General Information Of The Plays

GENERAL INFORMATION OF THE PLAYS/PERIOD PLAY 1)

EVERYMAN (Anonimous)

WRITTEN IN 1495 +/-

GENDER

Morality play Theory

PERIOD

AGE

Medieval MEDIEVAL st Under 1 Tudor 10th-16th C Henry VII (1485-1509) TUDOR 1485-

1603 Source: Translation from Flemish play Elckerlijk (1495), though may be the other way round. Characters: Everyman, Good deeds, Death. Plot: Everyman is informed by Death of his approaching end. The play shows the hero’s progression from despair and fear to a “Christian resignation that is the prelude to redemption”. First, Everyman is deserted by his false friends (his casual companions, his kin, and his wealth). He falls back on his Good Deeds, his Strength, his Beauty, his Intelligence and his Knowledge. These assist him in making his Book of Accounts, but at the end, when he must go to the grave, all desert him save his Good Deeds alone. The play makes its grim point that we can take with us from this world nothing that we have received. Only what he have given. At the end a Doctor explains the moral of the play, which is that only good things are important, and also confession and renounce. Themes: Not just the inner struggle of a person with good and evil / vice and virtue (Psychomachia), but the life of a person who has to think about what he has done through his life (Dance of Death). The object is ethical, the cultivation of the Christian character, not to teach to reinforce the truths of the Catholic faith. 2)

SPANISH TRAGEDY (Thomas Kid)

Source: history. Characters: Plot:

Themes: Motifs:

1580’s Late

Tragedy Elizabethan (I) Theory +/-1st Master piece Created “Revenge tragedy”1558-1603

Tudor 1485-1603

Roman Seneca’s blood soaked plays, Underworld from Virgil’s “Aeneid”. English Hieronimo, Bel-Imperia, Lorenzo, Balthazar, Horatio, Andrea/Revenge, Isabella, The King of Spain, The Viceroy… Ghost of Andrea, which was killed for his relation with Bel-Imperia, seeks revenge. Horatio captures his killer, Balthazar, aided by Lorenzo. Horatio is also killed for his love for Bel-Imperia, in a plot planned by nobles Lorenzo, Balthazar and servants Pedringano and Serberine. This occurs because Balthazar is also in love for Bel-Imperia. Hieronimo, knows about his son’s death and seeks for revenge. Lorenzo erases all evidence (Pedringano) of Horatio’s murder in a Machiavellian way. Balthazar and Bel-Imperia join in a diplomatic marriage between Spanish and Portuguese Crowns (King of SpainDuke of Castile-Viceroy), and Hieronimo devices a play(play-within-the-play), a tragedy, to entertain the court during the celebration, in which again in a Machiavellian way Hieronimo lures Lorenzo and Balthazar to play and kill unconsciously each other, along whit Bel-Imperia, who kills herself. Had achieved revenge, Hieronimo also kills himself. At the end, Andrea judges all the characters good/evil-heaven/hell. Revenge and Justice, Love and Memory, Fortune, Appearance vs. Reality. The Classical World vs. the Christian World, Madness, Machiavellianism, Antithesis & Irony, the Meta-Theatre.

Symbols:

3)

RICHARD III (W. Shakespeare) Source: Characters: Plot:

Themes: Motifs: Symbols: 4)

1592-93 +/-

Historical play Elizabethan (I) Tudor 1st Series 1558-1603 1485-1603 (Henry VI, 1-2-3+RIII) Thomas More’s “History of Richard III”, 1513. English history. The play is set on 1485, though the actual historical events took place over a much longer period of time (1471-1485). RIII (Duke of Gloucester), Edward IV, The Princes, Clarence, Margaret, Queen Elizabeth, Buckingham, Anne, Young Elizabeth, Edmund Tudor (Richmond)… Edward IV is ill and his power-hungry younger brother, the Duke of Gloucester, gets rid of all the successors to the throne (Clarence, Princes and nobles Rivers, Vaughn, Grey) aided by Buckingham, Hastings and Tyrrel, and seduces Lady Anne (Edward, Prince of Wales’ widow). Everything is performed in a Machiavellian way. Once Richard III is aware of Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond’s threat, he kills Anne and tries to seduce young Elizabeth, Edward IV-Elizabeth’s daughter, his niece, who in time marries Richmond, joining the houses of Lancaster-York. In the war at Bosworth Field, Richard III is killed and Richmond is crowned King Henry VII. The War of the Roses capitulates. The Allure of Evil, the Connection between the rulers and the State, the Birth of the Tudor Dynasty. The Supernatural, Dreams. The Boar.

EDWARD II (Christopher Marlowe) 1594 Source: Characters: Plot:

Themes:

5)

The Bloody Handkerchief.

Tragedy Elizabethan (I) History/Medieval Drama1558-1603

Tudor 1485-1603

Raphael Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland, 1587 King Edward II, Piers de Gavestone, Mortimer the Elder, Isabella, Edmund (Earl of Kent), Edward III. King Edward II is in love to Gavestone, who wants to take advantage of the king, and risks both him and the state for this love. Isabella (E II’s wife) and Mortimer (seems to defend England, though his trying to gain power) planned to kill both. Edmund, Earl of Kent, is dubious about the side he supports. He finally dies trying to defend the King. Only at the end E II realizes that the Crown was more important than his love. This leads him to a tragically end. The Fall of the King because of Infatuation for Gavestone, the Fall of the High Class people (Edward, Gavestone, Mortimer), Tragic history because of ambition of power, the Conflict between the King and the People surrounding him, Rebellion, Tyranny, Homosexuality.

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE (W. Shakespeare) 1597-98 +/-

Comedy

Elizabethan (I) 1558-1603

Tudor 1485-1603

Source:

Italian Renaissance contemporary story collection characters (Merchant, Poor Suitor, Fair Lady, Villainous Jew). NEW: Shylock, Portia (Shak.’s 1st great heroine) Characters: Antonio, Shylock, Bassanio, Portia, Nerissa, Graciano, Jessica, Plot: 1st: Antonio, the Merchant, compromises himself to a Jewish (Shylock) as bailsman of a loan of money, which is borrowed to Bassanio to court the beautiful Portia. Once Antonio loses his fortune abroad, he cannot afford the loan in the arranged date and therefore he must pay a pound of his own flesh in court. Beautiful Portia disguised as a young lawyer gains the case by arguing that Shylock has the right of a pound of Antonio’s flesh, though he cannot spill a single drop of his blood by doing it. Shylock not only loses his right and all his goods by law, but also his Jewish dignity, when he is forced to convert to Christianity. 2nd: Portia is symbolically imprisoned under her father’s dying wishes, in which any pretender will have to choose one out of three caskets (gold, silver, lead), and hit the right one to gain Portia’s hand. Bassanio is the one who risking all he has, which it is a great debt to Antonio, finds the correct one and marries Portia. Themes: Self-interest vs. Love, the Divine quality of Mercy, Hatred as a Cyclical Phenomenon. Motifs: The Law, Cross-dressing, Filial Piety. Symbols: The Three Caskets, the Pound of Flesh, Leah’s Ring. 6)

THE SHOEMAKER’S HOLIDAY (Thomas Dekker) 1599/1600

Source: Characters: Plot:

Themes: 7)

Characters:

Tudor 1485-1603

Thomas Deloney’s “The Gentle Craft” Simon Eyre, Margery, Hodge, Firk, Unsophisticated Cobblers, Ralph Damport, Jane, Hammon, Roland Lazy (Dutch shoemaker), Rose Oatley. 1st: Entrepreneur Symon Eyre illegally purchases a valuable merchandise (clever deception), which with hard work and magnificent luck, ascends to the position of Lord Mayor of London. 2nd: two romantic sub-plots: love lost and then found. Ralph Damport, who is sent of to war when he comes back he find his wife (Jane), who though he was dead and changed her address to other, was being courted by Hammon (unscrupulous gentleman). Ralph recognizes Jane’s sandal when working as a shoemaker. // Roland Lacy, disguises himself as a Dutch shoemaker so he can avoid going to war and instead court Rose Oatley, whom he is in love against his father’s wishes. Virtue over social status, industry over aristocracy (working class triumph), love over law, Late 16th C London, Capitalism, commercialism and middle class (industrial guilds).

KING LEAR (W. Shakespeare) Source:

Comedy Elizabethan (I) 1st e.g. Jacobean 1558-1603 City Comedy/Domestic Comedy

1604-05 +/-

Tragedy

Jacobean (I) 1603-1625

STUART 1603/1714

Real events: Sir Brian Annesley’s eldest of three sisters declared him insane to take control of his property. His youngest daughter Cordell, successfully defended her father. William Allen, a Mayor of London, was treated very poorly by his three daughters after dividing his wealth among them. King Lear, Cordelia, Goneril, Regan, King of France, Albany, Cornwall, Gloucester, Edmund, Edgar (“Poor Tom”), Elderly Kent (Caius), Fool.

Plot:

Themes: Motifs: Symbols: 8)

VOLPONE (Ben Jonson)

Source: Characters: Plot:

Themes: Motifs: Symbols: 9)

1st: Lear divides his Kingdom among his three daughters after a loving test. Goneril and Regan inherit the country with flattering answers, whereas Cordelia is banished and exiled from England for saying that she has no words to describe how much she loves her father. She marries King of France. Goneril and Regan undermine the little authority that Lear remains who watching his daughters’ betrayal, he goes insane and wanders on a heath during a thunderstorm accompanied by his Fool and Kent, a loyal nobleman in disguise who supports Lear even after being banished. He is led to Dover. Edmund appears romantically entangled with both Cordelia and Regan, whose husband Albany is increasingly sympathetic to Lear’s cause. Goneril and Edmund conspire against Albany. In Dover, an army led by Cordelia tries to save her father. However English led by Edmund defeat Cordelia-led French. Lear and Cordelia are captured. Edgar duels with and kills Edmund; Goneril poisons Regan out of jealousy over Edmund and kills herself when her treachery against Albany is revealed. Cordelia is needlessly executed in prison and Lear finally dies out of grief at Cordelia’s passing. Albany, Edgar, and the Elderly Kent are left to take care of the country under a cloud of sorrow and regret. 2nd: Gloucester’s illegitimate son Edmund tricks him into believing that his legitimate son, Edgar, is trying to kill him. Edgar disguises himself as a crazy beggar “Poor Tom”. Gloucester tries to help Lear and Regan, Goneril and Cornwall blind Gloucester, and turn him to wander the countryside as well as Lear. He is helped by Edgar disguised. Justice, Authority vs. Chaos, Reconciliation, love and forgiveness, Redemption. Madness, Betrayal. The Storm, Blindness. 1606

Comedy Jacobean (I) Stuart Tragic undertones 1603-1625 1603/1714 City Comedy

One possible is Roman Petronius’ “Satyricon”. Volpone, Mosca, Celia, Voltore, Corvino, Corbaccio, Bonarion, Sir Politic-Would-Be, Lady Politic-Would-Be, Peregrine. 1st: Volpone has amassed his fortune through some years in dishonest means, he is a con artist. He has been attracting three legacy hunters: Voltore (vulture), Corvino (crow) and Corbaccio (raven). They are interested in his inheritance. He is pretending to be very ill, so each legacy hunter lavishes gifts on him, in the hope that Volpone, out of gratitude, will make him his heir. 2nd: Does not follow the typical sub-plot criticism of the main plot. There is a great separation between both of them in order to give a rest for the audience. It is related to Sir Politic and his wife and Peregrine. Sir Politic represents the danger of moral corruption that English travellers face when they go abroad to the continent, specially to Italy. Greed, the Power of Stagecraft, Parasitism, Money over Love (Celia). The Sacred and the Profane, Disguise, Deception and Truth, and “Gulling”. Venice, Animalia

THE TEMPEST (W. Shakespeare)

1610-11 +/-

Comedy Jacobean (I) Drama/Romance 1603-1625

Stuart 1603/1714

Source: Characters: Plot:

Themes: Motifs: Symbols: 10)

Ovid’s Metamorphosis, Virgil’s Aeneid, Michael Montaigne’s assay Of The Cannibals and William Strachey’s letter …Experiences of a shipwreck survivor…1609. Prospero, Miranda, Caliban, Ariel, Fedinand, Alonso (King of Naples), Antonio (Prospero’s brother) Sebastian (Alonso’s brother), Gonzalo, Trinculo & Stefano, Botswain. 1st: Prospero tells his daughter Miranda about how his kingdom was usurped, while studying magic, by his brother Antonio and Alonso (King of Naples), who supported him. With the Help of Gonzalo, honest lord, they escaped and survived in that island. He crates a storm with his magic and causes the shipwreck in which Alonso, Antonio, Ferdinand, Sebastian, Trinculo and Stefano travel. In the island Prospero is helped by Ariel, a powerful supernatural invisible being, who will be a servant until Prospero releases him. There is also Caliban the only native of the island, son of Syncorax, whose kingdom, the island, is parallel usurped by Prospero. Caliban, in turn, will try to regain his kingdom from Prospero in the 2nd PLOT. Prospero, provokes with a spill Ferdinand and Miranda’s love, and Ferdinand becomes his servant. He will use this union to regain his kingdom, which he achieves in one day, and everyone spend that last night in the island feasting. Prospero reconciles with Alonso; Alonso finds Ferdinand is alive; Ariel is freed; Prospero wins back his Dukedom from Antonio; Caliban apologizes for taking the foolish Stephano as his master. The Illusion of Justice, the Allure of Ruling a Colony. Masters and Servants, Water and Drowning, Mysterious noises. The Tempest, the Game of Chess, Prospero’s Books.

THE COUNTRY WIFE (William Wycherley) +/- 1674 Source: Characters: Plot:

Themes:

Comedy Carolean (II) Stuart Comedy of Manners 1649/60-1685 1603/1714 Masterpiece Restoration Comedy 1660-1700 Several plays by Molière, though with colloquial prose dialogue fast-paced plot tangle, and many sex jokes, instead of verse. Horner, Margery Pinchwife(Country wife), Jack Pinchwife, Alithea, Harcourt, Dorilant, Lucy, Sparkish, Sir Jasper, The Virtue Gang (Lady Fidget, Mrs. Dainty Fidget, Mrs. Squeamish). 1st: A rake’s trick of pretending impotence in order to safely have clandestine affairs with married women. 2nd: The arrival in London of an inexperienced young “country wife”, with her discovery of the joys of the town life, specially the fascinatinf London men. Mercenary and Loveless Marriages vs. Anachronistic Notion of Free Love, Unconsciousness (Sparkish) vs. Self-consciousness(Jack Pinchwife), London Life