In this article, how William Shakespeare has adapted the world order to the theatre stage, will be attempted to examined with the understanding of "macrocosm/microcosm relationship, the great chain of being and wheel of fortune".
Elizabeth I, who has spent almost half a century of her 70-year life ruling England, is the queen of the Elizabethan Period, known as the Golden Age of the country's history, covering the years 1558-1603. The country under her rule has developed seriously in many fields, especially in art and literature.
For Elizabeth I, who has displayed an upright and dignified stance against the Puritans, who has been opposed to the art understanding of the period, she can be said to be the most supportive of artistic activities, especially theatrical ones, in English history. During the period, the main factor of these theatrical activities is William Shakespeare, who has taken the most fundamental and definitely first place.
Table of Contents
1) Introduction
2) Microcosmic View onto Shakespeare's Stage
3) The Great Chain of Being and The Wheel of Fortune from the Lens of Shakespeare
4) Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
This work aims to examine how William Shakespeare adapted the prevailing Elizabethan world order into his theatrical works, specifically focusing on the interconnected concepts of the macrocosm/microcosm relationship, the Great Chain of Being, and the Wheel of Fortune.
- Analysis of the Elizabethan worldview in Shakespearean literature
- Exploration of the macrocosm/microcosm relationship on stage
- The role of the Great Chain of Being as a moral and hierarchical framework
- The influence of the Wheel of Fortune on character destiny and tragedy
- The adaptation of global phenomena into the miniature world of the theatre
Excerpt from the Book
2) Microcosmic View onto Shakespeare's Stage
Towards the end of the 1500s, theatrical activities have focused on the individual. That's why, the view ‘’the shape of the Elizabethan play is the shape of Mankind’’ (Ribner,1967) has become widespread throughout the period. Therewithal, Shakespeare has adopted and advanced the concept of focusing on the individual with the plays he has written and the characters he has created. In every play of Shakespeare, especially in his tragedies, the individual is the most important focus. Reflections of the macrocosm are seen concretely in the microcosm in his works. In terms of its general definitions, macrocosmos is a concept that characterizes the great universe. Microcosmos, on the other hand, can be called a smaller world that has taken place in this universe. But, according to the Shakespearean worldview, these concepts undergo minor changes. Macrocosmos is the large and vast environment that belongs to the world or universe as always. Microcosmos, on the other hand, is an environment in which the human body and directly the human being are in focus. According to Elizabethan people, microcosmos, or in other words, human beings cannot be separate from macrocosmos. Both should be considered as "one" and in case of a possible conflict, it is not possible to avoid negativity.
Summary of Chapters
1) Introduction: This chapter introduces the Elizabethan era under Elizabeth I and contextualizes William Shakespeare as the primary figure in the development of English theatre during this Golden Age.
2) Microcosmic View onto Shakespeare's Stage: This section explores how Shakespeare utilized the theatre as a mirror of the world, focusing on the individual as a microcosm reflecting the greater macrocosmic order of the universe.
3) The Great Chain of Being and The Wheel of Fortune from the Lens of Shakespeare: This chapter analyzes the hierarchical structure of the Great Chain of Being and the unpredictable nature of the Wheel of Fortune as key moral drivers in Shakespeare's tragedies.
4) Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes how the synthesis of these Elizabethan concepts cemented Shakespeare’s status as a literary cornerstone by creating the unique 'Shakespearean World'.
Keywords
Shakespeare, Elizabethan Period, Microcosm, Macrocosm, Great Chain of Being, Wheel of Fortune, Theatre, Tragedy, Humanism, Worldview, Literature, Order, Drama, Elizabethan World Picture, Character
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The work examines how Shakespeare translated the dominant Elizabethan philosophical and social concepts—specifically the macrocosm/microcosm relationship, the Great Chain of Being, and the Wheel of Fortune—into the dramatic structure of his plays.
What are the central thematic fields?
The central themes include Elizabethan cosmology, the hierarchical nature of existence, the artistic representation of the world on stage, and the inevitable consequences for characters who disrupt moral or social orders.
What is the core research question?
The research seeks to determine how William Shakespeare successfully adapted the complex world order of his time onto the theatre stage to reflect the human condition.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses a literary analysis approach, examining primary texts (Shakespeare's plays) and correlating them with secondary theoretical frameworks regarding the Elizabethan era (e.g., Tillyard, Ribner).
What is covered in the main section?
The main section investigates the philosophical definitions of microcosmos and macrocosmos, the rigid hierarchy of the Great Chain of Being, and the destructive power of the Wheel of Fortune as evidenced in plays like King Lear, Macbeth, and Hamlet.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include Shakespeare, Elizabethan Period, Microcosm, Macrocosm, Great Chain of Being, Wheel of Fortune, and theatrical adaptation.
How does Shakespeare define the "microcosm" in his plays?
Shakespeare defines the microcosm as a "little world of man," which mirrors the larger universe (macrocosm); thus, disturbances in the individual's soul or moral standing are reflected in the natural environment and political state.
What happens when a character defies the "Great Chain of Being" in Shakespearean tragedy?
According to the text, characters who break the natural or divine order of the chain face inevitable punishment and internal or external deterioration, leading to tragic outcomes regardless of their original motivations.
- Quote paper
- İsmail Şenerkek (Author), 2019, The Shakespearean World. The earth and human harmony, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/990587
