Or swan's down ever? Or have smelt of the bud of the brier, Or have tasted the bag of the bee? O so white! O so soft! O so sweet is she! To Celia Drink to me only with thine eyes, And I'll not look for wine. The thirst that from the soul doth rise, But might I of Jove's nectar sup, I sent thee late a rosy wreath, But thou thereon did'st only breathe, Since when it grows, and smells, I swear, Theaters It is difficult for us to understand in these days when theaters are palaces and the scenic possibilities are seemingly without limit, how in the rude theaters of the Elizabethan period there could be such dramatic triumphs, or how there could have been the inspiration to write for production under such unfavorable conditions. The first theater on English ground was put up in 1576 and was known as The Theater, while The Globe with which Shakespeare's name is so closely associated was not erected till 1593. The early theaters were rude inclosures, roofless except that the stage was covered and offering no seats to those who remained on the ground floor. In fact the floor was often the ground and the less favored part of the audience, standing, crowded the pit, and might well be called "groundlings." Admission to this part of the house was about one penny, but around the sides of the theater were more comfortable boxes where wealthier people could obtain seats for a couple of shillings. There was little or no scenery and a board marked "Dunsinane" might be all there was to localize Macbeth's castle. The costumes, however, were showy and elaborate, and the acting sincere and excellent, even by the young men who played the female characters. The plays began about three in the afternoon and continued to their close unless a heavy shower of rain sent the spectators scurrying home, or an excited audience, dissatisfied with the histrionic efforts, mobbed the players. When one now reads the plays and poetry of that age he wonders at the obscenity of the language and the hideous vulgarity of many of the plots. There is some excuse for this as the customs of the day warranted a license that would not be tolerated now. Fortunately, those things so offensive to our more refined modern taste are rarely vital and may be discarded without injury to the drama or the poem. Beaumont and Two writers, usually classified with Fletcher those of the Puritan Age, partake so largely of Elizabethan characteristics that they are mentioned here. These two men, neither of whom was married, lived together in closest intimacy, sharing the same room and even holding their wardrobe in common. Their work was done together and it is impossible now to tell what portion each contributed. But John Fletcher (15791625) was five years older than Francis Beaumont (1584-1616) and lived nine years after the death of his friend. During this latter period he wrote many plays and by the comparison of these with the dramas written by the two, critics have felt able to ascribe to Beaumont the more tragic and noble parts, while to Fletcher they give the credit for the gaiety and humor. Still no separation can be complete, and their names are commonly spoken together and their plays known as the work of one, Beaumont and Fletcher. It was a curious literary partnership resulting in the production of many plays full of noble sentiment and tender pathos, varied by comic situations and witty conversation, but soiled for the modern reader by the prevalent vulgarity of the age. Other dramatists succeeded in writing plays of merit but after Shakespeare there was a rapid decline and soon the Puritans closed the theaters and there was no further call for dramatic composition. After the Restoration the drama was revived and writers grew famous for a time; but with the complete passing of Elizabethan influences dramatic productions ceased to be an important factor in our literature. Studies 1. What great dramas have you seen upon the stage? Have you read them since you saw them acted? 2. What are the "Greek unities "? 3. Why did Puritan writers try to blacken the character of Christopher Marlowe ? 4. In the selection from Doctor Faustus what figure is used in the words "Fair nature's eyes", in "time runs", in "Mountains and hills come, come and fall on me", in "like a foggy mist"? Who was Pythagoras? What is metempsychosis? 5. What do we know of Shakespeare's early life? Was there anything in it to prepare him to write as he did? Did his life in London directly contribute to his playwriting? Is there anything in Macbeth that indicates the manners and customs of the time at which it was written? Does Macbeth call for much scenery? Compare the humor of Much Ado About Nothing with that in other plays. Which depends most upon funny situations, which upon amusing dialogue, which upon absurd or laughable characters ? 6. Name the Elizabethan dramatists in order of time, in order of rank. Why are Beaumont and Fletcher included with them? 7. What are the chief characteristics of the Elizabethan Age? In what does it excel all others? What reasons can you see for such excellence? |