Sex, Drugs and Renaissance – Part 1

It’s been a while since my last review and even longer since my last article, but less than 24 hours after my English exam on Renaissance drama I felt I might as well put that knowledge to good use. Today I’m going to guide you through the exciting world of the English stage in the late 16th century, but believe or not the 16th century was not all about Shakespeare…No, seriously, although it seems most of Shakespeare’s contemporaries have remained just that; contemporaries who for many are nameless and faceless. Why? Perhaps it’s because Shakespeare is supposedly the nation’s poet and…well, if you don’t like Shakespeare after five years of having his greatest kicked into your ears, why on earth would you care much about those who appear to be lesser than the Bard?

Another issue is how the theatre of today has a ridicules stigma of being for the posh (tosh). However, Renaissance theatre in my view could be compared with the evolution and rise of Rock and Roll. Wait, please bare with me, although it might sound like I’m trying to get down with today’s youth, I’m honestly not (for starters ‘down’ went out of fashion with the Macarena). It’s a loose comparison, but actors and playwrights had groupies no different from rock stars today, although I think it’s time I prove this whilst telling you about the men who have ended up existing in Shakespeare’s shadows and maybe encourage some of you to check out some forgotten heroes.

I admit though it may be funny to view a genius like Shakespeare though as anything but that, here’s a story that might change your mind. During a performance of Richard III, the actor playing Richard was invited by a woman to come to her bedchamber after the show. Unknown to them, Shakespeare had overheard this so before the play had finished he visited the women. While ‘Richard’ was crying out for a horse, Shakey was crying out for…anyway, after the performance there was a knock at the woman’s room, she asked who it was. He cried, ‘its Richard III’, and Shakespeare cried back ‘but William the Conquer came first’. Not the sort of you expects a genius to do but consider he was a rock star before the term was invented.

Shakespeare:

Shakespeare without a doubt is the godfather of Renaissance English and to many the king of the English language. (The Editor here eyetwitches but miraculously refrains from comment). In this sense it’s easy to compare the king of English with the king of Rock ‘n Roll, Elvis (ahaha). In terms of their cultural impact, both were icons in and now out of their time. However, perhaps the overexposure they’ve received by fans and critics means you either love them or you hate them. Popularity can be a cruel mistress, personally I think the main reason we might dislike Shakespeare could very similar to the reasons we might dislike Elvis or the Beatles or Led Zeppelin, in that we’re constantly reminded of how ‘awesome‘ and ‘groundbreaking‘ they were. We might find ourselves sick of them and whether you know their stuff well or not at all, you just feel like punching them. Another reason I’ve compared Shakey with Elvis is that neither wrote their own original material. Whereas Elvis covered and had others write his songs, Shakespeare (with the exception of the Tempest) based all his plays from existing stories, dramas and histories which already existed. (‘King Lear’ is based from a play of the same name, for example. – Ed). However, it’s not something that dents either man’s legacy, if anything both were able to make something that had already been done theirs, and went on to influence the books and music we all love now in one way or another.

Marlowe:

Probably more than any other Renaissance playwright, Marlowe was the closest to living like a rock star. He was an alleged spy, atheist, and apparently his two favourite things were ‘tobacco and boys’ and he died in rock star fashion after being stabbed in the eye. He was a controversial person and that same controversy and fascination with taboos can be seen in many of his plays like Doctor Faustus, which deals with a man selling his soul to the devil and Edward II a history which may satirize Elizabethan politics with homosexual undertones. If Marlowe was a rock star today I’d imagine he’d probably be Ozzy Osborne or even Marilyn Manson…not just because they all pushed the boundaries of decency but in terms of performance each man has given the stage something unique. In Edward II the torture scene which involves a bent over king and a hot poker would have made many men nauseous. Although the Puritans back then, as well as perhaps their modern reincarnations (the Mary Whitehouse’s of the world) would call it excessive and unnecessary, myself and many other Marlowe fans would see it as art for the purpose of higher meaning. Yet, in terms of his writing ability, I feel Marlowe was slightly weaker than Shakespeare, (-Gasp!- -Ed).

Next Installment: Johnson, Kyd and Webster!

2 Responses to “Sex, Drugs and Renaissance – Part 1”

1. Laura Rantala says:

   June 12, 2010 at 11:02 pm

   Interesting. Can’t wait to read more!
2. Lina Riesland says:

   July 7, 2010 at 6:51 pm

   The articles you have on your site are always so enjoyable to read. Good work and I bookmarked it.