The Renaissance: Rebirth and Rediscovery

The Renaissance

• The Renaissance was a period of "rebirth" lasting from the 14th to the 17th century
• This was a transition from the medieval era

Key Ideas of the Renaissance

• A rediscovery of ancient classics and culture occurred
• Italy first adopted Renaissance ideas, influenced by the 4th Crusade, the Fall of Constantinople, and the printing press invention
• The 4th Crusade (1201-1204) weakened the Byzantine empire
• 1453: The fall of Constantinople split the West and East, transferring classical knowledge to the West for intellectual growth
• Latin and Greek manuscripts were rescued and brought to the Western Empire after Constantinople fell
• Wealthy families, including the Medici family, bought these manuscripts and became patrons, inviting professors and scholars to study them
• This sparked a revival in classical learning
• Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press (1440), speeding up information dissemination and giving access to ancient texts
• This contributed to humanism's expansion, truly impacting the Renaissance

Humanism and Cultural Shift

• There was a move away from the idea that God is the center of everything
• There was now the idea that man is the measure of all things, giving rise to humanism
• Religion remained important but no longer central
• Increased trade led to funneling wealth into art and culture

Renaissance Figures and Families

• The Medici family of Florence were patrons of the arts
• Pope Nicholas V founded the Vatican Museum and supported the arts

Science and Philosophy

• Galileo Galilei and Da Vinci made advancements
• Da Vinci’s Vitruvian man explores human proportions concerning nature
• History, observation, and perspective study expanded

Technological Advances

• Johannes Gutenberg's printing press enhanced communication and accelerated information distribution

Renaissance Theatre

• Greek and Roman plays were available due to Classical texts, however, performing them was a challenge
• Stage directions were unclear, so help was sought from painters and artists
• Musicians helped to understand the chorus

Renaissance Theatre Developments

• Two important theatre developments occurred
• Commedia Erudita: performed by academies, amateur, based on classical tests
• Commedia dell’Arte: publically popular performed on streets with stock characters, improvised middle, with an established beginning and end but faced disapproval
• Both were influenced by Roman and Greek theatre traditions
• Theatre academies were established due to renewed the Classics interest, teaching Italian language and philosophical concepts
• Drama was used as an educational tool
• Academia Olimpica di Vicenza serves as a notable example

Ideal Theatre in Italy

• Italy sought the ideal theatre, placing it centrally in the ideal city
• "De Architectura" (1468) by Vitruvius influenced theatre architecture
• Key points included more elaborate facades
• The city center would house a theatre, possibly refurbished if another building was present

Italian Renaissance Theatre

• Italian theatres moved indoors, using candles and oil lamps, which posed fire risks
• Unlike the Globe in England, Italian theatres needed artificial lighting
• Sebastiano Serlio wrote about theatre sets and scene changes
• Teatro Olimpico Di Vicenza (1580) was the first Renaissance theatre in Italy, commissioned by the Academia Olimpica di Vicenza, and designed by Andre Palladio and Vincenzo Scamozzi
• Another famous theatre is Theatre of Sabbionetta (1588) which had the first proscenium arch and designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi

Important Theatre Architects

• Sebastiano Serlio (1474-1554) published "Architectura" in 1537
• Serilio's book covered Greek and Roman architectural interpretations, theatre construction plans, and scene change designs
• Serilio designed sets: tragedies used square designs with palaces, comedies used ordinary houses and satires used natural settings
• Nicola Sabbatini (1574-1654) wrote “Pratica di fabricar scene e mechine ne teatri"
• The book covered 3 scenery change systems where Peraktoi used rotating triangular panels and angled wings moved in and out

Additional Theatre Mechanisms and Figures

• Flat wings are another variety of the type of mechanism used for scene changes
• Giacomo Torelli (1609-1678) came up with the Chariot and Pole System

Theatrical Performances

• Theatrical performances occurred in two contexts
• Commedia Erudita: academies performed it for educational reasons, with amateurs' help
• Commedia Del’Arte: performed by lower classes in the streets, with improvisation leading to mockery, and stock characters
• Performers were prosecuted for mocking upper classes, and trained to focus on acting
• Intermezzi and Opera developed during the Italian Renaissance

Intermezzi and Operas

• Intermezzi were performed between play parts but evolved to have a common plot, including singers, musicians and artists
• Operas came from Camerata Fiorentina’s experiment who explored music and ancient texts, storytelling through song
• The printing press helped spread opera which was class-based
• There are no opera play records

Dramatic Forms

• Tragedy, comedy, and pastoral plays arose
• Pastoral plays were inspired by satyr plays, focusing on nature themes and were popular with aristocracy
• Examples include Aminta by Torquato Tasso (1573) and II Pastor Fido by Giovanni Battista Guarini

Playwrights During the Italian Renaissance

• Ludovico Ariosto is known for Orlando Furioso
• Cardinal Bernardo Dovizci da Bubbiena for La Calandria
• Gian Giorgio Trissino for Sofonsiba
• Giovanni Battista Giralidi (Cintio) for Orbecche
• Niccolò Machiavelli for La Mandragola

Ariosto, Dovizci, and Trissino

• Ariosto: wrote Orlando Furioso, mostly comedies in Latin, not for performances
• Dovizci: wrote La Calandria, which premiered in Rome in 1514 renowned for its impressive scenery
• Trissino: wrote Sofonsiba in 1515, a tragedy using a Greek-like chorus, focusing on dramatic writing's form

Giraldi and Machiavelli

• Giraldi: wrote Orbecche (1541), a revenge tragedy
• Giraldi was a poet and novelist, staged the first Italian tragedy, and influenced Shakespeare’s Othello
• Machiavelli (1469-1527): wrote La Mandragola
• La Mandragola: Callimaco aims to sleep with Lucrezia, Nicia’s wife, for a male heir; through conspiracy, Lucrezia believes divine providence and accepts a disguised Callimaco as her lover

More From Machiavelli

• Machiavelli's treatise, "The Prince", posited that rulers can justify any means, causing controversy
• He believed politics involved crime and corruption
• The term "Machiavellian" describes deceitful, corrupt figures
• Machiavelli inspired dramatists

Neoclassicism

• Neoclassicism: Originated in Italy during the Renaissance
• Neoclassicism resulted from classic texts studied in academies
• Aristotle's "Poetics" and Horace's "Arts Poetica" were used to cause a decline in play creativity
• The neoclassical rules were strictly adhered to in Renaissance Italy only

The Three Unities of Time, Place and Action

• Play’s space, time, and action need to be coordinated, reflecting real life
• Unity of Time: the play should occur in a single play or short timeframe
• Unity of Place: play limited to a single or closely connected locations
• Unity of Action: plays must have one main story line

Structure and Realism

• The five act structure was derived from Greek plays
• Each act served a specific purpose

Dramatic Needs

• Verisimilitude: The situations & characters have to be plausible
• To achieve the above, the Three Unities are essential
• Reality: what it happening on stage must be possible in real life
• Morality: the play must teach a moral lesson
• Universality: the message has to link everyone together

Dramatic Expectations

• Decorum: Plays should be appropriate and believable
• Delineation of Genre: Plays did not need to adhere to one genre
• There was a 2-fold purpose of drama: Education and Entertainment

Aristotle's Impact

• In 1498, Aristotle’s Poetics was published, emphasizing plays had 5 acts
• In 1548, Francesco Robortello issued his first commentary on it
• In 1549 the first copy was published in Italian

Dramatic Rules

• Renaissance Italy established that plays should only have one plot in 1570
• They were followed strictly

English Renaissance

• The Renaissance in England took hold during the 16th-17th century
• The Elizabethan Era was a golden era for theatre in England
• Medieval drama originated in England, influencing Renaissance Italy

The Tudor Monarch

• Kings and queens greatly influenced theatre, sometimes banning it
• Henry VII (1485-1509): Aristotle's writings were discussed in court
• Henry VIII (1509-1547): Schoolboys performed Latin and Greek plays, and he created the Master of Revels
• Henry VIII wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn; which caused the Reformation of the Church in 1529, the Church of England was established, Catholicism was banned, Latin plays were disfavored, Greek was emphasized, making England an agent of Protestant Propaganda

Religious Reformation and Beyond

• The Church before the reformation used plays for moral instruction
• The reformation allowed theatre to be creative and led to the professional actor
• Edward VI (1547-1553) was king
• Jane (1533), was known as the 9-day queen
• Mary I (1533-1558) was queen
• Elizabeth I (1558-1603) banned political plays

The Stuart Monarch

• The Stuart period was filled with religious conflicts that shifted the power balance
• James I (1566-1625, James VI of Scotland) was monarch
• Charles I (1600-1649) was monarch
• Theatres in London were banned and burnt in 1642
• The Commonwealth government led by Oliver Cromwell put together between 1649-1660

English Drama

• England follows the trend of using drama similar to Italy
• Italy: Academies worked on Commedia Erudita and Commedia dell’Arte in the streets
• England: Universities developed Tutor Dramas and performed in public playhouses

Tudor Plays

• Tudor era plays could be tragedies or comedies
• Comedies were based on Ancient Roman Models. Example includes Grammar Gurton’s Needle (1552-1553) and Ralph Roister’s Doister (1550-1553)
• Tragedies were influenced by Seneca, with a series of playwrights which then developed by students at the Inns of Court

Characteristics of Tudor Tragedies

• It was typically a semiabstract morality or religious play
• Consisted of a symmetrical structure using rhetorical language
• Not for comedies the way the audience would think

Key Tragedy

• Gorboduc (1561) by Thomas Northon and Thomas Sackville as a key tragedy as it was a model for playwrights

The Elizabethan Era and Beyond

• The Elizabethan Era (1558-1603) took place under the reign of Elizabeth I
• Acting troupes, dependent on rulers, were legalized and professionalized in the Elizabethan era
• Before Elizabeth I, troupes acted under patronage

Official Acting Companies

• By 1600, the crown legitimized acting companies completely
• The Earl of Leicester’s men: formed (1572) and licensed by Royal patent
• James Burbage: a member of the troupe who built a theatre (1576), and they were the first built 1980s
• Queen’s men became legal (1583) under Queen Elizabeth

Drama Troupe Changes

• The members of the Queen’s men drafted formed an all-star company
• the London Plague (1592-1593) causing troupes to dissolve.
• Troupes include: Lord Admiral’s Men led by Edward Alleyn and Philip Henslowe AND Lord Chamberlain’s Men changed to King’s Men in 1603 due to royal patronage. And Shakespeare eventually joined this acting troupe

Types of Plays and Playwrights

• Types of plays: Mortality Dramas, University Dramas, and Commedia dell'Arte
• Shakespeare and Ben Johnson were not university graduates
• There was a number of playwrights writing

Thomas Kyd

• Thomas Kyd (1558-1594): A university Wit, known for “Spanish Tragedy,” which was about a ghost punishing violence
• "Spanish Tragedy" broke neoclassical rules, became popular, and made tragedies more prominent than comedies

Christoper Marlow

• Christoper Marlow (1564-1593): He was a member of the University of Wits who had violent life
• His characters engaged in passionate dialogues

Ben Johnson

• Ben Johnson (1572-1637): He entered theatre as an actor and became a playwright
• King James made him poet Laureate
• He collaborated with Inigo Jones on set designs

William Shakespeare

• William Shakespeare (1564): He was born on April 26
• He lived a normal life and didn’t graduate
• He split his life between London work and Stratford-Upon-Avon
• How he died is a mystery but it’s certain that h didn’t die with the Plague
• He is credited for writing 38 plays and 154 sonnets
• He excelled at all plays and sonnets and they included complex characters, and philosophical depth and complex plotline

Distinctions with Italian Plays

• Italian plays adhered to Neoclassical rules, hence they were straightforward, unlike Italian Renaissance plays
• His comedies were fun and served as a break from reality
• He didn’t follow Neoclassical rules- none of his plays went again the unity of time, space and action
• His plays had multiple plots unlike in Italian renaissance which only had one
• His career spanned roles as an actor, playwright, and theatre manager
• None of his hand written work survived

Shakespeare Plays

• 18 of his plays were printed in a book called “Quarto Format”
• In 1623 a book was published with all of his plays called “The works of William Shakespeare”, which is worth millions and his known as the first official publications
• Shakespeare’s Characters
  • Some of his characters were real historical characters were real historical characters like Hamlet who is based on a real prince
  • All of his characters are established in the first two or three scenes
  • All of his characters are complex characters
  • All of his characters are important and are written for a reason

Differences With Greece Plays

• Shakespeare's Elizabethan plays that defer from Ancient Greek plays include:
  • Violence was represented on stage
  • Plays mixed comedy and tragedy
  • Characters used poetry and prose, unlike Ancient Greece

Where Shakespeare Plays Were Held

• Royalty, typically in a royal court setting, performed plays – Court Performances with troupes like The Lord Chamberlain’s Men/ The Kings Men. They were refined and exclusive plays

The Wealthy Theaters

• The Wealthy had access to private indoor theaters known as Blackfriars Theatre, smaller and expensive
• Masques were popular entertainment for the nobility, with lavish musical performances designed by Ben Jonson and Inigo Jones
• Public playhouses and halls were where amateur drama happened where people the common people watched at public playhouses
• Theatres such as The Globe, The Rose, and The Swan were located in London, charging various prices based on audience seated location.
• Plays in the Courts of palaces were held at night. Public theatres, plays were held in the afternoon to avoid any risks caused by fire and to avoid any drunken behavior
• There is existence 4 main books about Elizabethan playhouses

Public Playhouse Venues

• The Red Lion was the first public playhouse (1567), but that was not a success
• The Threatre was built by James Burbage a member of the Earl or Leicester’s Men, and was considered the first theatre built 1980s
• In 1599 The Globe was built by Lord Chamberlain’s Men where most plays were shown, and burned down due to a performance, and was rebuilt again

The Globe

• The Globe had a hexagonal shape and privileged seating:
• The Pit hosted spectators in the open yard
• Wealthy patrons paid for Gallery Seating
• Nobles sat in The Lord’s Room
• The Black Friars’ Theatre was an indoor venue and private playhouse-hence it wasn’t made out of wood- that used it gas for lighting.

Elizabethan Performances

• Here is the increased number of performances throughout the Elizabethan Era
• Elizabeth I- 1-5 performances a year
• James I- 1-17 performances a year
• Charles I- 1-25 performances a year