...world famous play Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Shakespeare includes many ideas and themes that specifically relate to the Elizabethan era. Hamlet’s last soliloquy in the play, found in Act 4 Scene 4 lines 32-66, contains many fascinating references to the Elizabethan culture. These references to Elizabethan life helped Shakespeare’s audience gain a better understanding of the theme and true meaning of the play. Hamlet’s final soliloquy is a major turning point in the play; it presents the audience with a chance to witness Hamlet’s inner most thoughts and how they have changed since the beginning of the play. Shakespeare ensures that the Elizabethan audience will understand this shift in Hamlet by incorporating the political, religious and social beliefs of the Elizabethans into the speech. Shakespeare mimics the political situation of Hamlet’s Denmark to that of Elizabethan England in Hamlet’s speech in order for the audience to easily comprehend and relate to Hamlet’s thoughts. While Hamlet watches an army going to fight over a small, worthless piece of land, he realizes that he is “one part wisdom/and ever three parts coward” (4.4, 42-43). He is astonished that this army is willing to risk their lives for a piece of land “which is not tomb enough and continent/to hide the slain” (4.4, 64-65) simply because their king said so. During the Elizabethan era, the monarchy had complete power over their country and were respected by all (Alchin). The Elizabethan audience that this...
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...Everlasting had not fixed His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God, God! How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world!” (1.2.5) Translation: Hamlet wants to commit suicide. Except he feels that is not an option since his religion forbids it. Explanation: For this passage of the novel, you must know some background information on the Elizabethan era. During this time, suicide was illegal. Hamlet believes that suicide is a good alternative to life in a painful world. Hamlet believes this option of suicide is closed to him because it is forbidden by religion. Also, suicide was more than just being frowned upon. If suicide were attempted, they would be put on trial and punished. If your attempt of suicide as successful you were buried in disgrace outside of the city and you were considered a condemned soul. To conclude, Elizabethan audience would understand how Hamlet would not break the law to commit suicide in respect of his religion. Where as a modern day audience would not understand why he would not, because of the knowledge they do not obtain about the Elizabethan era and their laws and religion. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet (The New Folger Library Shakespeare). Simon & Schuster; New Folger Edition, 2003 "Suicide in Elizabethan England." Hamlet Dramaturgy. N.p., 19 Feb. 2013. Web. 14 July 2015. "Internet Shakespeare Editions." Suicide: An Act of Dignity or Despair? N.p., n.d. Web. 14 July...
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...Hamlet Essay A great amount of events occurred in Act IV of Shakespeare’s famous play Hamlet, which helped to further the plot of the story and enhance the theme of revenge and justice. Some events that took place are; the Queen betrayed her son and told Claudius of the murder of Polonius, Ophelia became insane and eventually drowned herself in the river, and King Claudius plotted to ship Hamlet off to England to be killed. Shakespeare wrote his plays during the Elizabethan era, and life was much different for people of that era, then it is for people of present day. How words and dialogue were written in the play, is hard for us to understand with are modern day language and slang; the same can be said for the ideas and influences certain parts of the play have on us. Someone who was alive during the Elizabethan era and attended one of Shakespeare’s plays would view the live production very differently than a modern day audience would. There are a few points that come to mind when comparing the differences between the Elizabethan era and modern day; such as the great chain of being, extreme importance on religion, and the pride in defending your honor. These examples of the differences between the two eras are very noticeable in Act IV Scene IV lines 53-66, when Hamlet exclaims: Rightly to be great Is not to stir without great argument But greatly to find quarrel in a straw When honor’s at the stake. How stand I then, That have a father killed, a mother stained, ...
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...Laertes So if he says he loves you, be wise enough to know his word goes no further without Denmark’s word. Then consider the shame you would bring if you were to surrender to his seductive talks and expose your heart – or give up your virginity to him and his greedy ways. Be careful Ophelia, and keep your affections at a safe distance, away from the dangers of lust and desire. Even exposing your beauty in the moonlight is too much. Early spring flowers are always the first to be slashed by worms before they’re fully developed. Young people make too many mistakes. Laertes So if he says he loves you, be wise enough to know his word goes no further without Denmark’s word. Then consider the shame you would bring if you were to surrender to his seductive talks and expose your heart – or give up your virginity to him and his greedy ways. Be careful Ophelia, and keep your affections at a safe distance, away from the dangers of lust and desire. Even exposing your beauty in the moonlight is too much. Early spring flowers are always the first to be slashed by worms before they’re fully developed. Young people make too many mistakes. LAERTES: Then if he says he loves you, It fits your wisdom so far to believe it As he in his particular act and place May give his saying deed, which is no further Than the main voice of Denmark goes withal. Then weigh what loss your honor may sustain If with too credent ear you list his songs, Or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure...
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...COSTUME AND FASHION SOURCE BOOKS Elizabethan England Kathy Elgin Copyright © 2009 Bailey Publishing Associates Ltd Produced for Chelsea House by Bailey Publishing Associates Ltd, 11a Woodlands, Hove BN3 6TJ, England Project Manager: Patience Coster Text Designer: Jane Hawkins Picture Research: Shelley Noronha Artist: Deirdre Clancy Steer All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact: Chelsea House, an imprint of Infobase Publishers, 132 West 31st Street, New York, NY 10001. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Elgin, Kathy. Elizabethan England / Kathy Elgin. p. cm. — (Costume source books) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-60413-379-0 1. Clothing and dress—England—History—16th century—Juvenile literature. 2. England—Social life and customs—16th century— Juvenile literature. I. Title. II. Series. GT734.E44 2009 391.00942'09031—dc22 2008047258 Chelsea House books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York on (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can find Chelsea House on the World Wide Web at: http://www.chelseahouse.com. Printed and bound in Hong Kong...
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...fall starts when he contemplates killing Duncan, the King. Macbeth starts an inner fight between wrong and good. In my opinion Lady Macbeth I the intellectual author of Duncan’s crime while Macbeth is only the material author. Lady Macbeth planed the crime, which make this crime a premeditated one. Lady Macbeth is a controversial character and in my opinion a key piece in this play. Many would argue that Macbeth was a good man that was push by his dreadful wife. However I believe that Lady Macbeth did what she believed she had to do to fulfill her avarice. As per Tillyard in The Elizabethan World Picture he explains the following “The conception of world order was for the Elizabethans a principal matter; the other set of ideas that ranked with it was the theological scheme of sin and salvation.” (Tilliard). Sin and salvation were important issues in the Elizabethan era, I find interesting the dark forces in the play like the three witches or when Lady Macbeth calls dark spirits to be strong and do what has to be done to accomplish her desire. However I don’t see divine characters,...
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...Drama Connections Drama Connections After reading the play, Hamlet, I’ve come to a great understanding of the actual character of Hamlet. Hamlet was a prince who felt like he was stuck in a castle full of betrayal. Claudius, the King of Denmark, was his uncle/stepfather. He had murdered the former King, Hamlet Senior, whom was also his brother. Claudius then married young Hamlet’s mother a couple months after the death of the former king. In the beginning of the story, young Hamlet knew of his father’s death, but did not know that it wasn’t an accidental death. The ghost of the former king paid a visit to a couple of guards and Hamlet only to tell Hamlet the story of his death. The ghost let Hamlet know that Claudius was the one at fault for his death because he had murdered him. He also told Hamlet to seek revenge upon Claudius. After the ghost’s visit, Hamlet felt like he had gone mad! He felt crazy and he couldn’t believe that Claudius had killed his father so he could become King of Denmark and marry his mother and take her as Queen. Another possible reason for Hamlet’s madness was his love for Ophelia. Although, in the story, it’s said that his madness comes from the rejection from Ophelia, I did not see it. I thought his madness resulted from the appearance of the ghost of his father. His father’s death left him devastated and the fact that his mother married his uncle right away left him flustered. Combined, the death of his father with the marriage of his mother and...
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...Topic: Dancing in the Elizabethan era Annotated Bibliography Mahabal, Prasad. "Elizabethan England Life." Elizabethan Era Dances Dancing. N.p., Nov. 2013. Web. 16 Nov. 2013. This website contains information on different aspects of dancing and dances during the Elizabethan time period. The web page is divided into four different sections. These sections are; the introduction, Dances of the Upper Class, Famous Elizabethan Dancing Masters, and The influence of Queen Elizabeth I (on dance). The author of this website, Prasad Mahabal, has a M.A. in history. This makes the This website was last updated in November 2013 with means any new information discovered on this topic could be included to make this website more accurate. Wagner, J. A. Historical Dictionary of the Elizabethan World: Britain, Ireland, Europe, and America. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx, 1999. 77. Print. This book contains ideas, things, people, and events relating to the Elizabethan era. These topics are arranged in alphabetical order. Each topic got a section where it was described and defined in a clear and easy to read manner. There weren’t many pictures or illustrations in this book but the ones that were there helped the reader comprehend the description. This book was published in 1999, quite a while ago. However, it is on a subject that does not change often so the information typically stays rather constant so it is a safe bet that the information in this book is very relevant. The descriptions in the...
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...3rd period Elizabethan Theatre The Elizabethan World This theory, based on the Greek philosopher Aristotle’s concept of the universe, was of great importance to Shakespeare’s contemporaries and was used by him in developing events in his plays. According to this idea, everything in the world had its position fixed by God. The Earth was the center of the universe and the stars moved around it in fixed routes. In heaven god ruled over the archangels and angels. On there was order everywhere. Society reflected this order with its fixed classes from the highest to the lowest- kings, churchmen, nobles, merchants, and peasants. The animals had their own degrees too, the lion being the “king”. Plant life and minerals also reflected this order. Among the trees, the most superior was the oak; among flowers, it was the rose. The Elizabethans called this hierarchical structure The Great Chain of Being. There are two major religions in Elizabethan Englan were the Catholic and Protestant religions. The convictions and beliefs in these different religions were so strong that they led to the executiong of many adherents to both of these Elizabethan religions. Elizabethan Court was wherever the Queen happened to be and was made up of all those who surrounded the Queen from servants to the courtiers themselves. Once a year the Queen would go on a progress to the southern counties, but most of the time she resided...
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...The Elizabethan Age (1558 - 1603) refers to the period of Elizabeth 1's reign and is characterized by vigorous intellectual thinking, an age of adventure and discovery, a time in which new ideas and new experiences were sought after. The period revolutionized many aspects of English life, most significantly literature. The Elizabethan Age is considered the Golden Age of English literature. English writers were intrigued and heavily influenced by Italian Renaissance writing and readily adopted this model. This period also saw the introduction of a new genre in English theatre, the tragicomedy, which became very popular. The era is also considered the era of sonnets. The works of writers such as Shakespeare, Wyatt and Thomas Campion became very popular as printed literature and was widely distributed in households. Drama, under Elizabeth's reign, became a unifying influence, drawing people of different social classes together, since watching a play became a common experience and was not exclusively restricted to the gentry or upper class. Commoners and royalty could enjoy the same performance in each other's company, albeit in separate seating arrangements. Elizabethan Literature has so deeply stamped its authority on all future literate endeavors and developments, that we, almost half a millennium later, still study it and admire its exceptional beauty and greatness. Women's Rights were nonexistent Women were meant to be seen and not heard They were baby makers and...
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...Elizabethan Era Research Project Although the Elizabethan Era was very fascinating, it is evident that it was a time of violence as well as prosperity because of its views on crime and punishment. The Queen, Elizabeth I was responsible for much of England’s growth and stability in the economy. To add on, the fashion sense at the time was made up of intricate, detailed clothing that shaped society. Elizabeth I Firstly, Queen Elizabeth I was inherited England’s religious conflict and understood that to remain Queen she would have to gain public support. The years of her reign were one of the most admired in the era, proving why it was named after her. The princess was born to King Henry and wife Anne Boleyn. The people...
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...Many people have wondered what it was like to live in Elizabethan times; to deal with the everyday normal life and to contribute to their society. During this Era, people were still charged with crimes and did receive punishments for their actions like today; yet The Elizabethan Era remained a significant part of our history due to the amount of injustice and cruelty. During this Era a crime committed and the punishment given was based on a person’s placement in society. For a class of Nobility crimes were more unusual or did not happen as often as a crime from a commoner. “The most common crimes of the Nobility included: high treason, blasphemy, sedition, spying, rebellion, witchcraft, murder, and alchemy.” (Alchin). The upper class was wealthy, educated, and involved with the clergymen. They did not feel the need to steal money, but when jealousy was aroused, murder could become a technique to eliminate the enemy. This led to the effect of their crime; the punishment. If the defendant was a part of the highest class in society, then they were already free from a...
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...INDIVIDUAL: What is Human Service What is Human Services BSHS/302 April 9, 2012 Instructor: Joe Spalding INDIVIDUAL: What is Human Services What is Human Services? The need to help someone who cannot meet his or her own basic needs of food, shelter and, health, has been a need that some have fulfilled for centuries dating back to Elizabethan time in England during the 16th century, and which carried over to the original 13 colonies in America. With the creation in 1953 of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by President Eisenhower (HHS.gov, where the professional advocates for improving service systems by attending to the convenience, responsibility, and assortment of professionals and agencies that will carry out services to those in need according to the National Organization of Human Services (NOHS). The skills and intervention strategies for the professional includes the professional themselves. Attaining a level of understanding of one’s own principles and mores is crucial in recognizing these in others. A Clinical assessment, family genograms, psychological testing, and basic counseling techniques will start the professional on the path to finding help for the individual, using patience, active listening skills, observation skills, sympathy, and empathy. Ethical considerations for the professional are treating each client with respect, dignity while apprising clients of limits...
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...Othello, Shakespeare’s words are all determined very conscientiously. This could potentially mean he was crafting a perfect narration to provoke the leaders of his time about the imperfections of the society they live in. The underlying themes throughout the book are extremely plausible claims in order to draw a parallel to an allegory. The most profound theme in Othello is how love can present shameful aspects and hereby, make someone act irrationally. Reputation is a compelling reason for why Othello acts aberrantly. He is proud of the reputation and power he had works so diligently for, therefore, he was not going to let it crumble. Lastly, Othello was an African leader in the Italian military, which was particularly irregular in that era. This feeds into his profound insecurities because he is looked at as an outlier. Clearly, Shakespeare was using this to show how racism is distasteful and people during that time need to end bigotry. Shakespeare is very clearly crafting an allegory with Othello because of the underlying themes of love and its darkness, one’s appearance and insecurities, and narrative on prejudice. The tale of Othello is told through the medium of the protagonist, there is a deeper moral intended to resonate with the reader. Majority of...
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...Grumio is head servant, he comes second in the scene then the other servants…and then Katharina, Petruchio’s wife, whom has no power in the scene. She is manipulated and told what to do by every other character. The dominance creates comedy in this scene as the Elizabethan audience would find is amusing due to the roles played and how people are treated in relation to their rank in society, they would find it funny to see servants challenge their social role so long as they were put back in their place at the end. However, a modern audience is more likely to find the dominance insulting and misogynistic and no amusing at all. Act 4 scene 1 present’s dominance throughout and I am going to explore the comedy Shakespeare reveals through the assertive attitude he displays. At the start of the scene Shakespeare uses sexual connotation during Grumio and Curtis’s comical row. ‘Curtis: Away, you three-inch fool, I am no beast! Grumio: Am I but three inches? Why, thy horn is a goof, and so long am I at the least.’ Lines 19-21. The two servants are caught up in a row due to Grumio’s leadership over the other servants, he in fact hits Curtis which is showing his dominance. The connotation would be seen as funny to the Elizabethan audience as they appear to be insulting each other and because they’re a lower class and even though they are both servants; Grumio thinks he has the upper hand. This is funny as the servants are acting like they...
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