Abstract
In “Spiritual and Supernatural Elements of English Theatre (1550-1612)”, I use four plays to examine the secularization of supernatural elements of English theatre during the High Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period. My research shows that in Everyman (c.1500) by Anonymous, The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus (c. 1588) by Christopher Marlowe, Hamlet (c. 1600) by William Shakespeare, and The White Devil (c.1612) by John Webster good and evil characters digress from being religious, spiritual figures to being humanized representations of these figures. Corresponding to this secularization is the loss of a God-like figure and a more common use of devilish qualities within human characters. These changes were made for the purposes of entertainment and the incorporation of religious, political, and social commentary.
Faculty Sponsors
Jane Duncan, Ph.D.
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-10-2015 1:00 PM
End Date
4-10-2015 5:30 PM
Spiritual and Supernatural Elements of English Theatre (1550-1612)
Alvin Sherman Library
In “Spiritual and Supernatural Elements of English Theatre (1550-1612)”, I use four plays to examine the secularization of supernatural elements of English theatre during the High Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period. My research shows that in Everyman (c.1500) by Anonymous, The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus (c. 1588) by Christopher Marlowe, Hamlet (c. 1600) by William Shakespeare, and The White Devil (c.1612) by John Webster good and evil characters digress from being religious, spiritual figures to being humanized representations of these figures. Corresponding to this secularization is the loss of a God-like figure and a more common use of devilish qualities within human characters. These changes were made for the purposes of entertainment and the incorporation of religious, political, and social commentary.
