Use of Language in Shakespearean Theatres - Term Paper Example

Shakespearean Theatre Introduction: William Shakespeare was an eminent English poet, dramatist and a playwright. He was born in 1564. He is considered as one of the greatest playwright in the history of art and literature (Peter Ackroyd). His plays have been produced by different people in different countries; an achievement which no other writer has secured till today. Life in Theatre: It is believed that Shakespeare rose to fame in Theatrical life of London by 1592 (Peter Ackroyd). During his association with the theatres, Shakespeare affiliate himself with some of the most respectable and known theatre companies. These theatre companies had their own permanent cast of actors. These actors used to perform different plays on in a weekly cycle. Those theatrical companies were dependent on their audiences to gather funds for the continued existence of the theatres and plays. Shakespeare associated himself with the city’s most known theatrical company known as The Lord Chamberlain’s Man in London. He remained associated with the place from 1594 till rest of his life. By 1594, the theater had played six of the most famous plays by him. He was an official playwright and an actor for the theatre. Historical Background: During Shakespeare’s time, there were two monarchs who ruled over the land of England; King Henry (VIII) and Queen Elizabeth (I). Both of the monarchs keenly appreciated the plays produced by Shakespeare. Their personal affiliation with Shakespeare helped him gain new heights of popularity among the masses. During mid-sixteenth century, English theater was faced by grave situation. Those theatres were hardly organized and contributed very little towards the professional growth of an artist. It is unfair to recognize those theaters as artistic institutions. Usually, the artists used to perform in groups anywhere; sometimes in courtyards or sometimes in the grand halls of noble houses. The plays they performed merely had any theme. They were either bawdy interludes, unsophisticated tragedies or sometimes lacked the refined humor (Janette Dillon). However, time changed by the beginning of seventeenth century when theater became the life of London city. Lord Chamberlain’s Men was one the most reputable commercial theatrical company which boasted the career of William Shakespeare not only as an actor but also as a prominent playwright and a shareholder. Shakespeare’s Stage: Shakespeare earned a huge name from the platform of The Chamberlain’s Men which was later changed as the King’s Men in 1603 during the rule of James I. The actors including Shakespeare used to present most of their dramas on the multi-leveled spaces of the Globe Theater (Ralph Berry). The stages were represented in a simple fashion during those times. Use of Language in Shakespearean Theatres: Shakespeare enhanced the language used in theatres. He perfectly shaped and outlined the dialogues with the touch of realism and added a more rhetorical touch to it. His language was the most noticeable feature of his plays that distinguished different characters, subplots from the main story plot and the genre of the plays. Different Genres in Shakespearean Theatres: Shakespeare knew the art of distinguishing a comic stage from a tragic one. During his time, differentiation among the genres was as important as it is today. Each of his character represented a defined generic element in their characterization as required according to the theme of the play. His comedy plays can be seen as an influence he drove from the Roman "New Comedy" of Plautus and Terence (Janette Dillon). Shakespeare plays can be categorized into three different divisions; comedy, tragedy and history. His plays "The Comedy of Errors", "The Taming of the Shrew", and "The Two Gentlemen of Verone" can be categorized under the comical plays whereas, his plays, "Romeo and Juliet", "Titus Andronicus", and "Julius Caesar" can be listed under tragedy. However, Shakespeare’s other three plays; "Henry V", "Richard II", and "Richard III" can be categorized as the plays that revolve around the historical and political events (Ralph Berry). Shakespeare tried his best to mingle the comedy and the tragedy together in some of his plays. For example, he has tried to make people laugh in the tragedy of “Hamlet” as compared to what he has tried to do in the “Merchant of Venice.” Similarly, the critical analysis of King Lear is fully explored in the Shakespeare’s tragic achievement but it also explores the explosiveness of change factor which is consistent with the absurdity of the world of comedy (Janette Dillon). The critical evaluation of love in Romeo and Juliet define an assembly of people, including comic materials, evidenced in parts by love that emerges from a struggling relationship. This is consistent with the absurdness of parental disapproval and it also explores the difficult conditions that are faced by love romance. Equally, in the romantic evolution of Antony and Cleopatra, sustaining love is one specific component that has found hugely difficult consequences and hence providing specific sustenance is utterly difficult. The comedies that are attributed to Shakespeare are also varied and offer little or unshakable optimism relative to the genres of comedies, and in All’s Well That Ends Well illustration (Ralph Berry). Shakespeare’s Multiple Perspectives: Besides mixing different genres, Shakespeare’s theater adapted a different approach in the stage representation of their plays. Rather following the Aristotelian tradition, Shakespeare’s plays revolved around two or sometimes more than two stories in a single play. His plays had a story within a story (Janette Dillon). Shakespeare’s plays were filled with different characters. His cast members were forced to appear in double roles; one moment appearing as a messenger and then rushing off the stage to reappear as an old man in the same play. For example, in King Lear, Shakespeare presents two mistreated fathers instead of one. Multiple perspectives and re-appearance of actors generated a different yet contradictory idea of the play which enabled the audience to investigate as well as differentiate the illusive theme from the reality itself. Shakespeare’s Contribution to the Theatre: Shakespeare has immensely contributed to the theatre during his time. He completely transformed the typical presentation of theatres from illusory perspective to psychological realism. His dramas were enriched with realism, life, emotions and characters. All of these elements represented a huge diversity of civilization. Till today, his plays stand as the source of inspiration for the modern audience of the recent century. People still identify the characters from their strengths, their weaknesses and their ambitions and in return, people cannot help themselves feeling sympathy and compassion for the characters on their falling moral values. Shakespeare has represented a greater side of his humanitarian approach through his plays and his writings. He firmly believed the idea of spending a quality life based on moral and ethical principles. His plays were beyond the conventional concept of Christianity prevailed during his times (Janette Dillon). Famous Plays by Shakespeare: Some of the famous plays by Shakespeare include: Hamlet • Henry IV, Part 1 • Henry IV, Part 2 • Henry V • Henry VI, Part 2 • Henry VI, Part 3 • King Lear • Loves Labours Lost • The Merchant of Venice • The Merry Wives of Windsor • A Midsummer Nights Dream • Much Ado About Nothing • Othello • Pericles • Richard II • Richard III Conclusion: It is hard to estimate the contributions made by Shakespeare in shaping the value of theater and giving a new form of life to this art in a different ways. From joining the Lord Chamberlain’s Men to establishing “The Globe”, Shakespeare contributed effortlessly in delivering the best quality stage plays to the audience. He not only entertained the King, the Queen and the noblemen of the English society but he committed himself to deliver the quality entertainment to general public as well. Through the plays, Shakespeare gave a new life to English language, explored different subjects of humanity and morality and always tried his level best to convey his audience with a thought provoking message in the end. With limited resources and funds, Shakespeare created a new dimension in art and literature which will be known forever to the world. Works cited: Ackroyd, Peter. Shakespeare: The Biography, London: Vintage, 2006 Berry, Ralph. Changing Styles in Shakespeare, London: Routledge, 2005 Dillon, Janette. The Cambridge Introduction to Shakespeares Tragedies, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007 Read More