Arghhh! Shakespeare!

Eugh...i've just finished my exams and straight away we are given too much work to do!!
Anyway, i have been searching for this for about a hour and cannot find anything on it. I'm getting extremely fustrated...lol...
We are doing Measure for Measure and have to understand the context the play was written in. We need to fully research:

Social - what was soceity like in 1604? What were the attitudes and values towards marriage, prostitution and pre-marital sex?
Political - who were the main pressure groups of the times? What was the balance of power between the monarch and the government?
Theatre - how different was Shakespearean theatre to the modern theatres we visit today?

If anyone could help me please do!!! Or give me website addresses or something!!!
Thank you!

Reply 1

pedy1986

-xsarahx-

Marriage - Women should actively seek a husband and get married quickly, and try to marry with the nice 'gentleman' - marriages tended to be within the same social class

Prostitution - Prostitues weren't liked much...it was an offence I think

Pre-Marital Sex - Big no no, highly religious society

Monarch/Government - James I was trying to push the issue of the royal perogative much more (were the king is chosen by God and has ultimate authority etc.)

Thats all I know, sorry it may be wrong :biggrin:

Reply 2

winorloose

-xsarahx-

I can only really help you with the bit about government but here goes:

James I was interested in working with his Parliaments. He was not interested in the practice of divine right (unlike his son Charles). The theory appealed to him, but he worked in compromise.

Pressure groups included puritans within the Anglican church, wanting the abolition of bishops and the establishment of a presbyterian system. James vetoed this as bishops enhanced his power.

There were no real pressure groups at the time (except maybe the clergy).

Balance of power heavily favoured the king. He could summon and dissolve Parliament, and had total control of policy making, especially foriegn policy. It was only once Parliament started intruding (accidentally) onto areas of the king's perogative that he started to get irritated.

There were big complaints about finances at the time, as the king could only tax with Parliamentary consent.

This is probably too long and detailed but hope it helps :smile:

Reply 3

presebjenada

-xsarahx-

Social - what was soceity like in 1604? What were the attitudes and values towards marriage, prostitution and pre-marital sex?
Political - who were the main pressure groups of the times? What was the balance of power between the monarch and the government?
Theatre - how different was Shakespearean theatre to the modern theatres we visit today?

If anyone could help me please do!!! Or give me website addresses or something!!!
Thank you!

just finished a level and this bloody play.. its actually a very good one to do questin s on cos of the themes etc..

look at themes such as - exchange - people in the play eg mariana for isabella, and are these exchanges fair? eg virginity for claudios life - fair?

measure for measure - so justice/mercy - who should be the judge of punishments, and can the crime ever fit the punishment..

freedom and restraint - physically manifested in contrast between juiliet and mistress overdone, angelo and duke.. and underworld of play in brothels and restraint of nunnery.. also physically shown by angelos walled garden (restricted) and marianas moated grange..
- claudio blames his restraint in prison on "too much freedom" and that the people of vienna need some restraint in order to enjoy freedom "every scope from the immoderate use turns to restraint" (wow how can i remmember these!!)

if you want in depth essays and pointers that i took from the internet for later onin the course -they are very very helpful for different viewpoints and analysis of diff characters..then dont hesitate to pm me..i have no use for them now! love holly

Reply 4

-xsarahx-

Thanks very much everyone!!! It really helped! :smile:

Reply 5

leda swanson

-xsarahx-

if you're after a book, cambridge university press do a groovy little guide to elizabethan and jacobean theatre and its social / literary / historical context, which is available on amazon.co.uk. i just did my english synoptic exam about webster and jacobean theatre and this book was really helpful. also i recommend the york notes to the play you are doing, that will have a fair bit about the play and its context.