The Tempest Prologue
Background
Elizabethian drama was not written for prosperity, written for a world different from the modern world now, yet many of these values remain the same.
Drama and Art is a way we present ourselves, present our deepest concerns and our deepest worries.
Shakespeare got good a writing tragedy, then declined into Romance - dominant idea.
Romances, late plays, hugely initiate and tackling huge issue which go beyond the issues raised in tragedy.
The Tempest and the Late Plays
Drama in Jacsbethian London was extremely competitive and Shakespeare, like many other playwrights at the time, was not writing solely for Art but as their job, to earn their living. Therefore their was a lot of competition and a cut throat world where you had to stay ahead of the game.
James VI 1603 become king of England which altered a lot of assumption and concerns people held at the time. First time their was a legitimate royal family on the throne.
James had distinct idea about what he wanted to do, he had a better idea of theology and politics - deeply held ambition was to have european peace, with the marriages of his daughter and son with european monarchy. Reconciliation - to agree on a amicable/friendly/goodwill truce
Post-tragic - can their be Reconciliation, peace through the children and marriage - Relating to James foreign policy
James VI felt the importance of drama, he took the Lord Chamberlains men (the company which Shakespeare was a member and shareholder) and made them the Kings Men. They became royal servants.
James felt and knew that Drama had a important role persuading and moving public opinion but also culture of the court was semi-theatrical, performance of power. Courts Masque's were very fashionably - Hugely expensive spectacles, expressing neoplatonic ideas, often with elaborate music and dance. Plays written for public theatres often used ideas, inspiration from these.
The Blackfriars Theatre
The relationship of the Kings Men with court entertainment - Masque performance.
1608 they gained the use of the Blackfriars theatre, previously they had been using the Globe.
The Globe - originally built in Shoreditch, lease ran out in and it was rebuilt as the globe. Its an open theatre and a big building holding 3000 people.
BlackFriars - A closed, indoor theatre, seats 200 and in the very select area of Blackfriars close to the court and good residential area.
Writing for Blackfriars - more select, seated, wealthier audience, lots of people from the court. Since it was indoors artificial light was required, this was done by using candles, using mirrors you can direct these light, but candles would often need their stuffing changed, a compromise of having breaks in the play was often needed, maybe why their if 5 acts in The Tempest as well as other plays. Having it indoor also meant that the music which would not be drowned out by outside noise, so more elaborate and delicate music and sounds could be used. Techniques of Masque, spectacular stage sets and their was a taste for this, also more easily shown in this theatre.
The Tempest full of hints of Masque, masks of goddess, anti Masque of Caliban, Trinculo and Stefano and maybe even the shipwreck. Full of names which are symbolic of the character and apply a whole load of ideas about the character.
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