EN 2250 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Metatheatre, Double Entendre, Utopia
Document Summary
Theatres in shakespeare"s time were much more intimate. A great deal is required of the imagination in theatre; there are very little props. Stages are raised; could have trapdoors, fairies under the stage. In the cheap seats, people can see what was under. If you did not have the audience"s attention, the groundlings could crawl under the stage and get up to no good, popping out of trapdoors. Costuming; getting people into character was all that was needed; no fancy effects. No more theatre in the round or renting places; a building was made dedicated for theatre. No barrier between the audience and actors. Audience called upon to imagine; suspend disbelief. Talk about dawn and sunset to know what time of day it is. Poetry is at the top in terms of literature hierarchy. Step forward onto the stage so you knew they were talking to themselves. Could be given by commoners or kings.
