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Renaissance English Theatre as a Political Propaganda Instrument of the English Monarchy

Year 2017, Volume: 3 Issue: 3, 76 - 85, 30.09.2017

Abstract

Influenced from the sociocultural, religious and political changes that happened in England in
the sixteenth century, English Theatre started to desert its medieval characteristics by the
ascendance of Elizabeth I to the English throne in 1558. The influence of Protestantism in
England was extremely high and as such, medieval plays having religious characteristics started
to lose their popularity. In lieu of these plays, various kinds of classical plays, comedies,
tragedies and history plays were staged in newly erected permanent theatre houses, and there
emerged one of the best theatres of all times. Those newly built theatre houses were not only
used for amusement, but also were used with a purpose of the political propaganda of Queen
Elizabeth. So as to monitor the theatre, the most effective mass communication instrument of
Renaissance England, a governmental body called the Master of the Revels maintained the
duties such as licencing and censoring for play companies. This research has studied the general
characteristics of the Renaissance English Theatre and the way Queen Elizabeth I employed the
theatre as an instrument of her political propaganda. 

References

  • Adams, R.P. (1979). Despotism, Censorship, and Mirrors of Power Politics in Late Elizabethan Times, The Sixteenth Century Journal, 10(3), 5–16.
  • Brockett, O.G. (1970). History of the Theatre. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc.
  • Cauthen, I.B. Jr. (1962). Gorboduc, Ferrex and Porrex: The First Two Quartos, Bibliographical Society of the University of Virginia, 15, 231-233.
  • Hoppe, H.R. (1955). English Acting Companies at the Court of Brussels in the Seventeenth Century, The Review of English Studies, 6(21), 26-33.
  • Greenfield, P.H. (2004). Drama Outside London after 1640. In Milling J. & Thomson P. (Eds.), The Cambridge History of British Theatre: Vol. 1 Origins to 1660 (pp. 178-199). United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
  • Grendler, P.F. (ed. in chief). (2004). The Renaissance: An Encyclopedia for Students (Vol. 2). The United States of America: Frank Menchaca.
  • Kellner, D. (2004). The Persian Gulf TV War Revisited. In Stuart A. & Zelizer B. (Eds.), Reporting War: Journalism in Wartime (pp. 136-154). New York: Routledge.
  • Milling, J. (2004). The Development of a Professional Theatre, 1540-1660. In Milling J. & Thomson P. (Eds.), The Cambridge History of British Theatre: Vol. 1 Origins to 1660 (pp. 139-177). United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
  • Montrose, L.A. (1996). The Purpose of Playing: Shakespeare and the Cultural Politics of the Elizabethan Theatre. The United States of America: The University of Chicago Press.
  • Moseley, C.W.R.D. (2007). English Renaissance Drama: an Introduction to Theatre and Theatres in Shakespeare’s Time. United Kingdom: Humanities-Ebooks.co.uk.
  • Murphy, C. (2012). God’s Jury: the Inquisition and the Making of the Modern World. The United States of America: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing.
  • Ostovich, H., Syme, H.S. & Griffin, A. (2009). Locating the Queen’s Men, 1583-1603: Material Practices and Conditions of Playing. England: Ashgate Publishing Limited.
  • Westfall, S. (2004). ‘An Example of Courtesy and Liberality’: Great Households and Performance. . In Milling J. & Thomson P. (Eds.), The Cambridge History of British Theatre: Vol. 1 Origins to 1660 (pp. 200-223). United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
  • White, P.W. (2004). The Bible as play in Reformation England. In Milling J. & Thomson P. (Eds.), The Cambridge History of British Theatre: Vol. 1 Origins to 1660 (pp. 87-115). United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
  • Womack, P. (2006). English Renaissance Drama. USA: Blackwell Publishing.

İngiltere Monarşisinin Siyasi Propaganda Aracı olarak Rönesans İngiliz Tiyatrosu

Year 2017, Volume: 3 Issue: 3, 76 - 85, 30.09.2017

Abstract

16. yüzyılda İngiltere’de meydana gelen sosyo-kültürel, dini ve siyasi değişimlerden etkilenen
İngiliz Tiyatrosu Kraliçe I. Elizabeth’in 1558 yılında tahta çıkmasıyla beraber orta çağa özgü
özelliklerini terk etmeye başlamıştır. Ülkeye hakim olan Protestanlığın da etkisiyle birlikte,
kilise tarafından sahnelenen dini içerikli oyunlar gözden düşmeye başlamıştır. Bunun yerine,
oyun şirketleri tarafından yazılan her türlü klasik, komedi, trajedi ve tarihi oyunların
sahnelendiği büyük tiyatro binaları kurulmuş ve tüm zamanların en önemli tiyatrolarından birisi
ortaya çıkmıştır. Kurulan bu büyük tiyatro binaları, sadece eğlence amacıyla değil, aynı zamanda Kraliçe Elizabeth’in siyasi
propagandasını yapmak amacıyla da
kullanılmıştır. Dönemin en etkili kitle iletişim
aracı olan tiyatroyu denetlemek için Kraliçe’ye
bağlı olarak görev yapan Eğlence İşleri Sorumlusu
(the Master of the Revels) oyun şirketlerine lisans
verme ve oyunları sansürleme görevlerini
yürütmüştür. Bu çalışmada, Rönesans İngiliz
Tiyatrosu’nun genel özellikleri anlatılmış ve
Kraliçe I. Elizabeth’in siyasi propaganda aracı
olarak tiyatroyu nasıl kullandığı araştırılmıştır.

References

  • Adams, R.P. (1979). Despotism, Censorship, and Mirrors of Power Politics in Late Elizabethan Times, The Sixteenth Century Journal, 10(3), 5–16.
  • Brockett, O.G. (1970). History of the Theatre. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc.
  • Cauthen, I.B. Jr. (1962). Gorboduc, Ferrex and Porrex: The First Two Quartos, Bibliographical Society of the University of Virginia, 15, 231-233.
  • Hoppe, H.R. (1955). English Acting Companies at the Court of Brussels in the Seventeenth Century, The Review of English Studies, 6(21), 26-33.
  • Greenfield, P.H. (2004). Drama Outside London after 1640. In Milling J. & Thomson P. (Eds.), The Cambridge History of British Theatre: Vol. 1 Origins to 1660 (pp. 178-199). United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
  • Grendler, P.F. (ed. in chief). (2004). The Renaissance: An Encyclopedia for Students (Vol. 2). The United States of America: Frank Menchaca.
  • Kellner, D. (2004). The Persian Gulf TV War Revisited. In Stuart A. & Zelizer B. (Eds.), Reporting War: Journalism in Wartime (pp. 136-154). New York: Routledge.
  • Milling, J. (2004). The Development of a Professional Theatre, 1540-1660. In Milling J. & Thomson P. (Eds.), The Cambridge History of British Theatre: Vol. 1 Origins to 1660 (pp. 139-177). United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
  • Montrose, L.A. (1996). The Purpose of Playing: Shakespeare and the Cultural Politics of the Elizabethan Theatre. The United States of America: The University of Chicago Press.
  • Moseley, C.W.R.D. (2007). English Renaissance Drama: an Introduction to Theatre and Theatres in Shakespeare’s Time. United Kingdom: Humanities-Ebooks.co.uk.
  • Murphy, C. (2012). God’s Jury: the Inquisition and the Making of the Modern World. The United States of America: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing.
  • Ostovich, H., Syme, H.S. & Griffin, A. (2009). Locating the Queen’s Men, 1583-1603: Material Practices and Conditions of Playing. England: Ashgate Publishing Limited.
  • Westfall, S. (2004). ‘An Example of Courtesy and Liberality’: Great Households and Performance. . In Milling J. & Thomson P. (Eds.), The Cambridge History of British Theatre: Vol. 1 Origins to 1660 (pp. 200-223). United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
  • White, P.W. (2004). The Bible as play in Reformation England. In Milling J. & Thomson P. (Eds.), The Cambridge History of British Theatre: Vol. 1 Origins to 1660 (pp. 87-115). United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
  • Womack, P. (2006). English Renaissance Drama. USA: Blackwell Publishing.
There are 15 citations in total.

Details

Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Kenan Yerli

Publication Date September 30, 2017
Acceptance Date September 25, 2017
Published in Issue Year 2017 Volume: 3 Issue: 3

Cite

APA Yerli, K. (2017). Renaissance English Theatre as a Political Propaganda Instrument of the English Monarchy. Current Research in Social Sciences, 3(3), 76-85.