¶ … Shakespeare used Music in his Works
William Shakespeare (1564-1616), English playwright and poet, is recognized all over the world as the greatest dramatist of all times. His plays have been performed more times than those of any other dramatist and have been translated in almost every major language. (Kastan) While many aspects of Shakespeare's plays have been discussed and analyzed, it is perhaps not so widely known that music has also played an important role in many of his plays. In this paper we shall review the historical background of music in the Shakespearian era and discuss how and why music was used in Shakespeare's works. The type of music used by the playwright as well as some examples of music in specific plays shall also be described.
Historical Background of Music in the Shakespearian Era
The 16th century in which Shakespeare was born was a period when England was emerging as a strong Protestant nation. The arts and literature were flourishing and Queen Elizabeth was a great patron of music in particular. Street musicians playing the bass violist or tabor and the pipe or ballads and traditional folk songs were a common sight in the busy markets of the time. ("Music of the Streets & fairs") Sophisticated madrigals and instrumental music was played in the Court and in the houses of the educated. Shakespeare must have been exposed to both types of music, which he later used in his plays. ("Shakespeare and Music") It was customary in Tudor and Stuart drama to include at least one song in every play. Only in the most profound tragedies, no music was used except for the sounds of trumpets and drums. In his later tragedies, Shakespeare defied even this practice...
William Shakespeare Should Shakespeare's Work Be Translated? Shakespeare has been the lord of writing for centuries. His work, full of wit and puns has not been replaced by any other writer so far. However, the language used in Shakespeare's work has been the reflection of the then literary language which was full of flavor and richness and suited the culture of Western world then. The question is whether Shakespeare retains its meaning
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