Raymond Busbridge | Concordia University (Canada) (original) (raw)
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The object of this article is to reach a better understanding of what was in the mind of an early... more The object of this article is to reach a better understanding of what was in the mind of an early modern theatre-goer in order to contribute to a more nuanced and vivid comprehension of Shakespeare's second tetralogy of history plays which were based partly on chronicles, themselves written by collaborators, and now witnessed in the form of drama by the collective cooperation of playwright, actors, the text and members of the audience. Shakespeare's audience experience at the second tetralogy of his history plays.
The two king John plays of the 1590's both include the history of a French invasion of England an... more The two king John plays of the 1590's both include the history of a French invasion of England and allude to those in Shakespeare's second tetralogy, Bolingbroke's invasion of England in Richard II, the gradual but increasingly martial education of Prince Hal in the two parts of Henry IV and the kings's invasion of France in Henry V. In this sense the King John plays both act as prequels to this second Henriad, played in the London amphitheatres while Spain threatened England with its own papacy-backed invasion.
The use of informed imagination can transport us sufficiently into the past to enable a refreshed... more The use of informed imagination can transport us sufficiently into the past to enable a refreshed re-evaluation of part two of Shakespeare's Henry IV through the eyes and ears of early modern playgoers. The playwright fueled this imagination by familiarising the audience with places and themes they recognized, encouraged their inner thoughts, awakened their memories
The use of informed imagination can transport us sufficiently into the past to enable a refreshed... more The use of informed imagination can transport us sufficiently into the past to enable a refreshed re-evaluation of part one of Shakespeare's Henry IV through the eyes and ears of early modern playgoers. The playwright fueled this imagination by familiarising the audience with places and themes they recognized, encouraged their inner thoughts, awakened their memories
The use of informed imagination can transport us sufficiently into the past to enable a refreshed... more The use of informed imagination can transport us sufficiently into the past to enable a refreshed re-evaluation of Shakespeare’s Richard II through the eyes and ears of early modern playgoers. The playwright fueled this imagination by familiarising the audience with places and themes they recognized, encouraged their inner thoughts, awakened their memories and employed contemporary language. By these means he toyed with their expectations and made them participate fully in this popular play.
The use of informed imagination can transport us sufficiently into the past to enable a refreshed... more The use of informed imagination can transport us sufficiently into the past to enable a refreshed re-evaluation of Shakespeare’s Henry V through the eyes and ears of early modern playgoers. The playwright fueled this imagination by familiarizing the audience with places and themes they recognized, encouraged their inner thoughts, awakened their memories and employed contemporary language. By these means, and the use of a chorus, he toyed with their expectations and made them participate fully in Henry V. This play should have been a popular play, coming eleven years after the defeat of the Spanish Armada, but was it?
The virtue of chastity in Edmund Spencer's The Faerie Queene and the comments of contemporaries o... more The virtue of chastity in Edmund Spencer's The Faerie Queene and the comments of contemporaries on this subject.
Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden in John Milton's Paradise Lost, but not before G... more Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden in John Milton's Paradise Lost, but not before God gave Adam advice how to conduct himself in the outside world. Milton, disillusioned with politics and earthly power in the late 1650's, turned his mind to improving Christianity. His practical counsel therefore has a spiritual flavour, and is "doctrinal to the nation1." In this respect, the more didactic books 11 and 12 of Paradise Lost provide most of Milton's guide to conduct for the gentlemen of the Restoration of the crown in 1660. Some other writers on this subject, both before, and contemporaneous with Milton, foreshadowed Milton's requirement for religious integrity to attach to the good conduct of man. They were interested in peaceful and orderly government by men of sound moral fibre, bringing clarity to the process and like Milton, 'illumining what is dark;' and justifying the ways of God to man. Milton's ambition was to not only improve morals, but man's spiritual state, preferably inside the poet's own version of Christianity (PL 1.22-26). The contemporary writers, examined below, were of a similar way of thinking as the author of Paradise Lost, but among them Milton was the preeminent Christian.
Drafts by Raymond Busbridge
The object of this article is to reach a better understanding of what was in the mind of an early... more The object of this article is to reach a better understanding of what was in the mind of an early modern theatre-goer in order to contribute to a more nuanced and vivid comprehension of Shakespeare's second tetralogy of history plays which were based partly on chronicles, themselves written by collaborators, and now witnessed in the form of drama by the collective cooperation of playwright, actors, the text and members of the audience. Shakespeare's audience experience at the second tetralogy of his history plays.
The two king John plays of the 1590's both include the history of a French invasion of England an... more The two king John plays of the 1590's both include the history of a French invasion of England and allude to those in Shakespeare's second tetralogy, Bolingbroke's invasion of England in Richard II, the gradual but increasingly martial education of Prince Hal in the two parts of Henry IV and the kings's invasion of France in Henry V. In this sense the King John plays both act as prequels to this second Henriad, played in the London amphitheatres while Spain threatened England with its own papacy-backed invasion.
The use of informed imagination can transport us sufficiently into the past to enable a refreshed... more The use of informed imagination can transport us sufficiently into the past to enable a refreshed re-evaluation of part two of Shakespeare's Henry IV through the eyes and ears of early modern playgoers. The playwright fueled this imagination by familiarising the audience with places and themes they recognized, encouraged their inner thoughts, awakened their memories
The use of informed imagination can transport us sufficiently into the past to enable a refreshed... more The use of informed imagination can transport us sufficiently into the past to enable a refreshed re-evaluation of part one of Shakespeare's Henry IV through the eyes and ears of early modern playgoers. The playwright fueled this imagination by familiarising the audience with places and themes they recognized, encouraged their inner thoughts, awakened their memories
The use of informed imagination can transport us sufficiently into the past to enable a refreshed... more The use of informed imagination can transport us sufficiently into the past to enable a refreshed re-evaluation of Shakespeare’s Richard II through the eyes and ears of early modern playgoers. The playwright fueled this imagination by familiarising the audience with places and themes they recognized, encouraged their inner thoughts, awakened their memories and employed contemporary language. By these means he toyed with their expectations and made them participate fully in this popular play.
The use of informed imagination can transport us sufficiently into the past to enable a refreshed... more The use of informed imagination can transport us sufficiently into the past to enable a refreshed re-evaluation of Shakespeare’s Henry V through the eyes and ears of early modern playgoers. The playwright fueled this imagination by familiarizing the audience with places and themes they recognized, encouraged their inner thoughts, awakened their memories and employed contemporary language. By these means, and the use of a chorus, he toyed with their expectations and made them participate fully in Henry V. This play should have been a popular play, coming eleven years after the defeat of the Spanish Armada, but was it?
The virtue of chastity in Edmund Spencer's The Faerie Queene and the comments of contemporaries o... more The virtue of chastity in Edmund Spencer's The Faerie Queene and the comments of contemporaries on this subject.
Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden in John Milton's Paradise Lost, but not before G... more Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden in John Milton's Paradise Lost, but not before God gave Adam advice how to conduct himself in the outside world. Milton, disillusioned with politics and earthly power in the late 1650's, turned his mind to improving Christianity. His practical counsel therefore has a spiritual flavour, and is "doctrinal to the nation1." In this respect, the more didactic books 11 and 12 of Paradise Lost provide most of Milton's guide to conduct for the gentlemen of the Restoration of the crown in 1660. Some other writers on this subject, both before, and contemporaneous with Milton, foreshadowed Milton's requirement for religious integrity to attach to the good conduct of man. They were interested in peaceful and orderly government by men of sound moral fibre, bringing clarity to the process and like Milton, 'illumining what is dark;' and justifying the ways of God to man. Milton's ambition was to not only improve morals, but man's spiritual state, preferably inside the poet's own version of Christianity (PL 1.22-26). The contemporary writers, examined below, were of a similar way of thinking as the author of Paradise Lost, but among them Milton was the preeminent Christian.