were also familiar with the cycles and their performance: but in 1575 the cycles were no more, and theatre will out. The man with the good timing, right idea, and persuasive tongue was James Burbage (d.1597), and the idea he had was in all fundamentals the modern theatre. What may most surprise is just how original an idea it was. Greek theatre, like the mystery cycles, was sacred and classical amphitheatres part of temple-complexes, while Roman theatre was mostly political, usually a poor relation of gladiatorial sports, and always a matter of direct patronage and official subsidy. Travelling players in the middle ages have left no trace of any permanent stages, so what Burbage wanted in 1576 was radical: a large, purpose-built structure owned and run by professional actors, to be funded through commercial performances. Preconditions for such a venture include a sufficiently large and wealthy catchment area, a workable design for the building, a pool of (would-be) actors, writers able to The ‘porter’ scene in Macbeth (2.3) is based on the ‘Harrowing of Hell’ in the mystery cycles, when ‘devil-porters’ are disturbed by Jesus hammering on the gates—but the specificity of this well-known example tends to mask rather than emblematise the far wider and deeper connection between the ‘mysteries and moralities (d.1574)’ and the ‘Shakespearean Stage (b.1576)’.
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Page 3 and 4: William Shakespeare: Hamlet John Le
Page 5 and 6: Contents A Note on the Author Prefa
Page 7 and 8: Preface Like much in the modern wor
Page 9: Hamlet Acts and scenes in the Arde
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