English Renaissance Theatre: Plays Of The Renaissance Period

These plays are sometimes called Renaissance history plays. They mainly refer either to William Shakespeare’s works or the plays of other well-known writers from the past. They can also be called Elizabethan, as they were performed most frequently during Queen Elizabeth’s reign. Renaissance plays were usually performed in the medieval time traditions such as mystery plays. They were performed in the middle ages, and mainly had religious themes. Later, however, they were performed at secular events. These amateur actors were eventually replaced by professional performers. These plays could be performed privately or publicly depending on one’s social status.

Public theatres were established to make the renaissance stage more viable. They could be large enough to generate income and would allow drama to last longer than it was a temporary phase. Archaeological evidences indicate that although the overall plans of these theatres were similar, they were all built in different times. The public theatres had three stories up and were built around the central space. The area to the left of the stage could have served as a balcony, similar to in Romeo and Juliet. Except for a few theatres, they were almost all round. There were two types of theatres: public and private. This allowed people to choose the best place to see the plays. In contrast to modern times, a play may last for several months. Costumes worn by the players were extravagant and bright. They were both captivating and contemporary. Sometimes, the leading player would wear a more historic and conventional version. With time, many playwrights emerged as London’s population grew. Some plays written during Queen Elizabeth’s reign are lost, but others remain. The plays were written by the playwrights and performed on a daily basis. Once the plays were sold to companies, the playwrights had no control or ownership whatsoever.

Playwrights could only write one or two plays per year. Shakespeare wrote 40 solo verses in a single year. Shakespeare also performed as an actor because he owned shares in his company. Due to the limitation of writing only two plays in one year, the playwrights had the option to combine their efforts and share the rewards of writing the plays. Shakespeare’s play Henry the Fifth was written in the middle of the medieval period. Also, there were comedies that were performed at this time such as the City Comedy. Only a handful of plays from this time were printed. However, some contemporary researchers argued that printing the plays was too risky. Others disagreed. They believed that entertainment was evil and the puritan movement was growing. They supported the monarchy, the aristocracy as well as the cause for the royalist. The puritan movement rose in power, and they closed the theatres. They were then reopened later, when the monarchy was restored.

The plays that were performed after the theatres were restored were largely the same ones as before, even though they were presented in modified forms. These plays were given a new character by the addition of some new genres. This time saw the fame of many Shakespeare plays, as well as collaborations with other playwrights.