History about Elizabethan theatre Research Paper

History about Elizabethan theatre - Research Paper Example Christopher Marlowe, Edmund Spenser, Sir Philip Sidney and William Shakespeare were a major influence on the progression of the Elizabethan Theater. William Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies influenced the primary theoretical performances during their era. It is, therefore, imperative to assert that Elizabethan Theater exemplifies England’s structural, historical and theatre production principles that were shaped to a large extent by the influence of William Shakespeare. William Shakespeare’s limelight debut as a famous playwright was largely influenced by the death of Christopher Marlowe who was also influential in the molding of early theaters. At this time, he was famous for the play â€Å"Henry VI†. In 1954, when â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† and â€Å"Love’s Labour’s Lost† were performed, he became an icon in the theatre performance (Lee, 1898). Shakespeare influenced the Elizabethan Theater by determining the theme of the plays, drama and other performance as well as the role of different people in the theatre. During his time, playwrights, actors, and theaters owners acquired a new status of upper classmen in England, they got acknowledgment and rose higher in the society. Shakespeare lay the foundation for performance entertainment where comedies and tragedies were intertwined as more people were shifting from just wanting to watch comedies alone. The popularity of comedy and tragedy during Shakespeares er a led to a distinction between the two through a differentiation in their writing. Tragedy writers were guided by Aristotle’s definition of tragedy where a hero or heroine would be brought down by forces under their own control, but fate or through hubris. However, Romeo, Macbeth and Timon did not seem to adhere to this definition. Comedy was inspired by Plautus and Terence Roman "New Comedy". As such, comedies were happy tales about family affairs, domestic troubles and love but avoided politics (Arnold, 1989).