Robert Burns is
Scotland’s bard, but there is some evidence that more than a century before
Burns was even born, William Shakespeare made a visit north of the border.
Have you heard the one about Elizabeth I, James VI and William Shakespeare? The story begins in 1599 when Elizabeth I (old and childless) was struggling to cope with rebellious courtiers, difficult wars in Ireland and elsewhere, and the threat of a Spanish invasion. One of her few pleasures came from private performances by troupes of actors, and the Lord Chamberlain’s Men – with Shakespeare as a member – was one of her favourites.
In Scotland, James VI waited for Elizabeth to die, desperate to be named as her successor. But the Queen kept stringing him along, and meanwhile he had to deal with his own rebels, as well as the religious extremists of the Presbyterian kirk (relating or belonging to a Christian group that as members especially in Scotland and the US ) who openly defied ( to refuse to obey a person, decision, law, situation, etc.) him.
It was for good reason he wore a stab-proof tunic. Shakespeare was not having an easy time either. The Chamberlain’s Men (The Lord Chamberlain's Men was a company of actors, or a "playing company" as it would have been known, for which Shakespeare wrote for most of his career. Richard Burbage played most of the lead roles, including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth while Shakespeare himself performed some secondary roles) had recently been shut out of their own theatre, and were forced to dismantle it and rebuild it in Southwark (a borough, a division of a large town, of S central Greater London, on the River Thames:site of the Globe Theatre, now reconstructed; the former docks and warehouses have been redeveloped ), as the Globe.
Shakespeare owned a share in the new venture, but was under pressure. Not only did he have to keep writing hit plays, but the playhouses of London were under threat of closure. The Privy Council (the private council of the British sovereign, consisting of all current and former ministers of the Crown and other distinguished subjects, all of whom are appointed for life) and civic authorities wanted the theatres ‘plucked down’ ( to pull something, especially with a sudden movement, in order to remove it) because they feared the plays encouraged immoral behaviour and sedition. Regular outbreaks of the plague also closed the playhouses, forcing actors to go on tour in the provinces.
Have you heard the one about Elizabeth I, James VI and William Shakespeare? The story begins in 1599 when Elizabeth I (old and childless) was struggling to cope with rebellious courtiers, difficult wars in Ireland and elsewhere, and the threat of a Spanish invasion. One of her few pleasures came from private performances by troupes of actors, and the Lord Chamberlain’s Men – with Shakespeare as a member – was one of her favourites.
In Scotland, James VI waited for Elizabeth to die, desperate to be named as her successor. But the Queen kept stringing him along, and meanwhile he had to deal with his own rebels, as well as the religious extremists of the Presbyterian kirk (relating or belonging to a Christian group that as members especially in Scotland and the US ) who openly defied ( to refuse to obey a person, decision, law, situation, etc.) him.
It was for good reason he wore a stab-proof tunic. Shakespeare was not having an easy time either. The Chamberlain’s Men (The Lord Chamberlain's Men was a company of actors, or a "playing company" as it would have been known, for which Shakespeare wrote for most of his career. Richard Burbage played most of the lead roles, including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth while Shakespeare himself performed some secondary roles) had recently been shut out of their own theatre, and were forced to dismantle it and rebuild it in Southwark (a borough, a division of a large town, of S central Greater London, on the River Thames:site of the Globe Theatre, now reconstructed; the former docks and warehouses have been redeveloped ), as the Globe.
Shakespeare owned a share in the new venture, but was under pressure. Not only did he have to keep writing hit plays, but the playhouses of London were under threat of closure. The Privy Council (the private council of the British sovereign, consisting of all current and former ministers of the Crown and other distinguished subjects, all of whom are appointed for life) and civic authorities wanted the theatres ‘plucked down’ ( to pull something, especially with a sudden movement, in order to remove it) because they feared the plays encouraged immoral behaviour and sedition. Regular outbreaks of the plague also closed the playhouses, forcing actors to go on tour in the provinces.
To add to Shakespeare’s woes (big problems or troubles), the Chamberlain’s Men had serious competition for the Queen’s affections (feelings of liking or love), whilst her death was sure to make them vulnerable to their enemies. Here’s where we add an obscure ( not known to many people) English comic actor named Lawrence Fletcher (was a Jacobean actor, and man of mystery.He is listed on the royal patent of 19 May 1603 that transformed the Lord Chamberlain's Men into the King's Men — and he is listed first, with William Shakespeare second and Richard Burbage third; significant, in the hierarchy-mad world of the time. Yet Fletcher never appears on the other documents that give later generations our limited knowledge of the King's Men; he doesn't seem to have acted, in the leading acting company of the age) into the mix. The religious zealots (a person who has very strong opinions about something, and tries to make other people have them too) of the kirk ensured Scotland had no public theatres, but King James (a poet, writer and linguist) coveted (to want to have something very much, especially something that belongs to someone else) the cultural scene down in London. Fletcher found a position as the ‘King’s Servant’, arranging plays for James, and organising visits by English actors.
In late 1599, Fletcher
arranged for one group of actors to come to Edinburgh, with records showing
payments made to ‘Inglis Commeidianis’. This appearance infuriated the Church
(or Kirk, as it was known in Scotland) who tried to ban the troupe, but an
incensed King James forced the Kirk to back down. It seems reasonable to think
Shakespeare was part of this troupe of actors. He was already a well-known poet
and playwright, and Fletcher would have wanted to impress James.
Historian Michael Wood
(Michael David Wood (born 23 July 1948) is an English historian and broadcaster.
He has presented numerous wellknown television documentary series from the early 1980s until present. Wood has also written a number of books on English history, including In Search of the Dark Ages, The Domesday Quest, The Story of England and In Search of Shakespeare) noted that as well as being “the greatest performing art of its day, theatre was also the most political”. Indeed actors were routinely sent on tours by their wealthy patrons for propaganda reasons, serving as cultural diplomats and spies.
It seems plausible (seeming likely to be true, or able to be believed ) that Elizabeth would have sanctioned the visit, and wanted an ‘A’ team of actors to build goodwill with the Scottish king. A man as shrewd (having or based on clear understanding and good judgment of a situation,resulting in an advantage) as Shakespeare may also have wanted to go to Scotland, given it afforded the opportunity to impress James and secure patronage from the future King of England. There is no evidence regarding where the English actors performed, but it may have been at the Tennis Court theatre at Holyrood Palace (royal palace in Edinburgh in Scotland: official residence of the Queen when inScotland; begun in 1501 by James IV of Scotland; scene of the murder of David Rizzio in 1566).
Elizabeth died in 1603, and James arrived in London in May that year to take her throne. Just six days later, a Royal Patent was issued confirming the rights of the Chamberlain’s Men to perform in London, and promoting them to the ‘King’s Men’. Soon they became ‘grooms of the chamber’ (Groom of the Chamber and Groom of the Privy Chamber were positions in the Royal Household of the English monarchy, the latter considerably more elevated. Other Ancien Régime royal establishments in Europe had comparable officers, often with similar titles. In France, the Duchy of Burgundy, and in England while French was still the language of the court, the title was varlet or valet dechambre. In German, Danish and Russian the term was "Kammerjunker" and in Swedish the similar"Kammarjunkare" ), leap-frogging their rivals, and now safe from their enemies.
During Shakespeare’s lifetime the King’s Men would perform for James 187 times. Why would King James have made such a swift decision about Shakespeare and his colleagues without first seeing the competition? Perhaps he had already made up his mind after seeing the troupe perform in Scotland. Crucially, the Royal Patent lists the key members of the King’s Men. Lawrence Fletcher is listed first, ahead of Shakespeare. This is strong evidence that Fletcher and Shakespeare were linked long before 1603. Shakespeare’s ability to navigate the complex world of Elizabethan politics had paid off handsomely. We will never know what really happened, but it is nice to think of Will Shakespeare strutting along the Royal Mile, avoiding the Kirk, and trying to find a decent pint with his mate, Lawrence Fletcher.
Historian Michael Wood
(Michael David Wood (born 23 July 1948) is an English historian and broadcaster.
He has presented numerous wellknown television documentary series from the early 1980s until present. Wood has also written a number of books on English history, including In Search of the Dark Ages, The Domesday Quest, The Story of England and In Search of Shakespeare) noted that as well as being “the greatest performing art of its day, theatre was also the most political”. Indeed actors were routinely sent on tours by their wealthy patrons for propaganda reasons, serving as cultural diplomats and spies.
It seems plausible (seeming likely to be true, or able to be believed ) that Elizabeth would have sanctioned the visit, and wanted an ‘A’ team of actors to build goodwill with the Scottish king. A man as shrewd (having or based on clear understanding and good judgment of a situation,resulting in an advantage) as Shakespeare may also have wanted to go to Scotland, given it afforded the opportunity to impress James and secure patronage from the future King of England. There is no evidence regarding where the English actors performed, but it may have been at the Tennis Court theatre at Holyrood Palace (royal palace in Edinburgh in Scotland: official residence of the Queen when inScotland; begun in 1501 by James IV of Scotland; scene of the murder of David Rizzio in 1566).
Elizabeth died in 1603, and James arrived in London in May that year to take her throne. Just six days later, a Royal Patent was issued confirming the rights of the Chamberlain’s Men to perform in London, and promoting them to the ‘King’s Men’. Soon they became ‘grooms of the chamber’ (Groom of the Chamber and Groom of the Privy Chamber were positions in the Royal Household of the English monarchy, the latter considerably more elevated. Other Ancien Régime royal establishments in Europe had comparable officers, often with similar titles. In France, the Duchy of Burgundy, and in England while French was still the language of the court, the title was varlet or valet dechambre. In German, Danish and Russian the term was "Kammerjunker" and in Swedish the similar"Kammarjunkare" ), leap-frogging their rivals, and now safe from their enemies.
During Shakespeare’s lifetime the King’s Men would perform for James 187 times. Why would King James have made such a swift decision about Shakespeare and his colleagues without first seeing the competition? Perhaps he had already made up his mind after seeing the troupe perform in Scotland. Crucially, the Royal Patent lists the key members of the King’s Men. Lawrence Fletcher is listed first, ahead of Shakespeare. This is strong evidence that Fletcher and Shakespeare were linked long before 1603. Shakespeare’s ability to navigate the complex world of Elizabethan politics had paid off handsomely. We will never know what really happened, but it is nice to think of Will Shakespeare strutting along the Royal Mile, avoiding the Kirk, and trying to find a decent pint with his mate, Lawrence Fletcher.
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий