The Renaissance and Reformation: Elizabethan Period (jan 1, 1558 – jan 1, 1603)
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II. Queen Elizabeths period (1558-1603)
Queen Elizabeth was kind and smart but also manipulative. She was called the Virgin Queen not because she didn't make love to anyone but because she didn't have any kids that took over after the reign. She was born on September 7th, 1543 and succeeded the throne after her father. King Henry VIII also executed her mother probably for factors such as unsatisfied marriage.
During her reign, she was a female monarch and had a very good reputation. She was painted as a good leader and executed her cousin Mary Queen of Scott. Later on, in 1603 she became a powerful symbol because of her brilliant survivor technique and great success. Especially when she defeated the Spanish Armada and was well educated. However when she died both her reign and success went down with her. Under Elizabeth’s reign, the period was called the golden age.
Shakespeare is as mentioned, one of the greatest authors of all time. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in England with an uncertain birth date. Some researchers believe he was born anytime near April 1564. He didn’t go to university but studies show that he did have a marriage record to Anne Hathaway in 1585 and researchers also have baptism records for a daughter and a set of twins. One of the twins, Hamlet died. Shakespeare moved to London in the late 1580s and by the early 1590s, he was writing and also acting. He was also a businessman, in 1599 he built the Globe theater. He was an entrepreneur. Shakespeare's company, the lord chamberlain's men changed its name to the king's men when King James ruled England in 1603. Shakespeare was a poet and wrote 154 sonnets in addition to severely narrative poems. He made up words if it didn’t give him the right words, he was one of the first professional writers. His cause of death remains a mystery but scholars believe he died on his birthday April 23, 1616. His writing has the second most quoted after the bible and is credited with introducing almost 3000 words to the English language.
The theaters for his work today is quite similar to his work and references. The Swedish play; Shakespeare in Love is one of the plays dedicated to Shakespeare.
The character of Viola is from a rich family with many benefits however one of her dreams was to become an actress. This wouldnät happen because it was illegal for a woman to do a mans job. Later on, when Viola dressed up as a man to play a mans role, Shakespeare became speechless and wanted to know who it was behind the big hat, therefore, he became in a hurry to find Tomas Kent who auditioned for Romeo when he ran away from the audition.
I believe that the credibility of the story told in Shakespeare in Love could have happened and actually is a storyline I would have preferred between Shakespeare and Viola. However, it is a tragedy that Viola left with Lord Sussex meaning that Viola and Will didn't end up together. I think they had good chemistry both on the scene and in the play which sold me the idea of what this could have happened in Shakespeare's real life.
Women didn't have the right to act or do any job for a man as mentioned earlier however I learned that William Shakespeare created over 3000 words. I also learned many phrases from William Shakespeares plays such as Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet. I recognized the phrases "Where Are Thou Romeo?" and "I wish I was the palm of your hand.".
I was surprised by William Shakespeare's behavior when he kissed Tomas Kent back but also wanted to find Viola, I believe there were a few awkward tentions between those three charachters. He probably knew deep down that it was a woman he kissed or more specific that it was Viola. However I wasn't surprised when I heard the rumor of Shakespeare being homosexual when he kissed the man who played Julia in the beginning or Romeo played as Tomas Kent.
The Renaissance is the rebirth of Europe, a period when scholars became more interested in studying the work around them, when arts became more lifelike and when Europeans began to explore new lands. Arab scholars preserved the writings of the ancient Greek in their libraries. When travelers from cities in northern Italy came into contact with Arabs they exchanged ideas as well as goods. Many Christians scholars moved to Italy from Greece after the Byzantine Empire fell to the Turks in 1453.
The Renaissance influenced paintings, sculpture, and architecture. Painting became more realistic and focused less often on religious topics. Rich families became patrons by commissioned great art. Artists advanced the Renaissance style of showing nature and depicting the feelings of people.
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