It is widely known that the span of years between Shakespeare's marriage (in 1582) and his rise in London theatres (in 1592) is lost. There are those who have tried to fill in the time with various sensational plots and scenes, but the reality is that there is no information.
This book shows William's work against a backdrop of religious unrest in England. Medieval miracle plays (morality plays) had been the main entertainment but writers were moving towards secular themes, to avoid the religious controversy broiling between the Catholic Church and the Church of England.
The book further declares that by the end of the 1590s, William would be wealthy and widely known. To become famous and wealthy in such a short time is amazing. Unfortunately, because of the blank years, it is difficult to determine which of William's plays would have been most popular or garnered him the most money. The feeling is that historically derived material was what all the London playwrights were writing at that time.
The author talks about many of Shakespeare's firsts but I would like to mention one. Othello was the first time that a person of color was the main character in a play in England (he was referred to as a Moor). Thus, he was a man of color and one of a different religion than those who would watch the play.
The author makes the point that Shakespeare still resonates with an audience because he explored the aspects of being human. Often, a character had one fatal flaw that caused him to have to face his failures and humanity. Shakespeare changed plays so that the viewer learned about the inner motivations of the character. This was something new in Elizabethan England.
This book shows William's work against a backdrop of religious unrest in England. Medieval miracle plays (morality plays) had been the main entertainment but writers were moving towards secular themes, to avoid the religious controversy broiling between the Catholic Church and the Church of England.
The book further declares that by the end of the 1590s, William would be wealthy and widely known. To become famous and wealthy in such a short time is amazing. Unfortunately, because of the blank years, it is difficult to determine which of William's plays would have been most popular or garnered him the most money. The feeling is that historically derived material was what all the London playwrights were writing at that time.
The author talks about many of Shakespeare's firsts but I would like to mention one. Othello was the first time that a person of color was the main character in a play in England (he was referred to as a Moor). Thus, he was a man of color and one of a different religion than those who would watch the play.
The author makes the point that Shakespeare still resonates with an audience because he explored the aspects of being human. Often, a character had one fatal flaw that caused him to have to face his failures and humanity. Shakespeare changed plays so that the viewer learned about the inner motivations of the character. This was something new in Elizabethan England.
