The Key Features of Shakespearean theatre

1. The Key Features of Shakespearean theatre By: Meghan & Sahar

2. Tragedy • -Tragedy must end in some tremendous catastrophe • -The catastrophe must not be the result of mere accident, but must be brought about by some essential trait in the character of the hero acting either directly or through its effect on other people • -The hero must nevertheless have in him something which outweighs his defects and interests us in him so that we care for his fate more than for anything else in the play • -“Romeo and Juliet "is a key example, Romeo having believed Juliet dead had bestowed death upon himself leaving the audience captured in their despair. People were and still are drawn to this because they had become attached to the characters. It left them a sense of hopelessness but also left them thinking about how a bundle of words had left a burden in their hearts.

3. comedies • -Comedy, in its Elizabethan usage, had a very different meaning from modern comedy. A Shakespearean comedy is one that has a happy ending, usually involving marriages between the unmarried characters, and a tone and style that is more light-hearted than Shakespeare's other plays • -His comedies give a greater emphasis on situations than characters which numbs the audiences connection to the characters. This leaves events more humorous when the character experiences misfortune • -An example is his story “All's well that ends well” has an unusual tone with humor. Most of Shakespeare comedies include, puns, dry humor, witty banter, practical jokes etc.

4. Histories • -History plays seem in Shakespeare's hands to represent the compromise of life • -These plays are not without tragedies but they feature historical characters and seem to remind us that history will not repeat itself • - Shakespeare histories focus on a small part of the characters lives but also bypass significant events for dramatic purposes • -Examples include, King John ,Henry the eighth, Julius Ceasar and more

5. Comparison between then and now • Lighting: It is different because there were no lighting effects back in Shakespeare's time. The daylight was the only lighting that they had back then. With today's technology, we can achieve all kinds of different fancy lighting effects • Actors: Back then it was considered immoral and wrong for women to act, even women's roles were forbidden. Men would act and be disguised as the women characters. Now, women can perform in plays and aren’t discriminated for it. • Theatres: In Shakespearean time, lower class civilians would only be allowed to stand on the floor in front of the stage in order to be able to watch the performance. The wealthy people however were able to buy gallery seats or even allowed to buy a ticket to be able to sit on the stage. In modern days, anybody can buy a ticket in an enclosed theatre but no one is allowed to sit on stage or stand in front of it, including wealthier people.

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