English 485 - Shakespeare INTRO Slides

What does the term Renaissance mean?

Rebirth of classical culture, coined by Giorgio Vasari in 1550.

What does the term Early Modern refer to?

The birth of the modern world — a period when modern ideas and systems began.

What years did Queen Elizabeth I rule?

1558–1603.

What years did King James I rule England?

1603–1625 (King of Scotland 1567–1625).

What family ruled England from 1485–1603?

The Tudor family.

What family ruled England from 1603–1714?

The Stuart family.

What was Henry VIII known for?

Breaking from Catholicism and dissolving monasteries.

Why was Elizabeth I called the “Virgin Queen”?

She never married or had a successor.

What major naval event occurred under Elizabeth I?

The defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588.

What was James I’s political belief about monarchy?

The “divine right of kings.”

What plot occurred under James I in 1605?

The Gunpowder Plot.

What version of the Bible did James I authorize?

The King James Bible (1611).

What happened to Charles I in 1649?

He was deposed and executed after the English Civil War.

When did English theaters close?

1642 (due to the Civil War).

What were early types of drama before the 1570s?

Morality plays, mystery cycles, interludes, and university dramas.

What was the first permanent theater in England?

he Red Lion (1567), followed by The Theatre (1576).

What were the two main types of Renaissance theaters?

Amphitheaters (public) and Hall theaters (private).

Who typically attended Hall or Private theaters?

Smaller, wealthier, more educated audiences.

Who typically attended Public theaters?

Larger, more economically mixed audiences, often middle or lower class.

What were "groundlings"?

Standing audience members in the open yard area of an amphitheater.

What was the first Bankside theater

The Rose Theater (1587), run by Philip Henslowe.

What famous playhouse used timbers from The Theatre?

The Globe Theater (built 1599).

Who owned The Globe?

Richard and Cuthbert Burbage and their acting company

What acting company was Shakespeare part of?

The Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later The King’s Men in 1603).

What was the rival company to The Lord Chamberlain’s Men?

The Admiral’s Men

Who was the Master of Revels from 1579–1610?

Edmond Tilney.

What was the Master of Revels responsible for?

Licensing and censoring plays.

What is the focus of the "History of the Book" lecture?

How early modern plays were written

Where was the hub of the book trade in early modern London?

Southwest of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

What was the Stationers’ Company?

A guild founded in 1403 that regulated the book trade and managed the Register of published works.

Why was the Stationers’ Register important?

It recorded titles and rights

What are foul papers?

Unrevised, original manuscripts by the author.

What are fair copies?

Revised, “clean” manuscripts prepared for use or printing.

What are promptbooks?

Annotated editions used for performance

What is a quarto?

A small, inexpensive printed play made by folding a sheet twice to form four leaves (eight pages).

What is a folio?

A large-format edition made by folding a sheet once to form two pages.

What was the first collected edition of Shakespeare’s plays?

The First Folio (1623).

What was the purpose of fair copies in publishing?

To create a legible, edited version suitable for printers or scribes.

Why do scholars study book history in early modern studies?

To trace how plays evolved from performance scripts to published texts.

American Shakespeare influential actors

Edwin Booth (19th Century): a prominent American actor known for his performances in Shakespearean plays, especially as Hamlet, and for being the brother of John Wilkes Booth.

Ira Aldridge (19th Century): the first black Shakespearean actor who gained acclaim in Europe for his powerful performances, breaking racial barriers in theater.

British/English influential shakespearen actors:

Ellen Terry (19th century) 

Sarah Siddons (19th century)

David Garrick (18th century), famous for “The Age of Garrick”