How did the Puritan view of culture impact the English stage?

How did the Puritan view of culture impact the English stage?

As their name implies, the Puritans were a religious group which, during the sixteenth century in England, wanted to purify the Church of England. They wanted church leaders to have less power and the laity to be more directly involved in the affairs of the Church. Above all, the Puritans wanted the Anglican services and rituals to be simplified and less ornate. Eventually they defied the authority of the Church leadership and demanded that every congregation should have the right to manage itself with lay leaders. They were persecuted for their beliefs and eventually fled first to Holland and then to America. 

The Elizabethan theater, for most of the sixteenth century, consisted of traveling troupes who would perform wherever they could. The themes of their plays histories, like the Faustian Chapbook, and comedies or tragedies emulating Greek and Roman to add legitimacy (until Henry VIII's break with the Pope, all plays had been religious ones). For the Elizabethans, these entertainments were part of the hub of their social lives. When Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre made a more permanent home for drama in England, both literally and figuratively, the theater became accessible to virtually everyone--and it was often a raucous affair............................................................................

TO GET COMPLETE STUDY MATERIAL JOIN NSOU ENGLISH COACHING

SHARE

Milan Tomic

Hi. I’m Designer of Blog Magic. I’m CEO/Founder of ThemeXpose. I’m Creative Art Director, Web Designer, UI/UX Designer, Interaction Designer, Industrial Designer, Web Developer, Business Enthusiast, StartUp Enthusiast, Speaker, Writer and Photographer. Inspired to make things looks better.

• 
• 
• 
• 
•