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1559
Elizabethan Era English Theatre
In 1559 Queen Elizabeth banned all religious and political plays to ease tensions and avoid revolts between Catholics, and the newly created Anglicans. This forced playwrights to work for money instead of glorifying God as they had done in the medieval period. The nature of theatre then became about popularity where comedy and tragedy thrived despite many theatres being removed from cities for immorality. Professional theatre guilds took center stage in this period till 1642 (Brockett 104). -
1564
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare is born in 1564 and was the leading playwright of the era, though there was plenty of competition. Shakespeare joined the King's Men and wrote around two plays yearly to support himself. He also owned his own theatre company and several properties including the Globe, a circular three-storied theatre. Shakespeare wrote forty plays and many sonnets in his lifetime. Many of his works are still famous today such as Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet. (Brockett 106) -
Aphra Behn
Born in 1640, Aphra Behn was among the first female playwrights in England to support herself entirely through playwriting. She was active in an era known as the Restoration after the English Civil War. Her plays include feminist topics and argue against sexist institutions such as arranged marriages. Her most famous play The Rover featured many female characters who have their own goals and wants, and many of them were played by some of the first actresses in England (Poetry Foundation). -
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English Civil War
The English Civil War saw all plays shut down as violence broke out between monarchists and parliamentarians. The conflict reflected the many religious and social wars happening throughout Europe. Under the rule of Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans, theatre was seen as immoral, and only certain short plays called Drolls were allowed. Drolls were often scenes from larger works or singular comical sketches that were considered appropriate for audiences (Britannica). -
English Theatre Restoration
The English restoration began under Charles II. The theatre was lively and began to develop and reflect neo-classism in its works. Many works were inspired by movements from Italy and France. Women began taking a prominent role in producing and performing plays. Irish theatre began to develop separately from English theatre. Theatre companies and schools flourished. Professional theatre buildings were created in cities and used in the newly imported Italian Operas (Brockett 136). -
Augustan Era
George I ascended to the throne and referred to himself as Agustus in reference to the Roman emperor. Plays (mainly ballad operas) in this time period took the form of epics that reflected the Greek classics of old. Or they took the form of satire which would make fun of concurring events in the world. Satire would often poke fun at the nobility, government officials, or even the King himself. These depictions were often harmful to public image and made fun of scandals in government (Ash). -
The London Merchant
The London Merchant by George Lillo was a popular play, perhaps the most popular play of the 1730s. It is what is known as a sentimental comedy, a comedy that is meant to invoke emotion rather than be funny. It follows a merchant whose life is ruined due his association with a prostitute. The play magnifies a period of English theatre that countered the prude and boisterous comedies of the restoration and moved towards plays that promoted moral virtue (Britannica). -
Theatre Spreads in the Empire
In the 1700s England had a large Empire spanning every continent. In 1732 The Recruiting Officer, by the Irish playwright George Farquhar, was the first play in a professional theater in New York City. It was also the first play in Charleston SC, and New South Wales (Australia). Plays like this one promoted unity, expanded British cultural influence, and encouraged enlistment in the ever-growing Imperial Army, which would go on to conquer more land in Asia and the Americas (IBDB). -
Licensing Act
The licensing act was a British law that would force any play that was going to be publicly performed to be approved and/or censored by parliament. This act was created in response to the satirical works emerging about politicians. Specifically, John Gay's The Beggars Opera directly satires politicians by comparing them to thieves and beggars. The enforcement of this act was an obvious sign of censorship, a trend which would continue and contribute to a revolution in 1776 (Britannica). -
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The Decline of Arts
After the passing of the Licensing Act, only plays that were approved by parliament could be publicly performed. Many would be playwrights were turned towards writing books or The Great Awakening, a Christian moral revival, turned the country away from the bawdy comedies of the restoration. Sentimental comedies and melodrama were popular at this time. Plays followed average characters faced with moral dilemmas who triumphed over evil. This era ended with romanticism (Britannica).