Skip to main content

Did audiences in Shakespeare's time think he was more gifted as an actor or as a playwright?

It is virtually impossible to know exactly what audiences of Shakespeare's day thought of the Bard's skill as an actor. Surprisingly, not much is really known of Shakespeare's life as an actor in London. One surviving document of the day, written by Robert Greene, was quite critical of Shakespeare, calling him an "upstart crow" who "supposes he is well able to bombast out blank verse as the best of you." Later critics, however, thought differently....

It is virtually impossible to know exactly what audiences of Shakespeare's day thought of the Bard's skill as an actor. Surprisingly, not much is really known of Shakespeare's life as an actor in London. One surviving document of the day, written by Robert Greene, was quite critical of Shakespeare, calling him an "upstart crow" who "supposes he is well able to bombast out blank verse as the best of you." Later critics, however, thought differently. In his early biography of Shakespeare, John Aubrey concluded that Shakespeare "did act exceedingly well," although this opinion is dubious considering Aubrey never saw Shakespeare on the stage.


In the article, "Was Shakespeare a Good Actor" (The Atlantic, April, 2014), John Paul Rollert argues that Shakespeare, while quite accomplished, was never the main "box-office draw." Actors such as Will Kemp, Richard Burbage and Edward Alleyn often overshadowed Shakespeare in the theater troupe known as the The King's Men. Rollert suggests, however, that the simple fact that Shakespeare continued his acting career uninterrupted for fifteen years was extraordinary in a time when audiences could be very harsh critics, and that actors often performed in up to six plays a week, sometimes playing several roles in one play. An actor might be expected to deliver up to 4,000 lines of verse during that week.


In contrast to the scant evidence of his popularity as an actor, it is quite evident that the audiences of Shakespeare's day believed his plays to be brilliant. That he and the other members of The King's Men became wealthy gentlemen is proof enough of the playwright's ability to write crowd pleasers and attract large audiences. His plays were also popular with both Queen Elizabeth and King James.   

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is the meaning of "juggling fiends" in Macbeth?

Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a... Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a sense of guilt, and that man tells him: Despair thy charm. And let the angel whom thou still hast serve...
Post a Comment
Read more

What are some external and internal conflicts that Montag has in Fahrenheit 451?

 Montag, the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451, faces both external and internal conflicts throughout the novel. Some examples of these conflicts are: External Conflicts: Conflict with the society: Montag lives in a society that prohibits books and critical thinking. He faces opposition from the government and the people who enforce this law. Montag struggles to come to terms with the fact that his society is based on censorship and control. Conflict with his wife: Montag's wife, Mildred, is completely absorbed in the shallow and meaningless entertainment provided by the government. Montag's growing dissatisfaction with his marriage adds to his external conflict. Conflict with the fire captain: Montag's superior, Captain Beatty, is the personification of the oppressive regime that Montag is fighting against. Montag's struggle against Beatty represents his external conflict with the government. Internal Conflicts: Conflict with his own beliefs: Montag, at the beginning of th...
Post a Comment
Read more

In A People's History of the United States, why does Howard Zinn feel that Wilson made a flimsy argument for entering World War I?

"War is the health of the state," the radical writer Randolph Bourne said, in the midst of the First World War. Indeed, as the nations of Europe went to war in 1914, the governments flourished, patriotism bloomed, class struggle was stilled, and young men died in frightful numbers on the battlefields-often for a hundred yards of land, a line of trenches. -- Chapter 14, Page 350, A People's History of the United States Howard Zinn outlines his arguments for why World War I was fought in the opening paragraph of Chapter 14 (referenced above). The nationalism that was created by the Great War benefited the elite political and financial leadership of the various countries involved. Socialism, which was gaining momentum in Europe, as was class struggle, took a backseat to mobilizing for war. Zinn believes that World War I was fought for the gain of the industrial capitalists of Europe in a competition for capital and resources. He states that humanity itself was punished by t...
Post a Comment
Read more