Renaissance Theater Spain

The Spanish Inquisition lasted from 1478 to 1834. The goal of the Spanish Inquisition was to expel, convert or kill all Non-Catholics from Spain in Spain. When people were accused heresy they would be pit on trial, but before they could be on trial they had to sit in jail which most of them were unsanitary and people were given little food to eat. The punishments people received if they were found guilty were: torture, public humiliation, and death. The trials were unfair, unjustified and not necessary. The Spanish Inquisition did not help spread Catholicism and in fact slowed the spread because of the fear that it instilled in Non-Catholics.

Political power acts as a foundation for society through persuasion. This influential ability controls the thoughts and actions of society as a whole, and who is in control heavily determines how successful their influences will be. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella were the political rulers of Spain during the late 15th century, and remained in control up until the early 16th century. They craved unity for their country, and would do anything they could to achieve their desired conformity. Spain was to be united under one flag, one form of ruler, and one religion; those who did not oblige, became targets. For more than three hundred years, the Spanish Inquisition hovered over Spain, inciting fear and inflicting brutality upon those

Before the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella, the Moors were in control of much of the Iberian Peninsula. They desperately wanted to unite Spain and turn it into a

Prosperous Political aspects of Spain’s rise was diminutive, however it brutally terminated their Golden age. Ferdinand and Isabella made Spain a strong country with many territories in Europe and the America’s. In contrast one can see the corrupt policies of Philip II and there enormous effect on Spain’s decline. Spain lost a great deal of land trying to convert people to Catholicism. In their efforts to convert and spread Christianity during the thirty years war, Spain lost complete control of the Netherlands. In addition to losing the Netherlands, the English defeat of the Spanish armada completely crushed Spain, not only

Nyctophobia; the fear of the dark. However, it’s not exactly the fear of darkness itself, but rather, what could be lurking within it. Now, the Dark Ages weren’t actually “dark”, but it was a time of rapid decline in Europe in which historians don’t have much information. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe was thrown into a never ending battle of hardships. From the Black Plague to the loss of beloved heroes and heroines, the country really was left in the dark, until a flicker of hope emerged offering a new beginning: the Renaissance. The Renaissance lasted from the 14th to the 17th century and was an era of “rebirth” in European history. During this period, culture throughout Europe underwent a dramatic reformation where classic

The year 1469 held the marriage of two Catholic monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon. Their marriage marked the unity of Spain and the beginning of a joint reign. The duo imposed a central religion and dialogue for their fellow Spaniards. To reunify Spain’s religion they brought the church in order to control the corruption of the sale of indulgence. They also established the Spanish Inquisition that helped avoid challenges from the Reformation. It's was originally used to convert Jews and Islamic Moors, but was later used to punish those who questioned the Catholic Church. Isabella and Ferdinand’s marriage later triggered the Golden Age, which is often interpreted as the age of learning. It increased the acknowledgement on the arts and literatures in cities and countless people became artists who later emerged as influential figures. With the help of many artists, Golden Age successfully uniformed the values of – both socially and culturally – Spaniards.

In Imperial Spain, J.H. Elliot examines the history of early modern Spain from the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella and Ferdinand, to the reformation of the Spanish government by the first member of the Bourbon dynasty. According to the author, at the start of the 15th century, Spain was internally weak, hopelessly divided and isolated from the continent by the Pyrenees. Yet, by 1492, Spanish society experienced a tremendous transformation which allowed Isabella and Ferdinand to unify the country, secure the largest transoceanic empire the world has ever known, and for a

During the 1500’s, and many years following, exploration became a significant curiosity among empires around the world. More land meant more power and could potentially lead to riches such as gold and jewels. This idea of more land, sparked England and Spain's ambition. Spain's empire had grown powerful and dominate to all others. Knowing this, the English became worried that Spain, along with their Catholicism would overtake and convert them. During this time, Queen Elizabeth was ruling England and encouraged a huge following of the Protestant- religion. Noticing the differences in several

During this long-lasting Reconquista, there were long periods of war and peace. Over time, the Christian kingdoms gradually defeated the Moors and took back all of Moorish Spain. After several centuries, the Moors were at their weakest moment. No other caliph from North Africa, or the Middle East could save the Moors. In 1469, the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon were united by the marriage of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. Soon, the Moors only had control of the Kingdom of Granada. The Moors were extremely economically, politically and militarily weak. In 1492, the last outpost of the Moors had fallen. Spain had captured Granada and finally brought an end to the reconquest of Spain. During this period of time, there was more than a reconquering of lands. There was an an inquisition and an expulsion of Jews and Moors from Spain. In 1478, Pope Sixtus IV issued a bull that authorized Isabella and Ferdinand to appoint inquisitors in Castile for the purpose of combating heresy. The Spanish Inquisition

It was therefore not “entirely by accident” that Spain was united under the same realm but the death of the Catholic Kings Portuguese dynastic ties that meant the Hapsburg dynasty and not the Portuguese dynasty was united under the Spanish crown, which as Isabella had predicted caused friction amongst Cisneros and Castilian nobles who resented Ferdinand fruitless attempts to produce an alternative Spanish heir. Failing to promote his more desirable Spanish grandson; Ferdinand to the

One of the significant differences between the Spain and England was their role in religion. The Spanish wanted to spread the Roman Catholic Church throughout the world and unify the world in the belief of one God. After arriving to the New World in 1492, the Spanish forced indigenous people to convert to Catholicism. Dominican and Franciscan Friars were sent over to the New World to set up missions and to convert the natives. If the native people chose to disobey the Spanish orders and not convert to Catholicism, then natives would be killed by the Friars and

The Italian Renaissance is the “rebirth” of new ideas based on classical teachings. The Italian Renaissance gave birth to many innovations in theater architecture and scene design, including the proscenium arch stage, painted-flat wings and shutters, and Torelli’s mechanized pole-and-chariot system. In addition, the Italian Renaissance saw the development of the neoclassical rules of dramatic structure, and of opera and Commedia dell’arte. Between the 14th and 16th centuries Renaissance drama developed in Italy, marking an end to medieval practices and a release of traditional Roman ways of presenting drama. (Web.) The three major Renaissance contributions to Theatre were one, Neoclassical ideal in playwriting and criticism, two, Italianate staging and architecture, and three, Commedia dell’arte. By 1600, this rebirth had moved to other parts of Europe. It remained dominant for over 200 years, especially among upper classes.

When Christopher Marlowe, the most famous playwright in his time (Lace, 79), died, William Shakespeare was his successor. Shakespeare decided drama was to be his career after seeing the Queen’s Players during a visit to his hometown of Stratford-on-Avon in 1587 (Lace, 79). By the time of Marlowe’s death, Shakespeare was already well known for his three part “Henry VI” in 1592 (Lace, 79). His plays “Love’s Labour’s Lost” and “Romeo and Juliet”, both in 1594, were performed and he became the most outstanding playwright of his time (Lace, 79). Before Elizabeth’s reign was over, “Richard II”, “Julius Caesar”, “Henry V”, and “Hamlet” had been performed (Lace, 79). James Burbage was the second most influential actor of the Elizabethan period, but not only for his acting talent. Burbage built the first ever public playhouse in England, opening in 1576 (Unknown, 218). Burbage financed the building of “The Theater” alone, a well off man but was still considered a rogue. Actors were not the only influence on theater. When Mary Tudor decided the throne was rightfully hers, the War of the Roses ensued (Lace, 73). Because of the War of the Roses, many nobles, that employed actors, were killed (Lace, 73). This forced actors to form their own troupes (Lace, 73). In 1572, parliament passed the Poor Laws, making it a criminal offense to be a vagabond (Lace, 75). This reduced the number of acting companies and required them to be

“In roughly built playhouses and cobblestone inn yards, an extraordinary development took place in England in the 1500s.” (Yancey, 8). At that time, an opportunity combined to produce literature achievement never before witnessed in the history of drama and theater. The renaissance, helped spark this movement by inspiring scientific and artistic creativity throughout the land. Models began writing dramas that portrayed life in both realistic and imaginative ways. This created work later captured the attention of the world that changed the English drama. The many aspects of Elizabethan theater helped to shape the acting and theater world forever.

The theater gained popularity based on the plays they would have showing. In most cases the plays would consist of humor, tragedy, or histories. Shakespeare was one of the most popular playwrights at this time, and many of his plays were performed in the Elizabethan theater. Among him were some other famous play writers,