János Barcsák, Márta Pellérdi

English literature 1660-1900

The Theatre (auditorium, stage, actors)

As far as the physical environment of theatrical life is concerned, one of the most important changes introduced in the Restoration era was that all theatres were now indoor theatres. Indoor spaces had been used for performances in the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods, too, but the typical theatre buildings for public performances, such as, for example, Shakespeare’s Globe, were open-air constructions. These theatres could house large numbers of people (up to three thousand according to some scholars, while others estimate their capacity to have extended only to two thousand) and they required that the performances take place during the day, as they employed no artificial lighting. As opposed to this, the Restoration theatres could seat much fewer people (between 600 and 800) and required artificial lighting. These changes show how the experience of going to the theatre was substantially different in the Restoration era from that in the Renaissance. The theatre became typically an entertainment for a narrow elite, rather than a daytime diversion for a relatively broad social spectrum.

Tartalomjegyzék

Kiadó: Akadémiai Kiadó

Online megjelenés éve: 2018

ISBN: 978 963 454 261 2

A history of the English literature is presented here, with a scope on the years 1660 to 1900. The book is written in three main parts; beginning with the Restoration Period of the 17th century, followed by the first, and second halves of the 18th century. Thus, a sequential development of literary genres is presented, with explorations of the key figures and texts which drove these. The book also synthesises the historical, cultural and sociological background which gave rise to this literature, and allows the reader to effectively contextualise these.

Hivatkozás: https://mersz.hu/barcsak-pellerdi-english-literature-1660-1900//

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