The Elizabethan theater It is the set of dramatic works written and presented between the 16th and 17th centuries (specifically between the years 1578 and 1642) in England. It is directly associated with the reign of Elizabeth I because her mandate provided the basis for the emergence of this great theatrical era.
This is how positive the government of Elizabeth I was that, despite her death in 1603 and other monarchs having ruled after her, that period of art was crowned with her name. The Elizabethan theater marked a milestone in the art of European stage.
It should be noted that just as Elizabeth I left her mark on that momentous period of the theater, history rewarded her with reigning during the birth and formation of one of the greatest men in the history of letters: William Shakespeare. In fact, to speak of Elizabethan theater is to speak of the works of William Shakespeare.
The economic and social tranquility that the reign of Elizabeth I managed to give was the fertile field that gave way to the greatest cultural growth that England had seen up to that time. We can say that Shakespeare was the product of ingenuity and the gentle hand of providence.
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The origin of the Elizabethan theater was marked by major historical events. He had to receive the English Renaissance and be an active part of it after England freed itself from the yoke of the papacy and the Holy Roman Empire after defeating the invincible army of Philip II of Spain in 1588..
The conditions were perfectly set, coupled with the great scientific and technological advances achieved by the Copernican revolution. All the needs of the population were satisfied, art had the ground ready to unfold as it pleased.
With the liberation of the Roman and papal yoke, humanism also made its way through England, representing a fundamental pillar for the creation of theatrical texts by the playwrights of the time..
The entry of humanism was of great significance for the theater. The writers were emancipated, with the possibility of speaking what they wanted in the religious sphere without their heads being in danger of rolling on the floor, or their bodies hanging in front of the crowds..
Mycenaean labor played a crucial role in the growth and maintenance of the great theater companies. The directors and playwrights, in exchange for the favors of the patrons (who were the economic fund of the theater itself), praised them on stage through the plays and characters.
Trades related to theatrical life were revalued. The actors were dignified, coming to show great appreciation of the public and respect during the time. This situation had not even been thought of in the first half of the 16th century, given so many prevailing problems.
The Elizabethan theater enjoyed a luck never before seen in the world of the stage: it developed in the perfect time, in the right place and with the right people.
All the conditions and circumstances mentioned above allowed it to organize itself as a feasible and fruitful commercial activity that changed the lives of those who worked in the show, also reaching that of the common citizen, who found in the theater the perfect place to recreate.
Among the main authors of Elizabethan theater there are two highly representative authors: William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe.
He is considered the most important English-speaking writer, and one of the most famous writers of mankind. He worked on poetry and dramaturgy, having a masterful command of both.
His plays themselves are considered the heart of Elizabethan theater. His scattered ideas about the text revolutionized the world of Anglo-Saxon letters, capturing applause on every stage where his dramas were presented..
His poetry and his pen in general have transcended like that of no other English. The prophecy of his contemporary, Ben Jonson, who asserted that Shakespeare did not belong to an age, but was part of eternity, was fulfilled in him..
Not in vain his literary work is the most read worldwide, and his dramas are the most staged by the theater companies of each continent..
He was not only a playwright and poet, but also an English translator. His accelerated passage through life deeply touched the Elizabethan theater. His literary work carried such weight that he was considered Shakespeare's predecessor.
At the age of 20 he obtained his Bachelor of Arts at Corpus Cristi College and then continued his studies at the University of Cambridge.
Something interesting happened to him in 1687, when the university decided to deny him his degree due to rumors that ran about his religious tendency: it was said that he had returned to Catholicism.
After a pronouncement by the queen where she praised the poet for the favors received, the university authorities were forced to give him the title.
It is said that his death was faked to evade the law in the face of problems that he presented. There is even talk that he was involved in a murder.
So strong are the rumors of his false death that the so-called Marlowe Theory was created. His lyrics are said to flood the later plays of Shakespeare, which was his inspired hand hidden behind the success..
The truth is that Marlowe's literary work has nothing to envy that of Shakespeare. His plots, highlighting English history and mythology around the cultures of the Mediterranean, denoted great wisdom.
Work of William Shakespeare. It masterfully narrates how the reign of Elizabeth I magnificently took advantage of the economic boom of the time, dodging adversity, to give England a place in dramaturgy and universal human history.
Without a doubt, one of the tragedies of the most representative art of dramaturgy in the world. William Shakespeare masterfully depicted the serious consequences that the ambition of power of their rulers brings on the peoples.
It is a universal plot that transcends time and crudely shows us the dark side of man. It reminds us of what we cannot hide, the things that we must necessarily learn to grow as a society.
This work by Christopher Marlowe brings us to the stage the story of the life of Faust, a man who sells his soul to the devil to achieve fame and fortune.
The eternal struggle between the material and the spiritual is openly shown. The final results are always dire, they always confront us with a great reality. Do you really want to meet a man? So give it power.
It is the story of the Carthaginian queen, the founder of Carthage. This work has a fairly strong historical mythological weight. Manages to entrap The Iliad with The odyssey Y The Aeneid, three of the most representative works of Greco-Roman culture.
That Marlowe stepped into these thick waters and brought us such a well-crafted tragedy is of great merit. Whoever sees him in the tables is obliged to nourish himself to understand him completely. The work itself does not stop touching the fibers.
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