ENGL 220 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Courtly Love, Homoeroticism, Ill Repute
Document Summary
Class and gender and the decline in the value of chivalry reflected in the play as the transition of the medieval period to the early modern era. Shakespeare"s theatre group was sponsored by the lord chamberlain, so he probably didn"t want to offend his financial backer/patron; social prestige behind this sponsorship as well. Runs risk of alienating this high class official. Perhaps it"s not all together a conventional play as it seems to be. Gender and class as performances, vs god has put you to be in this way, and this way is the way you will live in this world. Divine right of kings: kings have power to rule through god; you were born a man or woman, in a particular state and that is the way it will be. Not all the water in the rough rude sea. Can wash the balm from an anointed king;
