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Christmas For Shakespeare Part III: Performing for Queen Elizabeth 

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Merry Christmas Eve everyone! Today I will be talking about how Shakepeare’s two royal patrons, Queen Elizabeth I and James I celebrated this holiday!

We have surviving records that prove Shakespeare and his troupe performed at Christmas during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth and King James I. The buildings still exist so we can imagine what Shakespeare’s performancesal at court might have looked like. What follows is a bit of historical detective work, with a nice holiday flavor to boot.

How did Good Queen Bess celebrate Christmas?

Like her predecessor Henry VIII, Her Majesty Elizabeth accepted presents from the nobles on New Year’s Day instead of Christmas morning. From all over the kingdom, people would bring the best and most extravagant presents to the queen, hoping to gain her favor at court. Take a look at this true case of what her favorite courtier, Robert Dudley gave the queen for Christmas in 1588:

Dudley gives Queen Elizabeth a wristwatch
Unlike her dad however, Elizabethan Christmas was a more elaborate affair than a week of sitting and feasting. Yes, Gloriana had elaborate feasts, but she preferred to impress her nobles and visiting dignitaries with dances, jousts, and plays. She was an accomplished dancer and poet, and she loved court masques.

A masque is sort of like a combination masked ball and performance art piece. The nobles would put on costumes and masks and enact a historical or mythological event, like “the Golden Age Restored,” a masque Ben Johnson wrote for Twelfth Night in 1616. The intent was to flatter the queen and her court, as well as having a good time. Of course, Liz still made time on the dance floor for Shakepeare’s company!

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How the plays were performed:

The plays would be in a large empty hall like the banquet hall or dance hall. Probably the tables would be removed from the feasting, then the dancing would begin. At around 10PM, the actors would take their places. There might be a makeshift tiring house, which was mainly just a curtain that the actors could hide behind to wait for their entrances.
The queen or King would be sitting on a throne on a raised platform so that she or he could be clearly seen by the actors and the audience.
Which plays did They Perform?

In 1594 The Lord Chamberlain’s Men played before the Queen at Greenwich Palace. Alas, we don’t know which plays they performed this time. What follows is a list of the plays we do know Shakepeare’s company played at Christmas.

Whitehall Palace by Dankerts, 1675.

Love’s Labors Lost– 1597 at Whitehall palace. This time we know which play they performed before the Queen, because it’s listed right on the title page. I suspect that printing where the play was performed was designed to fire the imagination of the people who bought it. If you couldn’t be at court to see Shakespeare’s play, you could at least read his words and imagine you were there.

James I invited Shakepeare’s company to perform at Hampton Court many times. Below is an account of the plays for the Christmas holiday in 1603. Notice that Shakepeare’s name is spelled “Shaxberd.”

Here’s a list of some more plays we know Shakepeare’ performed at Christmas:

  1. Midsummer Nights Dream- 1603 on New Years Day, Hampton Court.
  2. Measure for Measure on Boxing Day 1603, Hampton Court.
  3. King Lear on Boxing Day 1606.
  4. Twelfth Night- Candlemas (Feb 2nd 1602).
  5. Twelfth Night 1618 and 1619 (location unknown).

Below is an episode of the incredible documentary “In Search of Shakepeare.” The first twelve minutes show what Christmas might have been like at Hampton Court in 1603, the first year of King James’ reign.

In Search of Shakespeare: For All Time

James loved plays and masques even more than Liz, which is why he employed one of the greatest scenic artists of all time, Inigo Jones, to come up with extravagant stage designs and costumes for plays and masques. James’ Queen Anne Of Denmark performed in quite a few masques herself. James also treated the Christmas season as a time of charity, which might have inspired some of the lines in King Lear, which was performed ‘on the feast of Steven’ 1606:

“Poor naked wretches… who soer you are. I have taken too little care of this.” -King Lear, Act III, scene I (The Storm Scene).

We can recall the contrast between King Lear and Good King Wenceslas. In the scene I quoted earlier, Lear laments that he hasn’t been more charitable to the poor, now that he himself feels cold and homeless.

The Christmas season would carry on until oh January 6, aka Twelfth Night. This was the day when, according to Christian tradition, the Three Wise Men finally got to Bethlehem and delivered their presents. Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night is all about celebrations of feasting, fools and clowns, and of course, epiphanies.

If you liked this post, please consider signing up for my new online class, “What Was Christmas Like For William Shakespeare?” I’ll go further into the traditions of Elizabethan Christmas and add some insight into Shakespeare’s play “Twelfth Night.” Register now at Outschool.com!

The Shakepearean Student

Sources: http://www.unofficialroyalty.com/columnists/the-laird-othistle/will-shakespeare-at-christmas-court/

http://home.hiwaay.net/~paul/shakespeare/revels/revelsacct1.html

http://www.timetravel-britain.com/articles/christmas/jacobean.shtml

http://www.shakespeare-online.com/theatre/theroyalpalaces.html

http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/m/lifetimes/society/court%20life/festivals.html

FMI look at “The Christmas Revels”

Remember, Remember GUY FAWKES DAY!

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Hi Everyone!

For most of us Shakespeare geeks, November the Fifth isn’t just the day where we celebrate the movie/comic book V For Vendetta, it’s also a celebration of one of the most infamous plots in English History, the GUNPOWDER PLOT, where 13 Catholics including Guy Fawkes planned to blow up Parliament and kill King James of Scotland. To this day, Guy Fawkes is burned in effigy on November 5, and little children chant:

The Fifth of November

Remember, remember!
The fifth of November,
The Gunpowder treason and plot;
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!
Guy Fawkes and his companions
Did the scheme contrive,
To blow the King and Parliament
All up alive.
Threescore barrels, laid below,
To prove old England’s overthrow.
But, by God’s providence, him they catch,
With a dark lantern, lighting a match!
A stick and a stake
For King James’s sake!
If you won’t give me one,
I’ll take two,
The better for me,
And the worse for you.
A rope, a rope, to hang the Pope,
A penn’orth of cheese to choke him,
A pint of beer to wash it down,
And a jolly good fire to burn him.
Holloa, boys! holloa, boys! make the bells ring!
Holloa, boys! holloa boys! God save the King!
Hip, hip, hooor-r-r-ray!

The plot went down in 1605, the same year Shakespeare probably wrote Macbeth! A lot of scholars believe that a plot to assassinate the rightful king of Scotland gave Shakespeare the inspiration to craft his most paranoid, frightening, and topical play, similar to the way he chose to write Romeo and Juliet right after the plague closed the playhouses of London and wanted to write about the ancient plague of family vendettas.

Engraving of 8 of the 13 conspirators involved in the Gunpowder Plot.
Engraving of 8 of the 13 conspirators involved in the Gunpowder Plot.

Other scholars suggest that Shakespeare chose to write “Macbeth” to show support for James’ right as king. Shakespeare definitely needed to do this, after all, James was his royal patron and he needed to make sure that he was on the king’s good side. More importantly, Shakespeare’s family was on thin ice when it came to their loyalty to the crown. Remember, Shakespeare’s father and mother were both lifelong Catholics, just like the conspirators who tried to blow up the king! Not only that, but Shakespeare’s father was friends with Robert Catesby, the mastermind behind the whole plot! Even worse, Shakespeare’s favorite bar the Mermaid Tavern was a meeting place for Catesby and his gang! So Shakespeare might have written “Macbeth” as a way of proclaiming the king’s legitimacy, and his allegiance to the crown.

So let’s be thankful that the king never suspected Shakespeare because I for one wouldn’t want to live in a world without Macbeth.

Happy Guy Fawkes Day!

Enjoy this quiz on the history of Guy Fawkes Day: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/how-well-do-you-know-what-happened-during-the-gunpowder-plot-a6721096.html

If you liked this post, please consider signing up for my “Macbeth” Outschool class, which is being offered at a $5 discount in honor of November 5th. Register now at Outschool.com:

Juliet’s Infinite (Variety) Playlist

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Hello Loyal Subscribers and First Time Readers!

Those of you who read my post for Much Ado About Nothing will probably remember that I made a post like this one last year. I created a fake playlist of songs that I though the protagonists, Benedick and Beatrice, might want to hear during moments of the play. Well, since this year our Romeo and Juliet focuses  greatly on the influence of technology in everyday life, I felt it would be appropriate to make another playlist.

For those of you who didn’t read the older post, this is a game!

The way it works is I provide you with a list of the events that happen to Romeo, and then a fake ipod Playlist screen. This screen has a group of songs that I chose because I feel Romeo might want them as part of his ‘internal soundtrack.’ So if Romeo is feeling sad at a particular moment, you look at the playlist and try to pick a  song that would match his mood. Yesterday I did Romeo’s playlist and today I’ll do Juliet’s.
Anyway, enough gabbing. LET’S PLAY!

Part I: Events that Happen To Juliet (In Chronological Order)

  1. Like a dutiful daughter, Juliet promises to meet Paris at the Capulet ball.
  2. Juliet is immediately stuck with true love when she dances with Romeo.
  3. Caught up in love and passion Juliet kisses Romeo at her balcony and pledges to be with him forever.
  4. After sneaking off to Friar Lawrence’s cell, Juliet secretly marries Romeo.
  5. Juliet anxiously awaits her first night with Romeo as a married woman.
  6. After spending one last tender night with her Romeo, Juliet tries to keep him by her side, even though she knows he has to leave.
  7. Juliet defies her father by refusing to marry Paris and he threatens to disown her.
  8. Terrified and repulsed by the idea of marrying Paris, Juliet visits Friar Lawrence’s cell, begging him to either help her or let her die.
  9. Haunted by Tybalt’s memory, Juliet reluctantly takes Friar Lawrence’s potion to make herself seem dead. She is taken to her family’s crypt.
  10. Awakened from her sleep and seeing her husband Romeo dead, Juliet stabs herself.
  11. Epilogue: Through Julie’s death, her father reconciles with Montegue.

Part II- The playlist- try to match these songs with the events above.

Juliet's Playlist

So now you know the rules, enjoy the game. Send your answers to us by leaving a comment below or by emailing us at openairshakespearnrv@gmail.com. If you have other suggestions for the playlist, let us know and we’ll make a new one!
Have fun!

Romeo and Juliet’s Infinite (Variety) Playlist Part 1

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Hello Loyal Subscribers and First Time Readers!

A few weeks ago I created a fake playlist of songs that I though the protagonists, Benedick and Beatrice, might want to hear during moments of the play. So I decided to do another one for R&J!

For those of you who didn’t read the older post, this is a game!

The way it works is I provide you with a list of the events that happen to Romeo, and then a fake ipod Playlist screen. This screen has a group of songs that I chose because I feel Romeo might want them as part of his ‘internal soundtrack.’ So if Romeo is feeling sad at a particular moment, you look at the playlist and try to pick a  song that would match his mood. Today is Romeo’s playlist and tomorrow I’ll do Juliet’s.
Anyway, enough gabbing. LET’S PLAY!

Part I: Events that Happen To Romeo (In Chronological Order)

  1. Romeo is distraught because Rosalind will not give in to his romantic advances
  2. Romeo is disappointed when he finds out that the Montegues and the Capulets have been fighting again.
  3. Benvolio convinces Romeo to get over himself and go crash the party at the Capulet’s.
  4. Romeo dances at the Capulet Ball and is immediately stuck with true love.
  5. Romeo realizes with horror that his true love is a Capulet; his family’s enemy.
  6. Determined to seize the moment, Romeo climbs the orchard wall under Juliet’s balcony and risks death to talk to her.
  7. Having already plotted with the Friar and Nurse, Romeo secretly marries Juliet
  8. Romeo attempts to break up a fight between his friend Mercutio, and his new cousin, Tybalt.
  9. Full of rage after Tybalt kills Mercutio, Romeo challenges Tybalt to a duel and wins.
  10. Romeo is once again distraught and full of self-hatred for killing Tybalt. He hides in Friar Lawrence’s cell, and thinks about what he has done.
  11. Romeo sneaks once again into Juliet’s room and spends one last tender night with her before he has to leave for Mantua.
  12. Hearing that Juliet has died, Romeo is once again full of rage for the whole of humanity. He resolves to go back to Verona and die by Juliet.
  13. Feeling strangely at peace, Romeo bids farewell to his beloved Juliet, drinks a poison, and dies.
  14. Epilogue: Through Romeo’s death, his father reconciles with Capulet.

Part II- The playlist- Try to match these songs with the events above.

Romeo's Playlist (in random order)

So now you know the rules, enjoy the game. Send your answers to us by leaving a comment below or by emailing me here:

Have fun!

Benedick and Beatrice’s Infinite (Variety) Playlist

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Benedick and Beatrice’s Infinite (Variety) Playlist

This is a game I created for a Shakespeare workshop back in 2012. I would recommend it for any teacher who wants to connect their students to a piece of literature: basically you make a list of songs that A: relate to the personality of a Shakespearean character, and B: relate to moments of the show.

Introduction:

Have you ever met people who go around everywhere with their MP3 players and their earbuds? The kind of people who walk around playing their own personal soundtrack? Well, what do you think would happen if the characters from Much Ado did this, and you happened to glance at Benedick or Beatrice’s iPod? Well that’s what we’re going to pretend in a little game I like to call “Benedick’s Infinite Variety Playlist.” Below is a list of the major events in the play that happen to Benedick. The problem is: they’re all on shuffle. Your job is to figure which song matches which event, put them in chronological order, and submit your answer in the comments below. Later this week, you can play the same game with Beatrice’s playlist. Have fun and remember, as Shakespeare said: “If music be the food of love, play on!”

Events For Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing in random order (Match these with the songs from the playlist below)

  1. Benedick and Beatrice have a brief fling and break up before the play begins
  2. Benedick sees Beatrice and fights with her with his wits.
  3. Benedick dances with Beatrice at the party.
  4. Beatrice insults Benedick mercilessly at the party.
  5. Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato claim they overheard Beatrice confessing her love to Benedick.
  6. Benedick decides to be “horribly in love” with Beatrice.
  7. Convinced that Beatrice loves him, Benedick tries to spruce up his appearance.
  8. After the wedding scene, (where Claudio discraces Hero), Beatrice asks Benedick to “Kill Claudio.” Benedick must choose between being Claudio’s friend, and becoming a real man.
  9. Benedick tries to coax Beatrice into admitting that she loves him
  10. Benedick marries Beatrice