I) The Early Period: 1590 to 1600

The early period shows

- his interest in a variety of Elizabethan traditions and

- his desire to experiment

(a) The early plays:

Sources: Latin tragedy (Seneca); Greek and Latin comedies; Italian and Spanish romances and comedies; English chronicles; contemporary English authors (Marlowe)

The early experiments:

- Titus Andronicus: a "blood and thunder" tragedy in Senecan style

- Henry VI (3 parts): chronicle play (already popular form of drama)

- Richard III: tragedy centred on a main villain (influenced by Marlowe)

- The Comedy of Errors: elaborates on the standard devices of Greek and Latin theatre

- The Taming of the Shrew: low romantic comedy, a humorous display of romantic love

- Romeo and Juliet: rather formal tragedy of unhappy lovers trapped by circumstances into death, it reflects on existence in a lyrical and declamatory way

VIII

Historical (chronological) sequence:

- the reign and deposition of Richard II

- the unquiet time of Henry IV

- the temporary military glory of Henry V in France (100 Years War)

- the disaster of the Lancasterians under Henry VI

- the short, violent rule of Richard III

- the accession of the new Tudor dynasty.

Structural sequence [grouping of S’s plays according to their elaboration]:

- Two sequences of 4 plays:

3 Henry VI and Richard III

Richard II and 2 Henry IV and Henry V

apart from this sequence: King John - different; Henry VIII (unfinished)

Main characteristics:

Through his gallery of monarchs, making use of elements of morality plays, S. tries

- to offer his view on the ideal king and

- to propose a Tudor myth meant to support the dynasty

- In following the historical dimension Shakespeare is always primarily interested in the human condition:

- "Shakespeare requires Romans or Kings, but he thinks only on men" (S. Johnson)

Richard II :

- more complex than RIII, deliberately ritualistic

- suggests the Elizabethan view on the Middle Ages

- the deposition of R II is thought of in modern terms, in a combination of awe, mystery and pathos

- the royal status is poetized

R: a more elaborate character: childish and self-indulgent, incapable of asserting his authority

Henry IV (2 parts)

- shows the struggle of the English to control the state during the early modern age

- alternate forms of heroic and non-heroic egotism

Henry V

- concludes the historical series

- the main character, once a witty and aloof prince has become the model for a conquering prince

- is a eulogy of the Renaissance prince

King John

- stands apart in the chronicle series

- is marked by structural deficiencies

- adopts a moderate anti-Catholic tone

- the limits of the chronicle play are challenged by a lively approach

C) The comedies

Sources:

- S. gradually learns to handle with assurance different elements deriving from Greek, Latin and English comedy, which he mixes with elements of Italian and Spanish pastoral romance

Main characteristics:

Classification of comedies:

(i) The low romantic comedies

The Comedy of Errors (see above)

The Taming of the Shrew (see above)

(ii) The high romantic comedies

Two Gentlemen of Verona

Loves' Labours Lost

A Midsummer Night's Dream

The Merchant of Venice

(iii) The golden comedies

Much Ado about Nothing

As You Like It

Twelfth Night

The comedies

- make use of stories of love intrigue

- appeal to a mystique of friendship that opposes heterosexual love

- employ qui pro quo (mistaken identity), the heroine is often disguised as a boy

- occasionally they resort to elements of fairy-tale

- language is extremely complex, dialogues are real verbal fireworks

- masques (allegorical forms of play within the play) are also used

The golden comedies

- several plots (and subplots) which interlock and reinforce each other emotionally

- the comic aspect is complemented by serious, often rather pessimistic statements on life in general

- the fool (jester) acquires a different role, which is transforms him from a mere jester into a philosopher

RENAISSANCE LITERATURE IN ENGLAND [3]

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE [2]

(ii) The Main Period (1598-1611)

Date: 2015-12-18; view: 872