ELIZABETHAN / JACOBEAN CULTURE AND SHAKESPEARE'S DRAMA

Elizabethan / Jacobean Culture and Shakespeare's Drama



Elizabethan / Jacobean Culture and Shakespeare's Drama

Introduction

William Shakespeare is the English literature's most renowned writer. He was born in 1564 in England. He did not get further formal education other than attending grammar school. During 1590, he left behind his family and went to London to become a playwright and an actor. Eventually, Shakespeare became a very popular playwright and was also the Global Theatre's part owner. His career progressed through the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. He was a favourite in both the eras' royal family. Shakespeare and his company were granted by James, the highest compliments by presenting the 'King's Men' title upon all the members. Shakespeare retired to Stratford, renowned and wealthy. In 1616, aging fifty two, he died. Many different luminaries of literature, like Ben Jonson, claimed Shakespeare's works as brilliant and timeless (Spurgeon, 1988, 46).

The Elizabethan and Jacobean Eras

The English literature of the Elizabethan and Jacobean ages is one of the dominant phenomena of European culture. The period was one of the tremendous and concentrated literary activities. It was the age of comparative religious and tolerance, which was due largely to the queen's influence. The age of Elizabethan was a time of intellectual liberty, of growing intelligence and comfort among all classes. For a parallel, we must go back to the age of Pericles in Athens, or of Augustus in Rome, or move forward a little to the magnificent court of Louis XIV, when Corneille, Racine and Moliere brought the drama in France to the point where Marlowe, Shakespeare, and Johnson had left it in England half a century earlier (Taylor, 1989, 36).

The Elizabethan era was a time of relative hope and confidence. In the early seventeenth century, however, the national mood seems to have become tense and anxious, partially because James was not as skilful a ruler as Elizabeth. This period, called Jacobean from the Latin form of James's name, also is known as the early Stuart era after James's family name. William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was a cultural product of the reign of Elizabeth, yet many of his greatest plays were composed during the Jacobean era and reflect its pessimistic spirit (Taylor, 1989, 36).

Romeo and Juliet

The play 'Romeo and Juliet' is about love and hate both. The play begins with a conflict between two families and concludes with the reconciliation. This tragic play is considered as an all time favourite and one of the greatest love stories, even now. The play is complicated by the interaction and the association of misfortune and timing repeatedly. The combination of dark and light, and the insertion of light and funny moments, the beautiful language enhances the story of the play and makes it all time classic.

The narrative of Romeo and Juliet play and the life of Shakespeare, both begin during the Renaissance era. This Renaissance period began during the 14th century and progress to the 16th century. Renaissance refers to the rebirth and revival of the ...