Appunti letteratura inglese 2 2021/2022, Appunti di Letteratura Inglese

Scarica Appunti letteratura inglese 2 2021/2022 e più Appunti in PDF di Letteratura Inglese solo su Docsity! LETTERATURA INGLESE 2 – LINGUE E CULTURE MODERNE, SECONDO ANNO 2021/2022 – CARLA TEMPESTOSO 02.03.2022 – lezione 1 Appelli: 20 giugno, 18 luglio, 12 settembre 2022 Introduzione Periodo storico trattato: ‘500, ‘600, inizi del ‘700 Teatro e sonetti. Quest’anno facciamo un passo indietro perché la difficoltà della poesia e dei testi che andremo ad affrontare è maggiore rispetto a un discorso narrativo: il teatro ha un linguaggio semiotico molto più arduo rispetto alla narrativa; la stessa cosa vale per la poesia, per quei sonetti che (seppur non nel programma) sono fondamentali tanto quanto il teatro. Siamo ancora in un’epoca in cui il sovrano è considerato l’unto del Signore, ma il ‘500 soprattutto e anche il ‘600 in Inghilterra è fondamentale per quello che sarà l’Impero britannico, una delle potenze più grandi al mondo: chi mai avrebbe potuto immaginare che questo piccolo lembo di terra potesse raggiungere una tale importanza? In effetti, la Brexit (2014) non ha fatto che confermare la superiorità politica di questa nazione, che si protrae sino ai giorni nostri: non esiste paese più patriottico della Gran Bretagna. Testo necessario per la prima parte. Studiare solo i primi tre capitoli, ma integrare con gli appunti! Studieremo Shakespeare non solo da un punto di vista critico-letterario, ma anche da altri punti di vista. Spazialità teatrale: il teatro come lo conosciamo oggi (al di là del teatro classico greco e latino) nasce proprio in Inghilterra. La struttura del teatro bisognerà conoscerla come l’Ave Maria. Perché lo spazio teatrale è così importante nel ‘500? Perché, fin quando i puritani non chiudono i teatri nel ‘600, il teatro è strutturato in modo tale che non si chiuda la quarta parete: al giorno d’oggi, c’è un grande spazio tra l’audience e il palcoscenico. Tutto ciò non esiste nel teatro elisabettiano e shakespeariano: l’audience è parte integrante dell’opera teatrale. Gli attori (le donne ancora non recitavano) sussurravano al pubblico, chiedevano la loro opinione, cosa ne pensate dell’uccisione del re? Otello non sarebbe tale senza il pubblico: Iago sussurra al pubblico i suoi pensieri, i suoi sentimenti. 04.03.2022 – lezione 2 Epoch: end of the XVth century, start of the XVIth century. We will start from the historical, religious, economical, and political point of view. The Tudors Reminder: at that time, kings and queens were considered to be godlike. Mixing portraiture and allegory, the painting anachronistically shows Henry VIII, his three children, and Queen Mary's husband, Philip of Spain, alongside figures from mythology. Henry sits on his throne in the center, with his son Edward, the future Edward VI, kneeling beside him receiving the sword of justice. Henry died in 1547, but on the left of the picture his daughter Mary is shown next to Philip, whom she did not marry until 1554 when she was queen, with Mars, God of war, behind them, symbolizing the wars they fought. Elizabeth, by contrast, stands on the right of the picture holding the hand of Peace, who treads the sword of discord underfoot, as Plenty attends with her cornucopia. Painted in Elizabeth's reign c. 1572, the picture stresses her legitimate descent from the Tudor dynasty and her role as a bringer of peace and prosperity to the realm. He was one of the most important kings of the whole English culture/literature. England became one of the most important countries in the western society thanks to Henry VIII military strategies. We have too many tv series about the Tudors (e.g., The Tudors, 2007). Romanticized indeed. Here Henry VIII is brilliantly depicted. Start of colonialism: conquest of the new world. Culturally and socially, in the Tudor epoch there are many changes, from the religious, political, historical, economical, industrial point of view: the Industrial Revolution takes place in the XVIII century, but its roots are in the Tudor epoch. A cultural renaissance was taking place all over Europe, but in England we have not only writers such as Shakespeare and Spenser, who gave their huge contribute to the blooming of the Renaissance, but political characters too, like Thomas More (politician and writer). From the point of view of religion, this period was characterized by three major changes: The change of religion meant the beginning of a new war. 1. Before Henry VIII, England was a Catholic country, but he created Anglicanism (Protestantism). 2. With Katherine of Aragon, England was converted back to Catholicism and then, 3. With Mary I, it became Protestant again. → this means WAR, death of innocent civilians. Henry VII 1485-1509 He was a very smart king. Not as dangerous as his future son. He brought peace after years of war (Wars of the Roses), but he also collaborated with some members of the aristocratic world, drifting apart from the Parliament. The Tudor rose became a synonym of order, unity, peace, and it has been celebrated everywhere around England; you can find it in churches, on buildings’ walls and windows. There is more than a pub that brings the name of “Tudor Rose,” etc.: the renaissance was celebrated with emblems. Renaissance means rebirth. As England becomes the most powerful country in the world, the birth of new realities takes place. Today we still talk about colonial power both positively and negatively because the discoveries of the XVIth century were linked not only to prestige, but also to religion changes. It was a rich period for western countries. Erasmus of Rotterdam was a politician and writer. He wrote In Praise of Folly (it. Elogio della Follia). Nowadays, Brexit triggered in the UK a rise in hate-crimes and xenophobic and anti-European sentiments, so now it’s important to remember more than ever that the British Isles have always been populated by immigrants. Edward VI (1537 – 1553) He became king at just 9 years old, after his father’s death. He was intellectually precocious (fluent in Greek and Latin, he kept a full journal of his reign), but physically weak. When he became king, the Regency was given to the aristocrats, who became more powerful consequently to the separation of the Church of England from Rome. Lady Jane Grey When Edward VI died, Lady Jane Grey was declared Queen. Mary’s bloody reputation is also intertwined with the demise of Lady Jane Grey, the nine-day queen, who was used as a pawn by her father-in-law, John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, to try to usurp the throne: the aristocracy had become too powerful. Lady Jane Grey was beheaded, and Mary the first succeeded her to the throne. Mary I She was Henry VIII’s and Catherin of Aragon’s – a Spanish Catholic – daughter. In many ways, Lady Jane’s death tarnished Mary’s reign: Lady Jane became the symbol of the protestant martyr, of Mary’s cruelty. The red of Mary’s dress dominates many contemporary portraits, reminding the viewer of the queen’s nickname. Lady Jane Grey is instead blindfolded and wears a white dress. So, even if Mary I had an incredible intelligence and a remarkable political acumen, she is remembered in many paintings as a cruel sovereign. Ironically, Mary had always paid a lot of attention to her appearance. In fact, she wanted so much to be in control of her image that all portraits commissioned during her lifetime had to convey a sense of royalty, composure, and authority. But Mary was much more than just a persecutor of Protestants: she was the first female ruler of England. She loved and treasured books, and her story is also the story of a woman desperate to become a mother and who failed to secure her line to the throne: without an heir, her Protestant sister, Elizabeth I, became queen upon her death. Queen Mary started to make England Catholic again. Her first unpopular move was to marry King Philip of Spain, because Protestantism in England already had strong roots. She renewed the churches, and she executed many Protestants by burning them at the stake (heretics): that’s the reason why she’s known as “Bloody Mary.” She believed that experiencing a bit of Hell’s fire, burning heretics could help the conversion of the people who were watching those executions. The ashes of the heretics were thrown into the river. Those rough methods were used in other European countries too (e.g., Spain): it was a totally standard method at the time. After Philip’s visit in 1557, Mary thought that she was pregnant again with a baby who was due in March 1558. She decreed in her will that her husband would be the regent during the minority of their child, but no child was born, and Mary was forced to accept that her half-sister Elizabeth would be her lawful successor. Mary was weak and ill from May 1558. In pain, from ovarian cysts or uterine cancer, she died on 17th November 1558, aged 42, and Elizabeth ascended to the throne. But why didn’t Mary kill Elizabeth? Firstly, they had a blood tie: they were sisters. Secondly, with no other lawful heir to the throne, a dying Mary couldn’t do anything if not accept that her half-sister would be her successor: people saw Elizabeth as Mary’s heir because the respect of the succession law was strongly expected. Any attempt to have disinherited Elizabeth would have been met by rebellion and civil strife from the Catholic part of the political nation of the 1550s. On 8 November 1558, with Mary clearly dying, her councillors called on her to nominate Elizabeth as her successor, which she agreed, but she coupled her recognition with a request for Elizabeth to retain the Catholic religion. 16.03.22 – lezione 4 Video: Mary Tudor – Queen of England / Biography Mary Tudor queen of England -> she was the first queen of England. She was concentrated on the mission of going back to the Catholicism. She was known as the most unhappy queen. The fact that Mary I had no child was painful for her and the entire country because there was not an heir. This was the reason which gave her unpopularity, she was called bloody Mary for the protestants kills during her governance. She did not kill Elizabeth because they were sisters and she believed that Elizabeth was however not only her sister but also a queen and killing a queen or a king was a very outrageous act to her. Mary was catholic, so she did not kill her sister, this act could be outrageous if she did, it is blasphemed. She believed she was pregnant in 1558, she had an illness, no child was born. She had a cancer and died in November of the same year. In this period there was an epidemy. It was difficult to accept that Elizabeth was her successor. The Bloody Mary death was painful (video Elizabeth 3/11 Movie CLIP – Elizabeth Speaks with Queen Mary 1998). Mary tells her to continue with catholic religion because she does not kill Elizabeth just because of this religion. When Mary dies it was a very desperate death because she could not restore the Catholic Church. Elizabeth became queen in 1558, she was twenty-five years old. There was a contract between Mary and her husband, Elizabeth was exported to London, she had a golden dress. Gold is the typical color of this period – we call her reign GOLDEN ERA. In a portrait of her there is the Celtic cross, not the one from Rome. She was very brilliant as student and queen. She was educated to speak a lot of languages, included Latin and ancient Greek. She is one of the most educated queens. There is a book with and about her translations: Elizabeth I translations, 1544-1599 (French, Latin and Italian), there are private translations; Rinascimento Inglese (Michele Stanco). Elizabethan Age: There were strong changes.  Renaissance: It is the age of Humanism. Age of changes in philosophical, philological, stylistic, rhetorical, and religious horizons.  Time for explorations and discoveries – hey needed raw material. Remember the tea tradition, it comes from India -> colonialization.  Dissemination of knowledge/inventions: the submarine, the parachute, the bicycle etc. - Male superiority – patriarchal society. she was very concentrated to the figure of a female king, ‘she had the stomach of a king.’ She was a very accommodating queen, she unified Catholics and protestants  Return to Protestantism  Improvement of the education system  Transformations from the linguistic point view  Theatre – demonstration of her power. She went to the theatre, no queen had never done, queens did not go out from home to show the power. Elizabeth I 1558 – 1603  Daughter of Henry VIII and Anna Bolen  Humanist education  She speaks French, Italian, Latin and Greek  Absolutism  Turning against her and her law was not only a criminal act but also blasphemous  Persecutions of Catholics  Her “status “is justified:” the king’s two bodies theory” 1. Natural body -> female body 2. Political body -> absolute monarch Descriptions of Elizabet I at tilbury “A steel corselet was found for her to wear and a helmet with white plumes was given to a page to carry. Bareheaded, the Queen mounted the white horse. The Earl of Ormonde carried the sword of state before her, Leicester walked at the horse’s brindle, and the page with the helmet came behind.” In “Elizabeth the Great” (1958), Elizabeth Jenkins It looks like the description of a man, of a king. We know is a woman just because of the word Queen Carolly Erikson, in “The First Elizabeth” (1983) “She rode through their ranks on a huge white warhorse, armed like a queen out of antique mythology in a silver cuirass and silver truncheon. Her gown was white velvet, and there were plumes in her hair like those that waved from the helmets of the mounted soldiers.” J E Neale, in “Queen Elizabeth I: A biography” (1934) “Mounted on a stately steed, with a truncheon in her hands, she witnessed a mimic battle and afterward reviewed the army”. In “The Amanda” (1959), Garrett Mattingly: “She was clad all in white velvet with a silver cuirass embossed with a mythological design and bore in her right hand a silver truncheon chased in gold””. 18.03.22 – lezione 5 Elizabeth I is a Protestant Queen. She works with her image because she is a “no grata persona.” L’ equilibrio della donna era legato alle fasi lunari, da qui deriva l’essere lunatica, solitamente legato alle donne e meno agli uomini. On the 9th of August 1588, Elizabeth I appeared before the troops that had gathered at Tilbury Fort in anticipation of a Spanish attack. Many historians and authors have described Elizabeth I on that August day in 1588. In Elizabeth the Great (1958), Elizabeth Jenkins wrote: "A steel corselet was found for her to wear and a helmet with white plumes was given to a page to carry. Bareheaded, the Queen mounted the white horse. The Earl of Ormonde carried the sword of state before her, Leicester walked at the horse’s bridle, and the page with the helmet came behind." Carolly Erickson, in The First Elizabeth (1983), wrote: "She rode through their ranks on a huge white warhorse, armed like a queen out of antique mythology in a silver cuirass and silver truncheon. Her gown was white velvet, and there were plumes in her hair like those that waved from the helmets of the mounted soldiers." J E Neale, in Queen Elizabeth I: A Biography (1934), wrote "Mounted on a stately steed, with a truncheon in her hands, she witnessed a mimic battle and afterwards reviewed the army." In “The Armada” (1959), Garrett Mattingly “She was clad all in white velvet with a silver cuirass embossed whit a mythological design, and bore in her right hand a silver truncheon chased in gold” Reading those descriptions, it is clear, as Susan Frye points out, that an analogy is being drawn between Elizabeth I and Britomart, the armed heroine of Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene", the virgin Knight of Chastity and Virtue. However, there is no firm evidence that Elizabeth dressed like that on that day. I like to think, though, that Elizabeth's love of drama and her belief in the power of image and propaganda caused her to appear before her troops just like that. She made a propaganda with her image, she showed her being a woman, she was considered the new Madonna, she was the Virgin Queen -> It is the demonstration of her power. It is the demonstration of her integrity. Just before the war against The Armada she showed her power, there is the demonstration of the two body theory, she is half Queen and half King.  Spain attacks. Plan: 130 ships and 33,000 soldiers (another 17,000 await on the Dutch coast with the Duke of Parma, Alessandro Farnese)  High Tide but in general climate  Fire ship – navi che venivano fatte saltare per far disperdere l’armata nemica  The Spanish ships go to Ireland and Scotland and crash into the rocks 'But she was earnest with me to declare which of them I judged fairest. I said, "She was the fairest Queen in England and mine the fairest Queen in Scotland."' – James Melville, Scottish ambassador, 1564 Mary, Queen of Scots (also known as Mary Stuart) – like her cousin, Elizabeth I of England – has intrigued historians, writers, poets, playwrights, and painters for centuries. Her tragic fate, a consequence of her tumultuous relationship with the last Tudor queen, resulted in her being one of the most memorable historical figures of the age. Elizabeth is remembered as Gloriana and the Faerie Queen, Mary as a Catholic martyr. Yet portraits of the queens produced in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries illustrate striking parallels between the two women – especially Elizabeth’s well-known ‘fairy wings,’ which were appropriated by Mary – reminding us that, they did share Tudor blood. From a martyr to a siren to a traitor to a whore, representations of Mary Stuart remain wide and complex. Half-Scottish and half-French, she is remembered both as a Scottish queen and a French queen with a ‘French life,’ whose marriage to the French dauphin, the future François II of France, on 24th April 1558 reinforced the Franco-Scottish alliance. François Clouet – one of the greatest French painters of the sixteenth century – captured the young queen’s determination to rule over more than one country. Indeed, one cannot overlook the fact that in the early stages of her life, Mary, Queen of Scots had the world at her feet. But tragedy soon struck, and François died suddenly in 1560. His mother, Catherine de' Medici, became regent for her next son, the ten-year-old Charles IX. Now a widow, Mary embraced her Scottish heritage and came back to her native Scotland. 25.03.22 – lezione 7 * visione film Elizabeth* Nel 1558 la regina cattolica Mary d'Inghilterra, già in età avanzata, non ha ancora dato un erede al Regno; nella linea di successione la pretendente al trono sarebbe la sorellastra Elizabeth, figlia di suo padre Enrico VIII e della sua seconda moglie Anna Bolena. Elizabeth, di fede protestante, era stata inizialmente rinchiusa nella Torre di Londra per presunta cospirazione contro sua sorella, anche se in seguito era stata liberata dalla regina stessa e confinata nella sua casa di campagna. Mary mostra i sintomi di una gravidanza, che tuttavia si rivela essere un cancro uterino; prima di morire i suoi consiglieri tentano di convincerla a condannare a morte Elizabeth, per evitare di far salire al trono una protestante; Mary tuttavia rifiuta e, alla sua morte, Elizabeth viene incoronata Regina d'Inghilterra. La donna si trova dunque a regnare su un paese oppresso dai debiti, dagli intrighi politici e dalle mire degli avversari: il Regno di Spagna, il Regno di Francia e lo Stato Pontificio; anche all'interno del suo stesso governo c'è una fazione che trama contro la nuova regina, capeggiata dal cattolico duca di Norfolk. Il consigliere di Elizabeth, William Cecil, le suggerisce di scegliere un marito tra i pretendenti spagnoli e francesi, per rinsaldare le alleanze e dare un erede al trono; inoltre, le consiglia di perseguire la politica religiosa di Maria, favorendo il Cattolicesimo. Elizabeth è però segretamente innamorata dell'amico Robert Dudley, col quale ha una relazione sessuale; dunque, ritarda la scelta del suo futuro marito. Il Duca di Norfolk si allea dunque con Marie de Guise, per innalzare al trono la figlia di quest'ultima nonché cugina di Elizabeth, la regina cattolica Mary di Scozia. Le truppe di Marie de Guise si stanziano in Scozia minacciando l'invasione dell'Inghilterra; inesperta sulle tattiche militari, Elizabeth ordina una controffensiva ma il suo esercito viene facilmente sconfitto da quello francese. Elizabeth è dunque costretta ad accettare le condizioni di Marie, che le impone di sposare suo nipote Enrico d'Anjou. Intanto la regina proclama l'Atto di uniformità per mezzo del quale riunisce tutti i cristiani del Regno sotto l'Anglicanesimo, che torna a essere la religione ufficiale. Il Papa Pio V invia allora un suo infiltrato perché aiuti il Duca di Norfolk a rovesciarla. Elizabeth ignora il corteggiamento di Enrico d'Anjou: a quel punto Cecil le rivela che il suo amato Dudley è già sposato con un'altra donna, e che si è alleato contro di lei con le spie spagnole. Dopo aver scoperto che d'Anjou ama travestirsi da donna rompe subito le trattative per il matrimonio, e in seguito allontana Dudley dalla sua corte per punirlo della menzogna che le ha raccontato. La regina subisce inoltre molti tentativi di uccisione, che sembrano ricondurre alla strategia di Maria de Guise: dichiarando di voler ripensare al matrimonio con d'Anjou, Elizabeth invia la sua guardia del corpo Walsingham a parlamentare con la donna, ma in realtà l'uomo la uccide, inasprendo il conflitto con la Francia. A quel punto Cecil suggerisce a Elizabeth di sposare un pretendente spagnolo, ma lei rifiuta nuovamente. Walsingham riesce a catturare la spia del Papa e sottopone l'uomo a tortura, costringendolo a rivelare i nomi dei cospiratori: si viene così a sapere che il piano del Duca di Norfolk era di sposare Mary di Scozia per diventare re a sua volta. Norfolk viene così giustiziato insieme a tutti gli altri cospiratori, tranne Dudley che viene graziato: egli ricorderà sempre a Elizabeth di non lasciarsi accecare dai sentimenti nella gestione del suo Regno. Alla fine, per il bene del suo popolo, la regina decide di non sposarsi con nessuno: si tinge la pelle di bianco e si taglia i capelli, dichiarandosi sposata con l'Inghilterra e dando vita al mito della Regina Vergine.  Il vero Robert Dudley, I conte di Leicester, non congiurò mai contro Elisabetta, ma rimase un suddito fedele sino alla sua morte (sebbene nel 1569 avesse timidamente appoggiato le previste nozze tra il Duca di Norfolk e Maria di Scozia).  Nel film Elisabetta rimane sconvolta quando scopre che Robert è già sposato, mentre nella realtà ciò non sarebbe potuto succedere, visto che era presente alle nozze di questi con Amy Robsart. Fu nel 1578 che Leicester contrasse un matrimonio segreto con Lettice Knollys, cugina materna di Elisabetta, la quale si adirò ed esiliò la dama dalla sua corte.  Dudley viene presentato nel film come convertito al Cattolicesimo quando era invece un fervente anglicano (del tipo che più tardi sarà chiamato Puritano), ciò rende quindi impensabile una sua conversione.  Non è certo che tra Dudley ed Elisabetta vi fosse stata una relazione sessuale, come invece è mostrato nel film.  Kat Ashley è rappresentata nel film come una coetanea di Elisabetta, ma era invece di circa trent'anni più vecchia essendo stata sua governante.  La mano di Elisabetta venne realmente chiesta da Henri d'Anjou, ma soltanto in via epistolare e le trattative ufficiali non ebbero neppure inizio. Questi non era assolutamente bisessuale e dedito al travestitismo come mostrato nel film. Enrico III era inoltre più giovane di 18 anni rispetto ad Elisabetta, mentre nel film i due sembrano essere coetanei.  William Cecil aveva quarant'anni quando Elisabetta salì al trono, mentre nel film è un anziano e in seguito non si ritirerà dal suo compito; anzi, rimase uno dei più fidati consiglieri della regina fino alla sua morte, avvenuta poco prima di quella di Elisabetta.  Allo stesso modo, Francis Walsingham aveva circa vent'anni quando Elisabetta fu incoronata.  Maria di Guisa non fu assassinata da Francis Walsingham, ma morì di idropisia. Nel film accadono molti eventi prima della morte di Maria di Guisa che in realtà successero dopo; infatti, ella morì solo un anno dopo l'incoronazione di Elisabetta.  La cospirazione del Duca di Norfolk unisce molti eventi separati in uno: nel film viene arrestato e sommariamente giustiziato per aver tentato di spodestare Elisabetta e sposare Maria di Scozia per cementare il proprio potere sul trono. In realtà Norfolk fu imprigionato nel 1569 per aver tentato di sposare Maria senza il permesso della regina Elisabetta, ma fu rilasciato dopo poco (all'epoca era infatti vietato per i nobili importanti contrarre matrimonio senza il consenso reale); un atto poco rispettoso nei riguardi della sovrana ma di certo non punibile con la morte. Fu poi di fatto coinvolto in una vera congiura - il complotto Ridolfi - nel 1572 che voleva porre Maria di Scozia sul trono, ed è per questo che fu imprigionato e giustiziato.  Nel film Elisabetta ha gli occhi azzurri, il colore naturale di quelli di Cate Blanchett, messi molto in risalto nel manifesto originale. In realtà Elisabetta, come sua madre Anna Bolena, aveva gli occhi castani.  Il Papa non ordinò mai a un monaco di attentare alla vita della regina, è però vero che Robert Persons, padre gesuita operante in Inghilterra per conto del pontefice, cospirò con il duca di Guisa e il nunzio papale a Parigi per assassinare Elisabetta e mettere sul trono Maria Stuarda. In questo progetto (che si concluse con un nulla di fatto) deve probabilmente essere identificata la matrice storica dell'evento mostrato nella pellicola.  L'aspetto ieratico di Elisabetta, con il volto dipinto di bianco e le vistose parrucche a nascondere i capelli rasati fu adottato quanto la sovrana era già nella maturità, in parte per nascondere le cicatrici del vaiolo che l'avevano lasciata deturpata.  Il vescovo Stephen Gardiner morì prima dell'incoronazione di Elisabetta e quindi non fece parte di congiure contro di lei.  Il Conte di Arundel non fu giustiziato come nel film. Fu imprigionato con la sua famiglia nella Torre di Londra. 30.03.22 – lezione 8 From the movie Elizabeth we could see the creation of the myth of Elizabeth’s reign. Her body was considered a something parallel to England itself, so she decided to not marry just as England did not have to be considered as the country of any other king in the world. She did not get married and died without heirs. The successor to the throne was James I the son of Mary Stuart. The drawings about Elizabeth’s coronation looks like a procession. From the moment of her coronation, we started recognizing some elements. From that moment Elizabeth started to use her imagine conveying power. she had a vast repertory of elaborated dresses and a lot of jewels; she had a passion for dresses also because her image was linked to her image. She tried to control her portraits that circulated widely in England and abroad, and her appearances in public were dazzling displays pf wealth and magnificence. Throughout her reign she moved restlessly from one of her palaces to another. On her journeys, known as royal progresses, she wooed her people and was received with lavish entertainments. Artists, including poets and painters, celebrated her in a variety of mythological guises, as Diana, the chaste goddess of the moon; Astraea, the goddess of justice; Gloriana, the queen of the fairies—and Elizabeth, in addition to adopting these fanciful roles, appropriated to herself some of the veneration that pious Englishmen had directed to the Virgin Mary. There are some scholars that studied the Tudor dresses, like Norris, who described their dresses, and he says: "The lines of the black velvet dress, pounced all over with cuttes and engraved gold buttons, headdress, and circular ruff, suggest that the style is of the same make as described under the 'Portland' portrait... The cutwork, of which the circular ruff and cuffs are composed, is an incredibly beautiful specimen of the lace-makers' craft... The jewels worn are diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and pearls. An ermine climbing up the Queen's left wrist and peering into her face has given the title to the painting. As an emblem of chastity, the ermine was an especially appropriate compliment to the Virgin Queen." The weight of her veil causes her ruff to be bent down behind her. Her ruff is studded with large pear drp pearls while her veil is edged with round and pear drop pearls. Her puffed false sleeves are embroidered with small pearls. The Sieve portrait -> The sieve is a symbol of chastity and purity, originally taken from Petrarch's Triumph of Chastity. In the story, a Roman Vestal Virgin proves her purity by carrying water in a sieve and not spilling one drop. The sieve thus reinforces Elizabeth's image as 'the virgin queen'. The rim of the sieve is inscribed: A TERRA ILBEN / AL DIMORA IN SELLA' (The good falls to the ground while the bad remains in the saddle). Elizabeth’s parsimony did not extend to personal adornments. She possessed a vast repertory of fantastically elaborate dresses and rich jewels. Her passion for dress was bound up with political calculation and an acute self-consciousness about her image. She tried to control the royal portraits that circulated widely in England and abroad, and her appearances in public were dazzling displays of wealth and magnificence. Throughout her reign she moved restlessly from one of her palaces to another—Whitehall, Nonsuch, Greenwich, Windsor, Richmond, Hampton Court, and Oatlands—and availed herself of the hospitality of her wealthy subjects. On her journeys, known as royal progresses, she wooed her people and was received with lavish entertainments. Artists, including poets like Edmund Spenser and painters like Nicholas Hilliard, celebrated her in a variety of mythological guises—as Diana, the chaste goddess of the moon; Astraea, the goddess of justice; Gloriana, the queen of the fairies—and Elizabeth, in addition to adopting these fanciful roles, appropriated to herself some of the veneration that pious Englishmen had directed to the Virgin Mary. 1585 “Ermine” portrait by Nicholas Hillard (Hatfield House, Hatfield Uk) The "Ermine" portrait is another of the allegorical portraits of Queen Elizabeth of England. This is Marilee Cody's description: "Why is Elizabeth seated with an ermine? It was the symbol of royalty; and, if you look closely at the animal, you can see the gold crown it wears. The crown symbolizes majesty and purity. As for the bejeweled black gown and background - black and white were the queen's favorite colors. Also, the deep, dark color reinforces the symbolic gravity of the painting. Perché il prologo di Henry V fa parte dei documenti? Manifesto teatro shakespeariano e del teatro elisabettiano. Nel prologo di Henry V, vi è un uomo che attraversa il palcoscenico, è lui il prologo, e chiede agli spettatori ‘’riempite materialmente le nostre imperfezioni con i vostri pensieri’’, un appello all’immaginazione perché l’audience era parte integrante della scena, era una necessità, una metà strana fra l’accettazione delle convenzioni(dove c’è un albero vedete una foresta, dove vi è un soldato vedete un’esercita) e il completamento della messa in scena, perché per esempio quando parliamo di Otello Iago spesso si rivolge al pubblico e a bassa voce parla, per poter quasi chiedere il parere del pubblico. Strutturalmente il teatro permetteva questo tipo di rapporto con l’audience. From a political point of view, Queen Elisabeth and other kings and queens after her, were an absolute monarch and they had a private counsel and a parliament which was not the representation of the entire population. This prototype of parliament was made up of:  the house of lord (representatives’ members of the upper class) o aristocracy o bishop o archbishop  the house of commons o gentry In this period, there was a precise philosophy about the nature of man, of state: The chain of being (La catena dell’essere) e The theory of humour. Polibio (Cos, ca. 410 a.C.) Sulla natura dell'uomo: "Il corpo dell'uomo contiene del sangue, del flegma, della bile gialla e della bile nera. Ecco cosa costituisce la natura del corpo: ecco la causa della malattia o della salute. In queste condizioni, vi è salute perfetta quando questi umori sono in giusta proporzione tra di loro sia dal punto di vista della qualità che della quantità e quando la loro mescolanza è perfetta. Vi è la malattia quando uno di questi umori, in troppo piccola o in troppo grande quantità, si isola nel corpo invece di rimanere mescolato a tutti gli altri. The chain of being: Elizabethans believed that God set out an order for everything in the universe. This was known as the Great Chain of Being. On Earth, God created a social order for everybody and chose where you belonged. In other words, the king or queen was in charge because God put them there and they were only answerable to God (the Divine Right of Kings). This meant that disobeying the monarch was a sin, which was handy for keeping people in their place! It also led to the idea that if the wrong person was monarch everything would go wrong for a country, including whether the crops would be good, or if animals behaved as they should. The Elizabethans were very superstitious. The Great Chain of Being includes everything from God and the angels at the top, to humans, to animals, to plants, to rocks and minerals at the bottom. It moves from beings of pure spirit at the top of the Chain to things made entirely of matter at the bottom. Humans are in the middle, being mostly mortal, or made of matter, but with a soul made of spirit. The theory started with the Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato but was a basic assumption of life in Elizabethan England. You were a noble, or a farmer, or a beggar, because that was the place God had ordained for you. The Great Chain of Being is a major influence on Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Macbeth disturbs the natural order of things by murdering the king and stealing the throne. This throws all of nature into uproar, including a story related by an old man that the horses in their stables went mad and ate each other, a symbol of unnatural happenings. The Theory of the Four Humours: was an important development in medical knowledge which originated in the works of Aristotle. Hippocrates is credited with developing the theory. It then became a mainstay of medical belief for two thousand years. The Greeks believed that the body was made up of four main components or Four Humours. These Four Humours needed to remain balanced for people to remain healthy. The Four Humours were liquids within the body- blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. These could be connected to the four seasons of the year: Yellow Bile with summer, black bile with autumn, phlegm with winter and blood with spring. Hippocrates and other Greek practitioners argued that the balance of the Four humours would be most affected in those seasons. For example, if someone has a fever, they would have been thought to have had too much blood in their body. The logical cure therefore is to ‘bleed’ the patient. Use of the Four Humours as a diagnostic tool would result in doctors looking for symptoms: the first time that clinical observation of a patient was recorded. Medicine in Shakespeare’s England followed the theory of the ‘‘humours’’. These were four liquids in your body – blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm (pronounced ‘flem’) – which needed to be in balance for you to be healthy. Each liquid gave off vapours, which entered the brain and altered the person. If someone was ill, you could treat them by altering the amount of the humour they had in them. You might give them an emetic (something to make them throw up), or you might bleed them, to take excess blood away. Each humour was supposed to correspond to a type of personality.  If you were ‘sanguine’ (dominated by blood) you would be jolly, optimistic, and fat.  If you were ‘choleric’ (yellow bile) you would be short-tempered, red-haired, and thin. You might also be ambitious.  If you were ‘phlegmatic’ (phlegm), you would be slow, pale, and lazy.  If you were ‘melancholic’ (black bile), you would be thin, yellowish, and tend to spend a lot of time thinking and worrying. From a linguistic point of view: Latin was the main language, considered having a high status, it was spoken by aristocracy, it was used by writers, by church etc. English was the langue of lower class. Thanks to the translation, to the divorce of roman church, the creation of a new way of praying (Book of common prayer), Latin was replaced with English. The most important strategy was the translation of the Bible. Until Shakespeare time, he himself and other writers used to write only in English. This was a political strategy, but this was only possible thanks to inventions: In 1436 Johaness Gutenberg, a German goldsmith, began designing a machine capable of producing pages of text at an incredible speed—a product that he hoped would offset losses from a failed attempt to sell metal mirrors. By 1440 Gutenberg had established the basics of his printing press including the use of a mobile, reusable set of type, and within ten years he had constructed a working prototype of the press. In 1454 Gutenberg put his press to commercial use, producing thousands of indulgences for the Church. The following year he printed his famous 42-line Bible, the first book printed on a moveable type of press in the West.1 Gutenberg's press was the combined effort of several discoveries and inventions. The printing press was built around the traditional screw press, a precursor to today's drill press, with an added matrix on which individually- cast letters and symbols could be arranged to form the desired text. This moveable type design allowed pages of text to be quickly assembled from a pre-cast selection of letters and symbols rather than laboriously carved from a block of wood as in the block printing method. Gutenberg also created a unique oil-based ink which transferred from his metal type to the printing substrate much more effectively than the water-based inks that other printers of the era used. To print a page, Gutenberg would arrange the necessary letters on the matrix and coat them in his ink. The matrix was then mounted on the contact end of the modified screw press and lowered until it struck the paper underneath. The process, while labour intensive, allowed Gutenberg to print pages at a much greater rate than printers using the block printing method or those doing manuscript work. Johannes Gutenberg's moveable type press marked the beginning of the Printing Revolution in the western world, a colossal moment in the history of information and learning. With access to printing presses, scientists, philosophers, politicians, and religious officials could replicate their ideas quickly and make them available to large audiences. 13.04.22 – lezione 11 La stampa ha agevolato la cultura a 360gradi e stavamo introducendo il teatro. Medieval drama is so much different from the way world knows about drama today. The plays consisted of little entertainment and more didactic elements. However, the crowd used to flood in to watch the plays as they were the only form of entertainment that they were able to easily relate. There were three essential forms of plays found during the medieval period – Miracle Morality and Interludes. Apart from Interludes, the two are based on religious belief. Theatre = the structure Drama = the play, the genre The Miracle Play or the Mystery Play – The term “miracle” and “mystery” are often interchanged and there lays a confusion when trying to know about them separately. However, it would be convenient to understand them together as both of the plays are based on the stories present in the Bible or based on the miraculous happenings in the lives of saints that led to their martyrdom. The use of Biblical figures in plays was observed as early 10th century and they were called as “tropes”. The tropes gradually evolved taking into consideration several popular elements of the audience and by the 14th century the evolution of the drama was considerable. During this time, York and Chester cities witnessed the performance of developed plays in the form of “cycles.” Fascinatingly, all the plays were written under anonymous authorship and the cycles were well-known based on the regions at which they were performed. Therefore, one would be familiar with Chester miracle plays, Wakefield miracle plays, etc. rather than knowing the playwright. Some of the well-known and frequently used in miracle and mystery plays are Resurrection of Christ, Abraham and Isaac, Noah, Crucifixion, fall of man and the Last Judgement. Virgin Mary and Saint Nicholas were the most desirable characters to show the greatness of Saints and martyrdom. The morality play - Morality plays of the medieval period revolved around the dramatization of allegories based on the Christian life and the journey to seek salvation. Any drama of this kind would have a clash between virtues and vices. All of these characteristics were personified, and the audience could actually see the virtues or vices trying to get better of each other. This was a revolutionary improvement in the medieval drama and audience were liked the fresh ideas presented through these dramas. The most prevalent character seen is the personification of “vice” or the “devil,” which made the audience, fall into a state of wonder. The use of these personifications continued even in the Elizabethan drama as one can see in Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus. The finest examples of the morality plays are The Castle of Perseverance, Everyman and Mankind. They exhibit every element expected of a morality play. Plays like these were considered as links between the medieval drama and the Elizabethan drama The Interlude - Interludes, as the name suggest came in between events to provide witty entertainment to the audience. Usually, they are very short and used the topics of politics or religious issues. But this was done in a funny manner; therefore, they are considered as secular farces. They were performed by professional actors either between the acts of a long play or during a feast, where entertainment was required. Thomas Heywood is the most prominent of the playwrights who contributed a great deal to the popularity of the Interludes. His works The Four Ps and Johan the Husband, Tyb His Wife, and Sir John the Priest are considered as the best Interludes. These major forms of drama during the medieval period influenced the later ages predominantly. Shakespeare, Marlowe, etc. were inspired by these plays and learnt to perfect the form of drama with their own ideas.  Theatre out side the city – non si faceva solo teatro, era un luogo pericoloso.  Large audience  Soliloquies, prologues, and epilogues  NO real scenery yet Actors interacted directly with their audiences and often booed or subjected to lewd remarks. Women were not allowed in theatres. So, the female roles were enacted by young men who would dress themselves up in women clothing. Social status influenced the seating of the audiences. The Galleries were reserved for the nobles and people who could afford the fees for the show. The “Apron Stage” was for the commoners. The stage was surrounded on three sides by the audiences. At the rare end of the stage, there was the “Tiring House” where the actors changed their costumes and waited for their entrance. There were two doors for entrances and exits at the back of the stage. There were no curtains separating the audience from the stage. A “Trap door” for sudden entry of actors enacting apparitions or devils and special effects. Food and drinks were also served in the theatres. HENRY V, ACT I, PROLOGUE: Enter Chorus Chorus O for a Muse of fire, which would ascend The brightest heaven of invention, A kingdom for a stage, princes to act And monarchs to behold the swelling scene! Then should the warlike Harry, like himself, Assume the port of Mars, and at his heels, Leash'd in like hounds, should famine, sword, and fire Crouch for employment. But pardon, and gentles all, The flat unraised spirits that have dared On this unworthy scaffold to bring forth So great an object: can this cockpit hold The vasty fields of France? or may we cram Within this wooden O the very casques That did affright the air at Agincourt? O, pardon! since a crooked figure may Attest in little place a million. And let us, ciphers to this great accompt, On your imaginary forces work. Suppose within the girdle of these walls Are now confined two mighty monarchies, Whose high upreared and abutting fronts The perilous narrow ocean parts asunder: Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts. Into a thousand parts divide on man, And make imaginary puissance. Think when we talk of horses, that you see them Printing their proud hoofs i' the receiving earth. For 'tis your thoughts that now must deck our kings, Carry them here and there, jumping o'er times, Turning the accomplishment of many years Into an hour-glass: for the which supply, Admit me Chorus to this history. Who prologue-like your humble patience pray, Gently to hear, kindly to judge, our play. Exit Traduzione: “Oh, aver qui una Musa di fuoco che sapesse salire al più luminoso cielo dell’invenzione; un regno che servisse da palcoscenico principi che facessero da attori e monarchi da spettatori di questa scena grandiosa! Allora il valoroso Enrico da quel che era assumerebbe davvero il portamento di Marte e condotti al guinzaglio come segugi, la fame il ferro e il fuoco gli striscerebbero alle calcagna chiedendo impiego. Ma miei signori perdonate le menti basse e piatte che hanno ardito portare su questo indegno palco un argomento così grande: potrebbe mai infatti questa platea contenere i vasti campi di Francia o potremmo stipare entro questa O di legno anche i soli elmi che impaurirono l’aria stessa ad Agincourt? Ma scusateci: come uno sgorbio di cifre serve in breve spazio a rappresentare un milione, così lasciate che noi, semplici zeri in questo gran conto, mettiamo in moto le forze della vostra immaginazione. Supponete che entro la cinta di queste pareti siano chiuse due potenti monarchie e che un pericoloso stretto ne separi le fronti che sporgono alte sul mare. Colmate col vostro pensiero le nostre lacune; di un uomo che vedete fatene mille e createvi un imponente esercito; se parliamo di cavalli, immaginate di vederli realmente stampare gli zoccoli sul terreno molle che ne riceve le impronte; poiché è il vostro pensiero che ora deve vestire riccamente i nostri re e portarli qua e là, saltando intieri periodi di tempo, e condensando i fatti di molti anni in un volger di clessidra; e per quest'ultima funzione ammettete come Coro in questa storia me che, a mo' di prologo, sollecito con umiltà la vostra pazienza perché ascoltiate con animo benevolo e giudichiate con indulgenza questo nostro spettacolo.” 20.04.22 – lezione 12 Elizabethan literature is made up specially of drama but also poems and prose. Prose is a huge term, an umbrella term because it include different genres. The real prose begin in the XVIII secle, it is different to the romance. Books: 1. Folio: The original sheets of paper was folded once, resulting in two leaves. – it was large for the period 2. Quarto: its original sheet folded twice and would have four leaves – they print in 4 pages 3. Octavo: 8 leaves, 16 pages 4. Duodecimo: 12 leaves, 24 pages Every name represents a different size of the book. The size of a book is generally measured by the height against the width of a leaf, or sometimes the height and width of its cover. A series of terms is commonly used by libraries and publishers for the general sizes of modern books, ranging from folio (the largest) to quarto (smaller) and octavo (still smaller). Historically, these terms referred to the format of the book, a technical term used by printers and bibliographers to indicate the size of a leaf in terms of the size of the original sheet. For example, a quarto (from Latin quartō, ablative form of Quartus, fourth) historically was a book printed on sheets of paper folded in half twice, with the first fold at right angles to the second, to produce 4 leaves (or 8 pages), each leaf one fourth the size of the original sheet printed A RARE copy of Shakespeare's First Folio worth £2.5million has been discovered at a stately home on a Scottish Island. The book has languished in the library of Mount Stuart House on Bute for more than 100 years. Published in 1623, the First Folio contains 36 of the great writer's plays. Without the First Folio there would be no copies of more than half of Shakespeare's other plays, including Macbeth or The Tempest. The confirmation brings the total known number of copies to 234 ahead of the 400th anniversary of the playwright's death on April 23. Mount Stuart House's copy belonged to Isaac Reed, a well-connected literary editor who worked in London in the 18th century, Professor Smith said. A letter from Reed shows that he acquired the Folio in 1786 and further records indicate it was sold after Reed's death in 1807 to a "JW" for £38. The last edition of the book to be published at auction fetched £2.5m. After the sale of this particular copy of the book in 1807 there are no public records of the Folio, and it was not included in Sidney Lee's 1906 census of First Folios. It was at some point between these two dates that Mount Stuart acquired the Folio because it is mentioned in a catalogue of the Bute library in 1896. The Mount Stuart edition is unusual because it was bound in three volumes with many blank pages which would have been used for illustrations. Professor Smith said: "When we think of Shakespeare, we usually think of his plays being performed on stage. "But the written word and the First Folio is central to our understanding of Shakespeare. "I hope this anniversary year encourages people to reread the texts of his work." The discovery will form the focal point for a new education program and will go on display from April 7 at Mount Stuart House as part of an exhibition that will run until October 30. Head of collections at Mount Stuart House, Alice Martin – who brought the book to the attention of experts after spotting it on the shelves – said: "In terms of literary discoveries, they do not come much bigger than a new First Folio, and we are really excited that this has happened on Bute." The book, which has languished in the library of Mount Stuart House on the Isle of Bute for more than 100 years, was confirmed as genuine by Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespeare Studies at Oxford University. Published in 1623, the First Folio brought together the majority of Shakespeare’s plays and without it there would be no copies of more than half of them, including Mount Stuart House’s copy belonged to Isaac Reed, a well-connected literary editor working in London in the 18th Century, Professor Smith confirmed. A letter from Reed shows that he acquired the Folio in 1786 and further records indicate it was sold after Reed’s death in 1807 to a “JW” for £38. After this sale there are no public records of the Folio, and it was not included in Sidney Lee’s 1906 census of First Folios. Macbeth or The Tempest. It was at some point between these two dates that Mount Stuart acquired the Folio because it is mentioned in a catalogue of the Bute library in 1896. The Mount Stuart edition is unusual because it was bound in three volumes with many blank pages which would have been used for illustrations. Professor Smith said: “When we think of Shakespeare, we usually think of his plays being performed on stage. “I hope this anniversary year encourages people to reread the texts of his work.” The discovery will form the focal point for a new education program and will go on display from April 7 at Mount Stuart House as part of an exhibition that will run until October 30. The Elizabethan era, often hailed as a golden age for English literature, spanned Queen Elizabeth’s long reign from 1558 to 1603. This period saw many poetic luminaries rise to prominence, including Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, Edmund Spenser, Sir Philip Sidney, William Shakespeare, and Elizabeth herself. Elizabethan poetry is notable for many features, including the sonnet form, blank verse, the use of classical material, and double entendres. Sonnets - Perhaps the best-known innovation of Elizabethan poetry is the Elizabethan, or English, sonnet. Thomas Wyatt, a court poet for Henry VIII, introduced the Italian sonnet to England, but Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, reworked it into its typical English form. Elizabethan sonnets are written in iambic pentameter and consist of 14 lines, often divided into three quatrains and a couplet. The lines rhyme using a scheme: abab cdcd efef gg. The first eight lines are called the “octet” and the final six lines are the “sestet.” Elizabethan sonnets often feature a turn, or “volta,” between the octet and sestet, where the material introduced in the octet is seen from a different perspective in the sestet. In some sonnets, this turn comes in the final couplet, such as in William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130, “My Mistress’ Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun.” Elizabethan sonnets also appear in the drama of the time, such as at the beginning of “Romeo and Juliet.” Blank Verse - Although iambic pentameter had been used in English poetry since the Middle Ages, the Earl of Surrey used it in a new way in his translation of Virgil’s “Aeneid”: He left the lines unrhymed. This poetic form, called “blank verse,” has the advantage of freeing poets from the burden of rephrasing thoughts so that they rhyme and was held by some to be the purest approximation of natural human speech. In the Elizabethan era proper, blank verse was Shakespeare’s and Christopher Marlowe’s meter of choice for drama; it gave speech a serious, elevated tone, while leaving prose to be used for those with lower social rankings and for comedy. Blank verse persisted in popularity far past the Elizabethan era, used by such notable works as John Milton’s “Paradise Lost” and William Wordsworth’s “Prelude.” Shaping the Present with the Past - Although the term “Renaissance” wasn’t used until the 19th century, it accurately describes at least one feature of Elizabethan literature: It often perceived itself as giving “rebirth” to classical matter to usher in a new era of literature in English. This quality is perhaps most easily seen in its appropriation of the past. Sir Philip Sidney employs the conventions of classical poetry in his sonnets, such as his invocation to the muse in “Astrophil and Stella”: “Fool, said my Muse to me, looke in thy heart, and write.” Similarly looking backwards, Edmund Spenser’s greatest work, the epic “Faerie Queene,” is full of archaisms -- intentionally old-looking spelling or syntax, such as “yclept” for “called.” He uses these to create the sense of an earlier, less spoiled realm in which he can set his allegorical history of England. Double Entendres -This discussion wouldn’t be complete without a mention of Elizabethan poetry’s great love of double entendres: words or phrases that have a benign literal meaning but also have a second connotation -- usually a sexual one. In Act 3, Scene 1 of “Hamlet,” for instance, Hamlet directs a polemical diatribe at Ophelia, and tells her, “Get thee to a nunnery: why wouldst thou be a / breeder of sinners?” On a literal level, playgoers could interpret this line kindly: Hamlet is worried about Ophelia and wants to shelter her from the world and from men. Astrophil and Stella, Sonnet 9 Queen Virtue’s court, which some call Stella’s face, Prepared by Nature’s choicest furniture, Hath his front built of alabaster pure; Gold is the covering of that stately place. The door, by which, sometimes, comes forth her grace, Red porphyr is, which lock of pearl makes sure; Whose porches rich (which name of ‘cheeks’ endure) Marble, mixed red and white, do interlace. The windows now, through which this heavenly guest Looks o’er the world, and can find nothing such Which dare claim from those lights the name of ‘best,’ Of touch they are, that without touch doth touch, Which Cupid’s self, from Beauty’s mind did draw: Of touch they are, and poor I am their straw. Another conceit poem, and one that eventually rings all the changes of Sidney’s wit and verbal dexterity. Insofar as we can trust the clichés of Petrarchan love poetry—which, we know from Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 (“My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun . . .”), is not much—we get something of a physical description of Stella (in fact, a very abbreviated blazon,* starting with the hair and not reaching the chin) in the palace of Queen Virtue: golden hair (“covering”), alabaster forehead (“front”), fiery red lips (“door”), pearl teeth (“lock”), and damasked (“mixed red and white”) cheeks (“porches,” and these alone are explicitly identified, perhaps to make sure we have not missed the whole point of the conceit). All of this is conventional flattery, but unconventionally, Stella’s distinctive eyes are black (“touch” =touchstone, a type of black basalt), and the entire sestet is devoted to a careful and clever analysis of them. First, we have already been introduced, in line 1 and again in line 5, to this exalted personage “Queen Virtue,” who lives here. Line 5 tells us that “her grace” steps out the front door (i.e., passes through Stella’s lips) “sometimes.” “Sometimes” is hardly a romantic or poetic adverb, and it is a significant qualifier of all this flattery. In the real world of the poet, “her grace” refers simply to any kind or encouraging words Stella might bestow on him. Within the trope, “her grace” is an appropriate form of address for a royal personage, but on yet another level of meaning it suggests divinity. Line 9 picks up on that hint with a reference to Queen Virtue as a “heavenly guest,” thus identifying her with the soul (a temporary visitor to mortal flesh), or with the soul’s alter ego, Reason. And we know already (see earlier discussion of sonnets 4 and 10) that the speaker does not like to play on the same team as Reason. Critical Virtue/Reason/Soul, looking out through the windows of the eyes (which, as we know, are paradoxically dark and bright), cannot find anyone qualified to be “best” in show. This is a two-edged dig at Stella: first, simply that she is too aloof and will not acknowledge and return the speaker’s love; but also, if we assume she spends more of her time with the man to whom she is betrothed (Lord Rich, in the case of Penelope Devereux), that her eyes are not usually seeing the “best” man for her! The sonnet wraps up with a flurry of fairly esoteric word-play. The eyes are of touchstone, which, as the colloquial name implies, must definitely be touched in order to perform its function (testing the purity of precious metals). But paradoxically, these touchstone eyes touch others (specifically, the speaker, in the second, emotional, sense of the verb touch) without allowing themselves to be touched (in either the physical or emotional sense). Further, the touchstone was mined by no less a personage than Cupid himself (who, as miner, seems to be sinking ever lower on the social scale! **), from the highest Platonic place of ideal forms: the “mind” (a pun with “mine”) of Beauty, i.e., Beauty herself cannot imagine anything more perfect than Stella’s touchstone eyes. But this perfect, aloof, spiritual, divine beauty has the decidedly imperfect effect of enflaming the speaker’s all too fleshly passions. “Touch” is not only short for touchstone, but also for touch wood, the light kindling with which it is quite easy to start a fire—especially if what’s above it is made of nothing more substantial than straw. * I feel conflicted about the spelling of this word. Some literature handbooks have used blason for the poetic device, to distinguish between that and the heraldic description which is the original sense of blazon. But the words have the same etymology, and common or dictionary usage makes no such distinction, so I’ll go along with that. **See the footnote to the blog on Sonnet 8. 22.04.22 – lezione 13 *Il 20 maggio ci sarà un incontro con il Professor Stanco, grande studioso di Shakespeare e potrebbe essere la lezione di chiusura. Anche nel 500 e nel 600 la cultura non era un fatto isolato. Il modo di condividere la cultura non è qualcosa di isolato, ci sono influenze anche italiane nella letteratura inglese, avevamo infatti accennato alle influenze che la letteratura italiana aveva avuto in quella inglese. Sulla figura di Shakespeare ci sono molte ipotesi, si pensa che potesse essere una donna, un insieme di scrittori o persino siciliano. Di documentato non c’è nulla però. Film Shakespeare: All is true For the play by William Shakespeare and John Fletcher, see Henry VIII (play). All Is True is a 2018 British fictional historical film directed by Kenneth Branagh and written by Ben Elton.[7] It stars Branagh as playwright William Shakespeare. The film takes its title from an alternative name for Shakespeare's play Henry VIII. After the Globe Theatre burns down in 1613 during a performance of Shakespeare's play Henry VIII, William Shakespeare, aged 49, returns home from London to Stratford-upon-Avon[8] to rejoin his wife, Anne Hathaway. Shakespeare and Anne have a distant relationship, as he has spent most of their marriage working in London, and she is a down-to-earth country woman who cannot read or write. Their marriage has never recovered from the death of their son Hamnet, aged 11, in an outbreak of plague in Stratford while his father was in London. While they also have two daughters, Hamnet was Shakespeare’s favorite child, especially because of the poems which he believes the child wrote. Shakespeare now devotes his time to tending to the family garden. In spite of his hard work, he is not very successful. The Shakespeare’s' elder daughter Susanna is married to a doctor named John Hall, who is a prominent Puritan in town. Susanna has to stifle her independence and her own personality to live by her husband's moral codes. She is accused of committing adultery and faces a public trial. Shakespeare terrifies her accuser by claiming that he knows an African actor who was once in love with Susanna, and who would kill anyone who ruined her good name. The accuser fails to attend the hearing, as a consequence of which Susanna is acquitted. Anne is impressed by her husband's actions, especially as she knows that he was lying: the African actor was a gentle person who would never harm anyone. Shakespeare's younger daughter, Judith (Hamnet's twin), is outspoken in her doubts about the role of women in Jacobean England. She has not been allowed to have an education or opportunities in life, because it is expected she will marry and provide children. She has refused to marry and is bitter at her father for not loving her as much as her dead brother. One night during an argument, Judith confesses to Shakespeare that it was she who wrote the poems, rather than her brother. They were in Hamnet's handwriting because Judith cannot read or write and dictated them to him. Anne agrees that Hamnet was not especially intelligent; they have hidden this from Shakespeare so he would be able to keep his fond memories. The Shakespeare’s receive a visit from the Earl of Southampton, Shakespeare's former literary patron, to whom he wrote his 154 sonnets. This upsets Anne; she is aware of rumors that her husband and Southampton were lovers. While drinking with Southampton, Shakespeare recites his Sonnet 29, expressing his feelings for Southampton and hoping that Southampton felt the same way about him. Southampton cuts off the conversation, and seems uncomfortable, but as he leaves, he also recites Sonnet 29, indicating to Shakespeare that he did have feelings for him. After some time at home, Shakespeare and Anne grow closer and develop a mature relationship. Anne ultimately allows her husband to sleep with her in the family's second-best bed (the best bed is reserved for guests). Having fallen back in love with Anne, Shakespeare amends his will to make sure that she will receive this bed. Now that the truth has been told about the poems, Judith also develops a warmer relationship with her father. She agrees to marry a local man, Thomas Quiney, who has been her suitor for some time. However, Quiney's reputation is damaged when his former sweetheart gives birth to his illegitimate child, and the baby and mother die during labor. Judith becomes pregnant by Quiney, much to Shakespeare's delight. While researching, Shakespeare discovers that there was no notable plague outbreak in 1596, the year that Hamnet died. He becomes suspicious and questions his family. Anne tries to convince him that Hamnet died of plague, but Judith confesses the truth. One day as a child, Judith told her brother that she was going to reveal the truth to their father, that Hamnet did not write the poems. That night, Hamnet went missing. He was found in a nearby pond, having drowned, with the copies of the poems in the water with him. Hamnet would never normally enter the pond, and so Anne and Judith suspect he committed suicide. The women covered it up and told everyone that the boy had died of plague. Although it is an emotional revelation, the truth allows Shakespeare to finally come to terms with his son's death, and to accept a more honest memory of the boy. In April 1616 Shakespeare's fellow playwright Ben Jonson visits him and they reminisce about their lives. On the 23rd of April, Shakespeare's fifty-second birthday, he is feeling unwell. His wife and daughters gather to present him with a surprise. Susanna has been teaching Anne and Judith how to read and write. Susanna has found the Shakespeare’s' marriage certificate, and Anne finally signs her name, where previously she had only been able to sign with an "X". Shakespeare dies that day. At his funeral, the three women recite the song "Fear No More" from Shakespeare's play Cymbeline. They are now all able to read. Critical response - On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 72% based on 141 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Impressively cast and beautifully filmed, All Is True takes an elegiac look at Shakespeare's final days." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 59 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews" 04.05.22 Lezione 14 Shakespearean Sonnets  1609 Quarto only source of most 154 Shakespearean Sonnets  There are 3 categories of pomes in this Quarto  1-126 are addressed to The Fair Youth  127-154 are addressed to The Dark Mistress  A Lover’s Complaint 329 line poem written in Rhyme Royal He didn’t write plays in order to publish, he wrote in order to perform. He wrote sonnets when theatre couldn’t be used, they were closed by puritan. Sonnet form: Rhyme Scheme: Quatrain 1: abab [introduces questions] Quatrain 2: cdcd [tentative answers] Quatrain 3: efef [tentative answers] Rhyming Couplet: gg [final answer] Volta: The turn of transition in line 9 which marks a shift in focus or thought Shakespeare’s Addressees: The Fair Youth (sonnets 1-126) – the lover is beautiful as a Camel, but he was that beautiful in the past  An unnamed young man  Witten to in loving and romantic language Education Probably attended King’s New School in Stratford His school day was long and rigorous He was educated in Rhetoric, Logic, History, Latin Shakespeare dropped out of middle school when his father lost his fortune Married life Married to Anne Hathaway, who was pregnant at the time with their first daughter Had twins in 1585 – Hamnet and Judith Hamnet died from the plague at age 11 Sometime between 1583-1592, he oved to London and began working in theatre Matrimonio Muore a Stratford e viene sepolto nella Holy Trinity Church: Good friend for Jesus’s sake, forebear To dig the dust enclosed here Blest be the man who spared these stones And curst be he that moves my bones Theatre Career Member and later part- owner of Lord Chamberlain’s Men, later called the King’s Men Globe Theatre built in 1599 with Shakespeare as primary investor Burned down in 1613 during one of Shakespeare’s play The plays 38 plays firmly attributed to Shakespeare: 14 comedies; 10 histories; 10 tragedies; 4 romances The First Folio La copertina del First Folio, con l’incisione del celebre ritratto di Shakespeare eseguito da Martin Droeshout. John Heminges e Henry Condell nel 1623. Shakespeare Language Shakespeare did NOT write in “Old English” -> Old English is the language of Beowulf He didn’t write in Middle English - > Is the language of Chaucer and Malory He wrote in Early Modern English -> Friend as verd; unfriended (Twelfth Night); gloom (gloomy, Titus Andronicus); 1,700 to 3,000 words to the English language. Romeo and Juliet Romeo: If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss Juliet: Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, Which mannerly devotion shows in this. For saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch And palm is holy palmers’ kiss. Shakespeare’s Language is a mix of old and very new; rural and urban words/images; understandable by the lowest peasant and the highest noble Examples: 1. KNOCK, KNOCK! WHO’S THERE? We bet you’re waiting for a punch line. Meaning: Often a children’s joke, the phrase involves tension and anxiety. From MacBeth (Act 2, Scene 30 2. GREEN-EYED MONSTER. Meaning: jealousy. From Othello (Act 3, Scene 3) 3. IN A PICKLE. Meaning: a difficult or uncomfortable situation. From The Tempest (Act 5, Scene 1) 4. FULL CIRCLE: Meaning: completes a cycle, returns to its beginnings. From King Lear (Act 5, Scene 3) 5. THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER. Meaning: being in a position to take advantage of life’s opportunities. From The Merry Wives of Windsor (Act 2, Scene 2) 6. CATCH A COLD. Meaning: To go sick. From Cymbeline (Act 1, Scene 4) 7. IT’S ALL GREEK TO ME. Meaning: That something is indistinguishable or incomprehensible. Julius Caesar (Act 1, Scene 2) 8. FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE. Meaning: Respond to an attack by using a similar method as one’s attacker. From King John (Act 5, Scene 1) 9. LOVE IS BLIND. Meaning: an inability to see shortcomings in a lover, doing crazy thing when you are in love. From The Merchant of Venice (Act 2, Scene 6) 10. WILD GOOSE CHASE. Meaning: a hopeless and never- ending pursuit. From: Romeo and Juliet (Act 4, Scene 1) 11. A HEART OF GOLD. Meaning: A very kind of honorable person. From Henry V (Act 4, Scene 1) 12. BREAK THE ICE. Meaning: to start a conversation. From The Taming Of The Shrew (Act 1, Scene 2) OTHELLO – THE MOOR OF VENICE É una tragedia ambientata in Italia, comporta da 5 atti che rispetta la divisione Aristotelica della tragedia.  Differences of race, of age, of cultural background.  Iago’s insinuations that Desdemona is unfaithful  The issue of gender 1622 – The Tragedy of Othello 1623 – The Folio edition of the Tragedy of Othello We are in Venice in 1570-1571, it was the center of commercialism. 11.05.22 – lezione 16 Seminario con Capalbo ENGLISH LITERATURE 2 The semiotics of Theatre and Drama Semiotics -> Multidisciplinary science Dramatic Text -> Performance Text = there is difference, but they have the same importance, they have the same right to be studied Dramatic text = the artistic part – ex. a written text Performance Text = semiotic of theatre itself – ex performance itself, on the theatre, the movie etc. The first principle of the Prague school: semiotization of the object: the ordinary function of object and their function on the stage is different, they have a different use, and this is the semiotization. Ad esempio, la candela serve ad illuminare, mentre in teatro indica l’arrivo della notte o il fazzoletto, che nella realtà ha un uso e con Shakespeare rappresenta il tradimento. Theatrical foregrounding Theatrical foregrounding to put in evidence an actor and everything the actor is saying; may involve the framing of a bit of the performance in such a way, to mark it off from the rest of the text: aside function is useful to talk with the audience, so when an actor is playing in aside, he/she is always referring to the public Ostension: main reference between novel and a dramatic text, the second one does not describe, but it shows thing, we can read the things that the actor say. Showing is always associated with the stage plays and description with the novel Ex of ostension: showing the handkerchief or whatever object on stage. The concept of performance is clear PERFORMANCE: Austin Concept expressed by the linguistic Austin, to describe utterances; doing something which is said. Indirect way to express an utterances It’s burning up here  it is a way to give an indication to someone. Multiplication of components on stage - One of the consequences is that it is not possible to talk about every single theatrical message; the same scene on stage can be interpreted in different ways, even when you read a dramatic text, because everyone has a different perception to interpret a text Redundancy: the reduction of information in the messages through repetition, inclusion of signals not strictly necessary to the transmission of information. In a performance, redundancy should be reduced, but there are some cases in which redundancy is tied up with hidden meaning in the performance Iago is trying to convince Othello of something, by using repetitions Proxemic relations: the materiality of the stage and the sense of space, the theatrical text is defined and perceived above all in spatial terms. There is a connection between space and culture. According to Hall, there three kinds of space: 1. Fixed feature space is in the stage, it cannot change in very general terms 2. Semi-fixed space: lightning can change for instance 3. Informal space: relation between actor and actor, the way they get ad leave the stage; Aside, and the distance between Othello and Iago changes, the distance between the two actors is an examples of informal space The last aspect of informal space, it is said that there are four kin of informal space 1. Intimate distance 2. Social distance 3. Public distance 4. Personal distance According to Osmond, we have a split in two houses of space:  Sociopetal space: area in which people are brought together  Medieval and Renaissance theatre  Sociofugal space: space whose characteristics function is to keep people apart KINESICS  Body motion as a communicative medium; the way in which we use our body. Each society as its kinesics PARALINGUISTIC FEATURES:  Pitch  Loudness  Tempo  Timbre  Non-verbal sounds METADRAMMATIC AND METATHEATRICAL (a paly within a play  The merchant of Venice) the moment in which someone put on stage another performance (e.g., stage directors) INTERTEXTUAL RELATION AND DECODIFICATION: The sources of Shakespeare for his poems 13.05.22 – lezione 17 Othello The setting is strange, he didn’t visited Italy, so it is setting because he manipulated the setting both in the Othello and The Merchant of Venice. Scholars used to visit Italy and going back to England, or people from Italy went to England, but he didn’t visit the country. The setting It was settled in Italy, even if Shakespeare didn’t visit Italy, but he manipulated his settings in a way in which many scholars could think that he visited Italy, but there is certainty. Shakespeare has ever been to Italy, even if the versions that we have written are dated 1622/1623, probably he wrote Othello between 1602-1603, On