Elizabethan drama伊丽莎白时期戏剧(1)

ElizabethandramaElizabethandrama.In1576,JamesBurbagebuiltEngland'sfirstplayhouse,calledTheTheatre,inasuburbofLondon.Untilthistime,dramahadbeenperformedinthestreets,inhomesandpalaces,andatuniversities.AfterBurbage'stheatre,otherplayhousesopenedandthepopularityofdramarapidlyincreased.Elizabethandramawasnotedforitspassionandvitality.ThomasKyd'splayTheSpanishTragedy(1580's)wasoneoftheearliestElizabethandramas.Itisfilledwithscenesofviolenceandmadnessandsetapatternforthemesofmurderandrevengeinlaterplays.AgroupofleadingElizabethanplaywrightswereknownasthe"UniversityWits"becausetheyhadattendedthefamousEnglishuniversitiesatOxfordorCambridge.TheseplaywrightsincludedRobertGreene,ChristopherMarlowe,andGeorgePeele.MarlowewasthemostimportantdramatistamongtheWits.Hewrotetragediesthatcenteronstrongpersonalities.TheseworksincludeTamburlainetheGreat(about1587)andTheTragicalHistoryofDoctorFaustus(about1588).ThegreatestElizabethanplaywrightwasWilliamShakespeare.NootherEnglishauthorhasequaledhisbrilliantverseandcharacterizations.FordetailedinformationaboutShakespeareandElizabethanlifeandliterature.