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

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

Kenan Yerli

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. 

Keywords

Elizabethan Drama, Renaissance English Theatre, Political Propaganda, Mass Communication

İngiltere Monarşisinin Siyasi Propaganda Aracı olarak Rönesans İngiliz Tiyatrosu

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.

Keywords

Elizabeth Tiyatrosu, Rönesans İngiliz Tiyatrosu, Siyasi Propaganda, Kitle İletişim

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