The Taming of the Shrew
The accepted social mores of Elizabethan times are comparatively very different to those of the present day. Speaking generally, people's attitudes, ways of thinking, and expectations have diversified immensely for the better. Males and females are viewed differently by each other and by society in general, and have reached a level of equality never before encountered in earlier times. In Shakespeare's play, women are portrayed as being powerless in their own lives and in everything around them. Males seem to be the domineering and controlling sex. This way of thinking resulted in the inequality experienced over the years by women and men all over the world, and the subdivided roles of each sex. When we look at the present time, what are the socially accepted positions of males? We think firstly of the physically stronger sex and the sex relied upon to ensure his family's safety and well being, after that however, everything else isn't strictly male only territory. In Elizabethan times though, the role of ma male was strictly marked out and outlined to a T. Their aim was to marry, make obedient their wives, produce children, provide for him and his family, and then be waited upon hand and foot by their newly conquered possessi
This play would have been performed in public theatres that were often built around courtyards. These theatre's had three-story galleries facing the stage. This way people from every social class could attend the theatre. Aristocrats sat in the galleries, whilst common people stood on the ground around the stage, with a few young men often sitting on the actual stage. Shakespeare's play of Taming of the Shrew would have had attracted a large and vast audience, as Shakespeare was one of the most famous playwrights in the Elizabethan era. Music for the play in these two scenes would have been created by a live band of the time. People often created their own music and enjoyed dancing and singing to it's beat. Elizabethans loved listening to music, in fact, music was a common feature of any banquet, party or celebration. Street festivals were always a hit as many people took to the streets to dance and party to the live music being played.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 837
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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