Renaissance

The introduction of the concept of humanism greatly affected the Renaissance. The Humanistic influence shaped Renaissance art, writing, education and thinkers, its ideas were spread among all aspects of life. Machiavelli”s writings during the Renaissance were also affected by the ideas of humanism. His ideas reflect the thoughts of humanism in the way he thought governments and societies should be organized. Humanism”s influence on art was very obvious, it could be seen slowly infiltrating all art throughout the Renaissance.

At the begging of the Renaissance, most art was very dark and dismal. The works portrayed people doing very menial labor, the people did not seem happy and their clothing was very plain. As the Renaissance progressed and humanism”s influence was more felt the paintings used lighter colors, the people in them were smiling and their clothing many times included gold trim or accents.

The late Renaissance art also has a larger focus on religion, as humanism inspired people in many forms by the use of Humanism came about with the idea that a person should have a very rounded education covering many aspects of society especially history, geometry, and art. During the renaissance as the ideas of humanism spread, especially in its educational sense, more schools and universities were erected and a much higher percentage of people were formally educated. The universities helped many people become educated, and their education helped all of society because many of them went on to challenge their teacher”s rash observations of the world and make reat discoveries.

This proliferation of education was also helped by many inventions such as the printing press which came about because people had more to live for. Many great thinkers during the renaissance were also affected by the ideas of humanism. More people were educated during the renaissance and therefore more intelligent people that simply thought about the world and ways to make it better. These thinkers included Da Vinci, Galileo, and Machiavelli. Leonardo da Vinci was one of the most influential people of the Renaissance.

His notebooks were recovered and they contained schematics of machines that have just recently been invented. His inventions that were ahead of their time just show the inginuity and determination of people during the Renaissance. Another great thinker of the time was Galileo, His works showed the spirit of humanism greatly. Galileo”s works went beyond terrestrial research and his research was many times focused on Machiavelli”s writings were some of the most influential throughout the renaissance.

His writings helped to reform ociety and government after the Renaissance and are still studied today as part of a “modern humanistic” course of study. His writings show humanistic thoughts in many ways, he shows this in his “ideal” orginization of a government this very well. The way he describes the perfect government is with well rounded departments. He also believed that a ruler should not mistreat his citizens, but not pamper them either. Machiavelli”s views were not completely humanistic, though, he did not feel that everyone should have a liberal humanistic education.

Back then, it was also well known as men New Negro Movement”, named after a famous poem titled The New Negro, written by a significant African American philosopher of this era, Lain Locke of 1925. The Renaissance involved many writers associated with Harlem, Manhattan, a ND the migration of African Americans from one part of the U. S. To another. This cultural move meet marked the first time, society as a whole noticed and focused on African American Literal ere.

Although some did not believe that the Renaissance had an influence on African America an literature or the community, Harlem Renaissance became the period in which a group of Africa an American poets reduced amazing literature in three categories of art, essays, and poetry. The New Negro Movement was inspired by Marcus Graver, CEO of The Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNION), Lain Locke, the author of t he poem “New Negro”, and W. E. B Du Bois, an American Civil Rights Activists and editor. The movement motivated blacks and boosted their pride.

African Americans now expanded their culture through deep artwork and literature. Harlem Renaissance did no t only shape American culture, but it also added its own elements to the American tradition n. It offered ewe ways of understanding and visualizing what it meant to be a black back a t this cruel time in history. Iberian, an African historian, states in his book, “Journey Thro ugh the Power of the Rainbow,” that “The best of humanity recorded history is a Cree dative balance between the horrors endured and victories achieved, and so it was d urine The Harlem Renaissance. (Iberian, 81 . ) This explained and proved that the move moment led to new philosophical ideas regarding all the conflicts African Americans expert encode in the twenties of America. This significant change in the mindset of African Name scans stuck throughout centuries and still carries on even today. Harlem Renaissance is among literary and artistic movements due to it’s connection to Civil Rights and reform organizations. It encircled everything fro political pieces to jazz poetry. This era brings along some great poets, such as , Claude McKay, James Weldon Johnson, and Counted Culled.

Longboats Hughes was by far one of the best poets on this period. The Crisis Magazine, the official magazine of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) that WA s mainly subscribed to blacks only. Negro World, the newspaper authored by Marcus Graver was the reason why African American writing was published. The Harlem Renaissance helped African Americans draw up a vision and gain opportunities for publications. The publications included poetry, short SST orgies, and essay sent it by black writers.

This encouraged more to write and express thee r feelings through art, expression was a new way of feeling free. Harlem was described by Lain Locke (1 8861 954) “as not being the largest Negro populated community, but the first concentration in history of s mom many diverse elements of Negro life”  The Renaissance was related to “The New Negro 1925)” edited by Lain Locke, was the closest written statement that ideally list Ted The Harlem Renaissance. Locke promoted musicians, writers, and artist to look to Africa as an inspiration of their works.

The New Negro describes the awareness and the e hope for black equality, he states no longer would blacks allow themselves to adjust themselves with unreasonable white requests. ” Here he IS creating an awareness on self inference that blacks have gained throughout the years of inequality. In fact, Houston A. Baker’s, in book “Modernism and the Harlem Renaissance,” indicates that “Locke success deed in writing our first national book, offering … The sounds, songs, images, and gig NSA off nation.  Baker is praising Locke for writing the New Negro book because it represents the beginning Of the Harlem Renaissance, and African American us e it to boost their self confidence. The power in Lock’s poetry was held in people an d made them look through their actions and behaviors, and also view life from a differ perspective. Locke has a great influence on literature, and he encouraged Poe pale to illustrate African and African American subjects in their writing. It is very vivo us that The Harlem Renaissance gave black people a cultural difference through liter tauter.

Literature was a great way to people used to show their emotions, pain, and motivation. W. E. B Du Bois is an African American editor and author, who wanted equal rights for African American. He used literature to spread motivation for the blacks. He was an ardent peace activists and advocate reduction of racism. Du Bois p published his collection of 14 essays named, “The Souls of Black Folk”, in 1903, and these sees says helped show the intellect of black race. He was a literary and cultural inspiration on that eloped activate the Harlem Renaissance and the powerful art about the Africa n American experience.

Du Bois used his influential role in Crisis magazine to expose and oppose racism and injustices, such as lynching and segregation. He promoted African American artistic talents in his writing called “A Negro Art Renaissance. ” He wanted black k artist to realize their ethical assignment by being committed to showing the issue of RA Coal equality in their work; in response to their own experience. His writings are a defining text of the The Negro Movement because of its deep effect on an entire genre action that retreated the center of Harlem Renaissance.

This movement produced work the at was both initiated and an engaged with the African American culture. The Harlem Renal seance created African American literature in the United States and influence on man y authors throughout the twentieth century. The Harlem Renaissance was a transformable period in time when poetry chaw engaged a nation of Parliamentarians to an incredible level. Longboats Hughes was one of the leading black writers in that time period, and wrote many different types of lit ratter. He wrote and created a new literary art form called jazz poetry.

His poem “The N grog Speaks of Rivers,” provides solid unity for the African American history. His pop covered the issues faced by Parliamentarians with a combination of music, cheerfulness, and culture. Hughes essay spoke to the concerns of the Harlem Renaissance as it celebrated African American creative innovations such as blues, spirituals , jazz, and literary work that engaged African American life. The Harlem Renaissance was a rebirth of African American culture in New Your City. Literature from the Harlem Renaissance inspired many modern writers s such as Alice Walker, Impair Brake, Maya Angelo, and Toni Morrison.

It also influence Martin Luther King’s “l Have A Dream” speech because the speech seems to be closely related to Longboats Hughes poem “Let America be America Again”. Harlem Re nuisance provided a very important advancement in African American Art and Literature Inspiration from Longboats Hughes and Lain Locke are witnessed in modern c ultra and society. Even though the movement has been over since, the effects of the AU thorns and words written are still generally known today. In conclusion, the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance has opened doors for Todd ayes African American writers.

The Harlem Renaissance was the internal spring for Parliamentarians branching out into the world on their own desire. The renal seance opened a new dimension for Parliamentarians and brought about the realization of “l can do it, and do it with dignity, grace, and style. ” This time period in history was not just a nation anal movement, but an impact creating a revolution Of sorts. Harlem saw a nonbelievers work per excellence, in various fields, which gave Parliamentarians a renewed image and a fresh outlet ask. Harlem Renaissance has been the breeding ground for creative endeavors by authors , poets, and artists.

Art of the middle ages (which lasted from the 5th to the 13th century) was very religious in tone and content, especially in Europe. Art was overwhelmingly funded by the church, as the catholic church was the dominating force in European politics and had a greater influence than the political state. Portraits of the Madonna were very common. Paintings were very often produced by members of religious orders such as monasteries. It is interesting to note that most of the art produced was in the form of paintings often done in illustrated manuscripts. The figures in paintings reduced in this era were very flat.

The colors were very muted most of the time, with the exception of using real gold leaf as an accent. The figures in paintings of the era rarely had shadows and possessed narrow faces with solemn expressions. There was no perspective in art of the middle ages; all of the paintings were flat and one- dimensional. Artists of the era made little to no attempt at realism. There was a fair amount of artistic evolution towards the end of the era. Paintings became brighter in color and tended towards more realistic imagery. Perception Egan to develop, causing images to look less flat.

Paintings began to use different lighting and incorporate shadows. Art in the Medieval era evolved into more realistic imagery. (“Middle Ages Art. ” Middle Ages Art. N. P. , n. D. Web. 15 DCE. 2013. ) The evolution in art of the later middle ages culminated with the Renaissance era (the 14th to 16th centuries). It refers to a cultural rebirth. The influence of the church began to wane, allowing for the political states to regain power. The move towards secularism bled into the art of this era. Art was patronized less by the church and ore by wealthy, independent investors who were usually royalty of some sort.

Renaissance artists began to study perspective. They used figures with more emotions. Oil paints in brighter colors became more commonly used. Paintings incorporated brighter sources of light. Thus the paintings of the Renaissance era became far more realistic. As it is a rebirth, the art of the Renaissance era was heavily influenced by classic Greek and Roman art. Classical mythology became a subject for many works. Artists of the era portrayed gods such as Mars, the Roman do of war, in ways similar to how he was portrayed by the ancient Romans.

The influence of the Greeks and Romans also gave more believable proportions to human figures. The images of clothing looked more realistic, giving them the illusion of movement and fluidity. (“Characteristics Of Renaissance Art. ” Characteristics Of Renaissance Art. N. P. , 9 May 2011. Web. 15 DCE. 2013. ) Art of the era had a greater focus on naturalism. Paintings of realistic landscapes became increasingly common. They were made realistic by an increased understanding of believable space and perspective. The sense of depth became more realistic.

The study of perspective allowed for spaces to look more realistic as backgrounds, which was not something that was focused on during the middle ages. The Renaissance was the culmination of all the social, political, and religious changes of the middle ages. It was reflected in the religious tones of art in the middle ages. And while art of the Renaissance became more secular and broader in subject matter, there was still a great deal of religious art. Catholics of the middle ages became interested in Greek and Roman mythology, which became a common theme n Renaissance art.

The Catholic church began to look more at Greek philosophy. The middle ages began to consider the human condition, which ended up as a common theme during the Renaissance. The middle ages were entirely ruled by the church. But during the Renaissance, there was a bit of a backlash due to heavy corruption. The art of the Renaissance was far less religious in tone. It explored more themes, such as philosophy, the human condition, and the mythology of the Greeks as Romans. The church commissioned nearly all of the art produced during the middle ages, which is the reason for the overwhelming theme of religion.

The Madonna and many Catholic saints are portrayed in the art of that era, and it was often produced by members of the church, clergy, or monasteries. With the shift away from the church during the Renaissance, the art of the era became more secular. The greatest difference between the styles of the middle ages and the Renaissance is realism. While art of the middle ages predominantly lacked a realistic look, it became the focus of most Renaissance art. Perspective was also introduced near the beginning of the Renaissance era, lending greater depth to paintings reduced in this era.

While the paintings of the middle ages looked flat with slightly dull colors, the paintings of the Renaissance era had depth and became more vibrant in color due to the increased use of oil paints. (“The Relationship between the Middle Ages and Renaissance. ” Web log post. Pious Fabrications. N. P. , 30 Cot. 2011. Web. 15 DCE. 2013. ) Madonna and Child was painted by Paolo did Giovanni Fee during the sass’s. The colors are muted, but the background and the frame are leafed in gold. The figures, especially the hands of both and the feet on the baby, are unrealistic.

To what extent is the term “Renaissance” a valid concept for a distinct period in early modern European history? Prior to the 14th century, the Middle Ages revolved around the basic understanding of the Bible. Middle to lower class citizens relied heavily on the teachings of the priest’s and blindly followed their ways of living. The church discouraged any new concepts and believed that life on Earth was simply a preparation for the after life.

The Renaissance, ranging from the 14th to 16th entries, became a distinct period in European history due to the increase in trade, influence of art and the artist, and the growing phenomenon of individual thinking, as this will lead to future exploration and economic advances. Italy, the epicenter of Renaissance culture, was able to advance their society through a growth in economic stability. As ships and trade routes began to advance technologically, the Italian merchant class also grew.

Italian merchants and sailors would import goods from all over Europe, such as wool from England, and ship them o other countries. The risks of such endeavors were high, but the end profit was even higher. This new industry not only stabilized the Italian economy, but it eventually led to the development of the Urban Nobility class, who strongly contributed to the Renaissance efforts. During the Renaissance, the influence of art and the artist grew extensively. Artists in the Middle Ages worked strictly on religious pieces for the church and many struggled to make a reasonable living.

Art during the Renaissance was in high demand. Every rich and powerful family used works of art as a way to flaunt their wealth and demonstrate their lavish lifestyle. The technique of dark and light was added to show depth and dimension. Artists also began to use realism, painting more realistic faces and bodies, as this was a newly accepted style. Some of the highly influential Renaissance artists include Michelangelo, Leonardo dad Vinci, Raphael, and Ghetto. Their works were not only revolutionary for their time, but they continue to be inspirations for the modern day artist.

Through the invention of the printing press, revolutionary thinkers were able to communicate their theories to the mass population, an opportunity that was never accessible prior to the Renaissance. Three main proprietary concepts were developed in this time. The ideas of humanism, individualism, and secularism dominated the Renaissance culture like never before. Humanists emerged with a newfound interest in the classics. They studied these works in order to discover more about human nature.

Individualists prioritize the potential of the human being. They believed that everyone should have to opportunity to be the best they can possibly be. Secularism was the basic concern with the material world, as opposed to the spiritual world. These ideas strongly opposed the teachings of the church, yet they continued to spread rapidly and strongly. Coming out of a banal period in western culture, the Renaissance brought on countless revolutionary thinkers that worked to open the eyes of their peers and make an impact on society.

The Renaissance was an explosion of revolutionary ideas that spread all across Europe. For the first time in centuries, artists, merchants, writers, and philosophers alike were able to express themselves in an amazing way. Many of the greatest minds that we often look back to for inspiration originated from the Renaissance era. Their ideas made a lasting impact on culture, then and now. The Renaissance would not have been such a distinct period if not for the combined efforts of every possible industry and art form.

Patronage in northern Europe is different from the one in Italy. In the early renaissance, main patron in Italy is the Medici family. This big merchant family benefits a lot from the fast development of Italian economy. They spent a large number of funds on art region, promoting the renaissance to expand. However, in the Northern Europe, English and France still fought each other in the Hundred-Year war. Two competing Popes still resided in Rome and Avigon. These conflicts influenced the economic system of Northern Europe so patrons were unable to provide funds as much as the Medici did.

Dukes of Burgundy were major patrons of that age. Patrons provided financial supports for artists to create while their requirements also influenced and limited the styles and contents. The art works had prominent features for private use. For instance, Some Dukes preferred furnishings and tapestries so the forms of art were influenced. Small altarpieces became popular as well. Because of the interests of the patrons, the styles and contents of art work were limited. Oil painting became popular because it could facilitate the exactitude in rendering details.

With oil medium, artists created richer color than previously had been ossible, giving their paintings an intense tonality, the illusion of glowing light and enamel-like surfaces. Robert Campin was one of the earliest masters of oil painting. His most famous work is Merode altarpiece, a private commission for household prayer. Oil painting allowed the artist to paint every detail subtly. Jan van Eyck was also an artist who paid much attention on details. He used color to depict the soft texture of hair, the luster of pearls and the flashing of gems.

In Italy renaissance, artists focused more on the scientific methods combining color using while artists in Northern Europe tended to depict the appearance. Donor portraits, which meant portraits of the individuals who donated the works, were another form of art pieces in that era. In Jan van Eyck’s Ghent Altarpiece, two of the exterior panels depict the donors, Jodocus Wd and his wife. Jan van Eyck was the first Netherlandish painter to achieve international fame. He was the count painter of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy.

In Italy Renaissance, artists preferred the classical culture and revealed the Greeks and Romes. The sculpture David by Donatello was a good example of their interest. However, in Northern Europe, artists worked more on the religion and bible. For example, Jan van Eyck’s Ghent Altarpiece was about the bible. Dirk Bouts was a later Flemish painter. In his “Last supper”, he did not focus on the biblical narrative itself, but presented Christ in the role of a priest instead.

This painting employed single vanishing-point perspective and included four servants in Flemish attire. Hugo van der Goes’s “Portinari Altarpiece” was a rare instance of the awarding of a major commission in Florence to a Flemish painter. Hugo van der Goes was good at the depicting of details and the human character as well. Influenced by the Gothic style, Northern European paintings were more realistic while Italian paintings were more naturalistic. Matthais Grunewald was German Renaissance painter.

His works focused on religion, but they also had specific meanings for viewers. In his work “Isenheim Altarpiece”, Grunewald presented his altarpiece’s iconography to be particularly meaningful for viewers at Isenheim hospital. The painting depicted Bosch was the most famous Netherlandish painter. Bosch was the most imaginative and enigmatic painter of his era. Scholars cannot find a universal interpretation of his work “Garden of Earthly Delights”. This was similar to Leonardo’s “Mona Lisa”. They were both mysterious.

But the content should be more similar to Raphael, who did more on humanism. Albrecth Durer was a dominant artist in Holy Roman Empire. His style was more similar to Leonardo. Like Leonardo, Durer also did much research on perspectives and the ideal in human proportions. In short, Northern Europe Renaissance occurred after the Italy Renaissance, but it developed its own styles rather than imitate Italian style simply. Due to the regional differences, various styles and cultures made the Renaissance era rich and colorful.

Elizabethan England (in the mid 1500’s to early 1600’s) was dubbed the “Golden Age” because England was thriving, culturally, socially, and economically. England had earned riches from Latin America in gold and tobacco, Queen Elizabeth had resolved all international conflicts, and England was one of the most advanced countries in world exploration.

Additionally, the arts were thriving, with “Shakespeare’s masterpieces of the stage, Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, Edmund Spenser’s Faerie Queen, and Sir Philip Sidney’s Defence of Poesie” being written and performed on stage all in this period. Most everyone was financially stable, and London was the hub for fine arts. Who was Queen Elizabeth and what kind of influence did she have on English culture of the time? Queen Elizabeth I, her reign extending from 1558 to 1603, was one of the most prominent powers of the world and her legacy is still remembered today.

“London became a cultural and commercial center where learning and literature thrived” while she was in power, as she believed the arts should remain intact and was even a fan of theatres being built everywhere in London. At the beginning of her reign, “there were violent clashes throughout Europe between Protestant and Catholic leaders and their followers”. She was able to resolve these issues and England rose from these conflicts to world supremacy. What was the political climate of Elizabethan England?

How was this climate different than the age immediately preceding Elizabethan times? As mentioned before, there was much conflict between Protestants and Catholics, but when Queen Elizabeth came into power, she mades sure that England and all areas within control were made peaceful once more. This allowed for political tensions to ease, and thus the Golden Age began. During this time, “England was firmly established as a leading military and commercial power in the Western world”.

What was the role of women in Elizabethan England, and how did it compare to the role of men? Women married quite young, the youngest average being around 17 and the oldest being around 24. They wore floor-length dresses (often times with corsets or the like), and very rarely worked. If they did, it was mostly domestic duties like sewing and tailoring. Men, on the other hand, enjoyed all areas of life: working, going to the theatre, traveling around London as they pleased, with their wives (their property) waiting for them at home most often.

However, the degree of their leisure depended on what family a man had been born into, whether it be rich or poor. Still, men were still considered above women and the social and political climates reflected as much. What were the major social classes of the time, and about what percentage of the population did these classes comprise? Within royalty, the highest in the rankings were dukes, the second highest were marquises, and then descending from there, there were earls, viscounts and barons.

In normal society, however, there were the highest rankings in the social sphere: nobility, knights, esquires and clergy, the medium ranking in the social sphere: landholding commoners (freeholders, leaseholders, and copyholders), and the lower ranking: townsfolk, laborers, servants, and the lowest of lows: the unemployed or “beggars”. What forms of entertainment were most popular? Theatre was above all the most popular entertainment (even Queen Elizabeth enjoyed it). Other forms of entertainment included tennis, and bowling on the lawn, also known as just “bowls”. And of course, gossip was one of the preferred pastimes.

The Renaissance Theatre By Macey Colburn, Brendan Simpson, Dayana Romero and Bryan D During the late fourteenth through the early seventeenth century an awaking of the arts and learning boomed in the western world. This awaking or rebirth is known as the Renaissance. The Renaissance era was a glorious time. European politics changed dramatically there was a rise of kings and princes and merchants became key economic figures. As people started to accumulate more money they had leisure time to fill and would become eager to show off their fortune by hiring artists to create extravagant works for them.

During the Renaissance there was an apparent change in the art from medieval art. Medieval artists focused on religious subjects in their paintings and sculptures where Renaissance artists focused on human beings and creating realistic paintings and sculptures. In 1450 the printing press was invented and this made literature available to great numbers of people. The Renaissance also saw an impressive development in theatre, especially in Italy, England, Spain, and France. The English Renaissance was a time when language and literature flourished.

This period is often called the Elizabethan period because Queen Elizabeth was the major political figure. She reigned for forty-five years from 1558 to 1603. During this time the English were intrigued by language and Queen Elizabeth was an amateur linguist. Not only did the English love language they also had a love for the theatre. Two great playwrights of the Elizabethan era were Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare. Christopher Marlowe, one of the most important playwrights of the Elizabethan era, was known for perfecting a key element to theatre; dramatic poetry.

Marlowe’s “mighty line” also known as his dramatic verse in iambic pentameter developed strength, subtlety, and suppleness as well as great lyric beauty. Marlowe wrote several plays including Doctor Faustus (c. 1588) Tamburlaine (Parts 1 and 2; c. 1587) and Edward II (c. 1592). Unfortunately this lyric genius’ life was cut short when he was stabbed to death in a tavern brawl in 1593. He died at the age of twenty- nine. The other great playwright of this era was William Shakespeare. Shakespeare appeared on the theatre scene around 1590 just about the time Marlowe made his debut. He was a native of Stratford-on-Avon and his father was a glove aker and his mother was the daughter of a prominent landowner and farmer. Shakespeare was educated in Stratford and he married Ann Hathaway. She bore him three children and was several years older than Shakespeare. By the time Shakespeare’s third child was born he left his family and went to London where he first worked as an actor and soon after became a playwright. He combined Senecan dramatic devices, the platform stage, powerful dramatic verse, source material form English history, Roman history and drama, and episodic plot structure and made all these elements into the most remarkable plays ever created.

The theatres that were big during the Elizabethan era were public or outdoor theatres. The plays of Shakespeare and Marlowe were mainly performed in public theatres. These theatres where located outside the city limits of London to avoid government restrictions. All levels of society attended public theatres and the most famous public theatre was the Globe theatre because it was the home of Shakespeare’s plays. The theatres were built to hold a lot of people and the exact shape of the theatres varied.

Depending on the shape of the theatres the public theatres could hold between 1,500 to 3,000 people. The stage of the public theaters was a raised platform that was closer to a contemporary thrust than to a proscenium stage. This kind of stage was great for quickly changing locations from a bedroom to a battlefield. In the stage floor were trapdoors. Behind the raised platform was the stage house. The stage house also known as the tiring house was a three story building where changing costumes took place and for storing properties and set pieces.

Other than the public theatre there were also private theatres. The Elizabethan private theatres were indoor spaces lit by candles and had high windows. Private theatres were open to the general public and because they were smaller seating was limited so the private theatres were a bit pricier than the public theatres. Costumes of the Elizabethan Era followed the conventions and traditions of medieval English theatre. During the English Renaissance the monarchy had strict laws and regulations for the acting companies.

Elizabethan acting companies could only have twenty five members and these members were organized on a sharing plan. There were three categories of personal in a company: shareholders, hirelings, and apprentices. Shareholders were the elite members of the company and received a percentage of the troupes profits. Hirelings were actors that were hired for a certain amount of time and were paid a specific salary and played the minor roles. Apprentices were the young performers. They trained for a profession and were assigned to shareholders. Players were a royal pleasure, and to please royalty was a major aim of the companies. The story of the companies between 1572 and 1642 is one of increasing royal favor and protection, from first 1572 statute which gave warrant to their quality, through the accolade of direct royal patronage after 1603, to final period when the royal protection ceased to be meaningful. There is, none the less, despite the royal favours and the origins of the companies in employment as entertainers – Adult mummers or boy choristers – no question but that the profit motive was totally predominant” (Gur 19).

During this time there were no female performers. Women’s roles were often played by boys or men. “The exact date of the actress’s debut is not known, but is usually assumed to be 8 December 1660, when it is known that a woman played Desdemona in a production of Othello by Thomas Killigrew’s King’s Company. A special prologue was written by the poet Thomas Jordon ‘to introduce the first Woman that came to act on the stage in the tragedy called the Moor of Venice’: “The Woman playes today, mistake me not, / No Man in Gown, or Page in PettyCoat.

A week later one Andrew Newport wrote to Sir Richard Leveson that ‘upon our stages we have women actors, as beyond seas’ ”(Howe 19). Companies would rarely perform the same play on two consecutive days and each company had to be able to revive plays in its repertory on very short notice. Because of this the actors were kept on their toes and improvisation was used frequently. Also to keep the actor’s memories refreshed plots or outlines of the dramatic action of the various plays were posted backstage.

Rehearsals were run by playwrights or leading actors and because rehearsal time was minimal the prompter became an asset to the production. Not only in England flourish in great age of renaissance theatre but so did Spain. In the 1550 to 1650 was the Golden Spain Age. Spain became the leading of the New World because of its exploration and conquest of the new world. They controlled all of the Netherlands. But in 1558 it lost it power because of the defeat of Spanish Armada. The Spanish Armada was when Spain was going for the protestant of Queen Elizabeth in England.

One of their difference between the Spanish and the English, was the religion drama. Spanish were the ones that practice more about non religion drama. The full-length secular, as to being three acts, which were comedias. Most of the comedias were about love and honor. One of the play writes of the Golden Age was Lope de Vega who was born on November 25, 1562 after Shakespeare. He wrote about 1,500 plays but said about 470 still today. One of his well known Punishment without Revenge that was written in 1631. Just a few years before he died on August 27, 1635.

Another known play wright was Calderon de la Barca who was born in Madrid, Spain on January 17, 1600. He was known to be one of the greatest dramatists during the Golden Age. One of his well known plays was Life is a Dream that he wrote in 1636. In 1651 Calderon became a priest and still continue to write plays. May 25, 1681. During the Golden Age there were females that were playwrights, but their production was never presented. These playwrights were presented on a stage called Corrales. The Corrales were located in the courtyard by close together building.

The Corrales had a similarity to the English public theater. They had an open- air space. One of the most known Corrales was located in Madrid, the Corral de la Cruz and the Corral del Principe. In the corral it held about 2,000 specters, 1,000 were for men and 350 for women, and the rest was for the government and the clergy. In the Golden Age only about sixteen to twenty performers. The Spanish did include the women also unlike the English. Although the church did not agree with women being performers, so the Spanish government had to eliminate women from acting.

Only women who were married to one of the actors they could be part of the performance. The Renaissance era of theater in France started later than it did on other countries such as England or Spain. In France, Renaissance theater did not start until the late seventeenth century, partially due to a civil war going on at the time between Catholic and Protestant parties, which was brought to an end in fifteen ninety four when King Henry the IV created the Edict of Nantes, which gave tolerance to both the Catholic and protestant religions.

Now that there was religious stability and the political system was settled down, French society was able to grow and flourish under King Louis XIV. During this time France sent expeditions to Canada and the Louisiana Territory in America. During this period of peace in france, the society was influenced greatly by the innovations and ideas of the Italian Renaissance. Many aspects of French theater were taken from themes of the Italian Renaissance. Even though there were many playwrights during this period, a few of the most important were Moliere, Pierre Corneille, and Jean Racine.

Moliere was most widely known for his comedies while Corneille and Racine were known for their tragedies. Out of these three writers, Moliere was probably the most influential to the french Renaissance. He was not only a dramatist, but he actually acted as well and headed up a theatrical troupe. His first couple ventures into theater were failures, but he soon learned from his mistakes and came back as one of the most influential playwrights in the history of French Renaissance.

His work was strongly influenced by Italian commedia dell’arte and uses this style in his plays such as “Tartuffe”, “The Misanthrope”, and “The Miser”. This style uses exaggerated characters and makes fun of the exaggerations that the characters portray. Corneille and Racine also wrote some notable plays such as Corneille’s play “The Cid” and Racine’s play “Phaedra” but some of their plays were looked at in a negative manner for their writing style or lack of following the rules of playwriting at the time.

The style of theaters and performance stages used in France during the Renaissance period were also unique. One notable theater was in the Hotel de Bourgogne. It was a long narrow platform stage which was the only indoor theater in Paris for almost a century until sixteen thirty four. There was also a strong Italian influence in the theaters in France as well. The amphitheaters were a good example of this. Even though the architecture differed slightly, they still consisted of a stage that backed up to a wall with rows of bleacher like seating in front of the stage.

In the sixteen fifties, Louis XIV built a theater called the Hall Of Machines. This was the largest playhouse in Europe and enabled sets to be lowered onstage from above the stage. Even though the French Renaissance did not start as early as other countries, and some of their ideas were borrowed from other countries such as Italy, it still had an influence on theater and produced some great writers and actors such as Moliere’s work became prominent at the time. Corneille and Racine’s tragedies were also notable at the time.

But despite the fact that France had some innovations in theater and some great plays, most of their theatrical traditions were heavily patterned after the already established ways of Italian theater and designs. MLA Citations Sources: http://www. cwu. edu/~robinsos/ppages/resources/Theatre_History/Theahis_8. html VIII. The Theatre in France–1500-1700, Scott R. Robinson Howe, Elizabeth. “Chapter 1. ” The First English Actresses. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1992. Viii+. Print. Gurr, Andrew. “2. The Companies. ” The Shakespearean Stage 1574-1642. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1970. 1-183. Print.