Lecture 3: Romanticism

1 Romantic period
(1798 1830)
terminal dates:
1798 the 1st edition of Lyrical Ballads

1832 death of ir !alter cott and "oethe
Classicism vs. Romantism
Classicism = #$e of Reason
18th c% the a$e of rationalism (reason more dominant than emotion& represented 'y
lo$ic& Loc(ean empiricism& "od is none)istent* peripheral)
form is more important than content& poetry limited to ed+cated reader
Romanticism = Age of Emotion
initiated 'y ,rench re-ol+tion (1789) philosophy of Ro+ssea+* .ant (limits of
reason& e)istence of /transcendental ideas0)
indi-id+al re'ellin$ a$ainst society (society and ci-ili1ation corr+pt nat+ral
innocence)& romantics preocc+pied 2ith the indi-id+al
+n2illin$ness to accept con-entional artistic forms
reli$io+s re-i-al 3 4hristianity +nsatisfyin$& personal search for a spirit+al reality
(Bla(e5 s mytholo$y)
Basic principles of Romanticism:
HEROES: titans* social o+tcasts* prophets not +nderstood 'y comm+nity (society 3
an e-il force)& stron$ desire for personal freedom and independence& e)ceptional men
in e)ceptional circ+mstances
MOO: sad* pessimistic* predominant feelin$ melancholy* spontaneity of feelin$s*
importance of int+ition and instincts
CO!"L#C$: hero -s% comm+nity& indi-id+al -s% society
SE$$#!%: e)otic* orient co+ntries and c+lt+re& interest in the primiti-e and nat+ral
2orld (nat+re 3 home 2here one can li-e close to "od& infl+ence of pino1a "od is
immanent in nat+re)& ideali1ation of the past
%E!RES: 'allads* son$s and fol( poetry& de-elopment of ne2 $enres lyrical and
philosophical epic and drama
"ORM: e)periments 2ith artistic forms& de-elopments of metaphors* sym'ols* the +se
of myth
MA!#"ES$O:
1798 p+'lication of $&e L'rical Balla(s (!% !ords2orth sho+ld s+pply poems
2hose s+'6ect matter 2as ordinary life* nat+re& %7% 4olerid$e those that deal 2ith
s+pernat+ral)
8reface to the Lyrical Ballads (in the 2nd edition in 1800) 'y !ords2orth and
4olerid$e the principles of Romantic poetry
LA!%)A%E: lan$+a$e of poetry sho+ld 'e lan$+a$e of ordinary people& a$ainst
poetic diction of classical poetry it is artificial
ret+rn to ima$ination* le$end* h+man heart
emphasis on li'erty* indi-id+al freedom* passion* emotion
poet is a *RO*HE$* initiator of the tr+th itself* he has the (ey to the hidden mystery
of heart* he $i-es life its meanin$
Pre-romantics:
Robert BURNS, William BLAKE
1st generation: the Lake Poets:
William WORDSWORTH, Samuel Talor !OLER"D#E
2nd generation: Lor$ B%RON, Per& Bsshe SHELLE%, 'oh( KEATS
Victorian Romanticism: Lor$ Al)re$ TENN%SON
Robert BROWN"N#
Lecture +: Renaissance $&eatre
$&e Beginnings of Englis& rama
9th cent+ry: dramatic dialo$+es inserted into the 4hristian masses
miracle plays: plays a'o+t the "ospel characters and the miracles of the saints& later
mo-ed o+t of the ch+rch '+ildin$ into the ch+rchyard and then into the to2n the
process of sec+larisation
mystery plays: presentations of the chosen episodes from Bi'le 'y trade9$+ilds&
porta'le sta$e (:pae$ant5)& dress* ma(e9+p* money
reli$io+s or semi9reli$io+s play: the ;orality tried to teach a moral lesson thro+$h
alle$ory& presentin$ a'stract ideas as tho+$h they 2ere real people& associated 2ith
professional companies ($ro+ps of players tra-elin$ from to2n to to2n* performin$
for money)
1<th cent+ry: =nterl+de a short play performed in the middle of somethin$ else
(feast) incidental entertainment
be)ore *+,- . &ommer&ial theatre barel e/iste$
)irst 0ro)essio(al a&ti(1 &om0a(ies tra2eli(1 &o(sta(tl, touri(1 the &ou(tr
0er)orme$ i( market 0la&es, i((ar
at lar1e &ou(tr houses . i( the 1reat hall
a&tors &lasses as 2a1abo($s . (ee$e$ a li&e(se or sou1ht 0rote&tio( )rom a (oblema( b
be&omi(1 his ser2a(ts
3uee( Elisabeth "4 li&e(se$ a &om0a( o) a&tors . 3uee(5s 6e(
0lahouses (ot allo7e$ i(si$e the &it 7alls i( Lo($o( 8Ba(ksi$e . #lobe, Rose9
2 The Early Elizabethan Drama
(ot theatres but "((s o) !ourt o) Lo($o(
i()lue(&e$ b Se(e&a
THO6AS NORTON : THO6AS SA!K;"LLE: #orbo$u& . bla(k 2erse, almost (o a&tio(
$HOMAS ,-
father of the pop+lar :re-en$e tra$edy5
The Spanish Tragedy (1592) m+rder of >oratio& his father5s re-en$e& earlier -ersion
of the >amlet story
CHR#S$O*HER MARLO.E
Tamburlaine; Doctor Faustus; The Je o! "alta; #dard $$
%ni&ersity 'its( $rad+ates from ?)ford or 4am'rid$e& theatres of London
7he actin$ companies
4ham'erlain5s ;en:
(later called .in$5s ;en)
patron Lord 4ham'erlain controlled all p+'lic performances in @n$land
s+mmer 1<9A ha(espeare 6oins the company
playin$ at the 7heatre
#dmiral5s ;en:
patron Lord #dmiral
playin$ at the Rose
a core of 8910 players
performin$ a different play each afternoon of the 2ee( 3 an actor mi$ht ha-e to
memori1e +p to 30 parts
no 2omen actors
'oys 3 romantic leads& sometimes apprenticed to an older actor 2ho ta+$ht him B
then sold to another company
older men 3 often comical characters
London actin$ companies operated as teams* no leader
players 3 sharers
3 too( an eC+al share in the r+nnin$ of the company (its profits B losses)
sharers employed other helpers (yo+n$ 'oys for 2omen5s parts* 2ardro'e (eeper*
'oo( (eeper loo(in$ after man+scripts* (eepin$ a record of sta$e mo-es* noises off
B props)
cost+mes 'elon$ed to indi-id+al actors
special cost+mes B 2omen5s $o2ns part of the company5 s stoc(
.illiam S&a/espeare
William Shakespeare
A0ril <=, *+>?, Strat)or$@u0o(@A2o(
marrie$ A((e Hatha7a i( *+A<
*+A=@A? birth o) &hil$re(: Susa((a, Ham(et, 'u$eth
*+B> burial o) Ham(et Shakes0eare, his o(l so(
*>-= @ li&e(se to 0la: Ki(1 'ames, u0o( a&&e$i(1 to the
thro(e, 1ra(te$ 7arra(t 8li&e(se9 to Shakes0eareCs &om0a(,
)ormerl the Lor$ !hamberlai(Cs me(, (o7, u0o( the Ki(1Cs
7arra(t, the Ki(1Cs 6e( to 0la a(7here i( the ki(1$om
al7as a7are o) his au$ie(&e . SOLILOQUIES D i(timate
&ommu(i&atio( 7ith the au$ie(&eE &hara&teriFes the s0eakerE
$is&loses his moti2esE a((ou(&es the &ourse o) a&tio( to be
)ollo7e$
.OR,:
1st period: e)perimentation
formal* rather o'-io+s constr+ction& styli1ed -erse
infl+ence of eneca
2nd period: a tr+ly indi-id+al style and approach
3rd period: a dar(er period
$reatest tra$edies* 'itter comedies
Ath period: romantic tra$icomedies
happy endin$& re+nion or final reconciliation
Bankside (Sout!ark"
)rom the mi$$le o) the *+th
&e(tur: &e(ter )or e(tertai(me(t
bull : bear baiti(1, &o&k
)i1hti(1, i((s, brothels, theatres .
The #lobe, the Rose, the S7a(
a($ the Ho0e
)errme( &arri(1 0eo0le u0
a($ $o7( a($ a&ross the ri2er
)la10ole . to a((ou(&e a 0la
$&e %lo0e
@li1a'ethan open9air playho+ses 3 poly$onal '+ildin$s
left plain o+tside* '+t the sta$e B its s+rro+ndin$s 'rilliantly painted
a'o-e: hea-ens
'elo2: hell* +nder2orld
in9'et2een: the 2orld (sta$e)
roofed 2D thatch
ori$inally held 3000 people
Stage
its position determined 'y s+n to2ard the mids+mmer s+nrise
al2ays shaded d+rin$ the performances* a+dience sat in the s+n
a+dience: di-erse* often ro2dy& ro$+es* pic(poc(ets* prostit+tes* ele$ant -isitors
food B drin( sold d+rin$ performances
people 2al(in$ a'o+t B meetin$ friends
Seats
entrance to the yard (standin$ room) 3 1 penny
seated places in the co-ered $alleries: rose to si)pence (rich merchants* no'ility)
seats in the $alleries 'ehind the sta$e 3 the 'est
'ein$ seen more important than seein$
/Let5s hear a play0
fe2 props* no sta$e scenery B li$htin$
foc+s on lan$+a$e
Music
son$s incorporated into plays
accompanied on l+te or -iol* or the sin$er
instr+mental m+sic +sed to con6+re +p a partic+lar atmosphere
the "lo'e5s central 'alcony room con-erted into a m+sicians5 $allery
;E=4=#F: professionals hired 'y the actin$ company or actors themsel-es
7RE;8@7@R: to anno+nce 2hen a play 2as d+e to 'e$in& to anno+nce the entry or
e)it of the royalty
Clot&es
the foremost -is+al tools
commissioned tailored clothes G secondhand clothes of the aristocracy
+rine +sed as stain remo-er
han$in$s: 'ac( of the sta$e
depictin$ fi$+re B scenes
transformin$ the sta$e
"ire 1213
>enry H===: a piece of 2addin$ fired from a sta$e cannon lod$ed in the roof* '+rst into
flames and '+rnt the "lo'e to the $ro+nd
the 2hole a+dience left safely 'y 2 e)it doors
cost+mes* props* man+scripts resc+ed
theatre re'+ilt B reopened the follo2in$ year
1IA2: all London theatres closed +nder the 4ity5s 8+ritan administration
1IAA: the "lo'e demolished
A**RO3#MA$E ORER O" COM*OS#$#O! O" SHA,ES*EARE4S .OR,S
*ER#O COME#ES H#S$OR#ES $RA%E#ES
1<8A
1.
4omedy of @rrors
7amin$ of the
hre2
72o "entlemen of
Herona
>enry H=
Richard ===
.in$ John
7it+s #ndronic+s
1<92 Lo-e5s La'o+r5s
Lost
Hen+s and #donis
Rape of L+crece

1<9A
5.
;ids+mmer
Fi$ht5s Kream
;erchant of
Henice
;erry !i-es of
!indsor
;+ch #do #'o+t
Fothin$
#s Lo+ Li(e =t
Richard ==
>enry =H
>enry H
Romeo and J+liet
1<99
3.
72elfth Fi$ht
7roil+s and
4ressida
;eas+re for
;eas+re
#ll5s !ell 7hat
@nds !ell
J+li+s 4aesar
>amlet
?thello
7imon of #thens
.in$ Lear
;ac'eth
#ntony and
4leopatra
4oriolan+s
1I08
+.
1I13
8ericles
4ym'eline
!inter5s 7ale
7he 7empest
>enry H===