Dramatic Censorship In Renaissance England Essay Research

Dramatic Censorship In Renaissance England Essay, Research Paper

The attempt of governments to regulate literature and drama dates back to classical antiquity. Satires, superstitious and heretical works, astrological treatises, and other works disagreeable to monarchs or clergy suffered suppression in the days of ancient Greece and Rome. In England, the censorship can be traced at least as far back as the last quarter of the thirteenth century.

The rise of provincial companies in Elizabethan England had a profound effect on the organization and control of drama. A large proportion of acting companies made a business of strolling. In doing so, they escaped local responsibilities and made it difficult for any community to hold them responsible for their conduct. A strolling actor was viewed as a potential menace to society because he was masterless, and therefore irresponsible. The law recognized this, and in 1572, a statute was passed requiring traveling players to .be the retainers of some baron of this realme, or . other honorable personage of greater degree,. or to .have licence of two justices of the peace at the least. (Albright 7). It became mandatory for the group of strollers to have a patron responsible for their conduct in order to give license for them to perform. This law was revived throughout the years and over time, became the chief support for opponents of drama.

Many individuals had influence over the regulation of theater. Although naturally the sovereign had direct control, their wishes were carried out through the Privy Council, Chamberlain, Master of the Revels, Treasurer, Mayor, and occasionally the ecclesiastical officers.

The Master of the Revels was a key figure in the licensing and censorship of professional drama from the time of Shakespeare to the closing of the theaters in 1642. He was an official in the Lord Chamberlain.s office, responsible for providing suitable entertainment at court. The Master enabled actors to become accessories of the court and aristocracy, while also providing them with a stable environment where they could practice their trade to a more diffuse audience in the public theaters (Dutton 2). In 1581, the Queen gave the serving Master, Edmond Tilney, a special commission that authorized him:

to warne commaunde and appointe in all places within this our Realme of England, as well within the francheses and liberties as without, all and every plaier with their playmakers, either belonging the name or names or using the facultie of playmakers or plaiers of Comedies, Tragedies, Enterludes or whatever other showes soever, from tyme to tyme and at all tymes to appeare before him with all such plaies, Tragedies, Comedies, or showes as they shall readiness or meane to sette forth, and them recite before our Servant or his sufficient deputie, whom we ordeyne appointe and aucthorise be these presentes of all suche showes, plaies, plaiers, and playmakers, together with their playing places, to order and reforme, auctorise and put downe, as shallbe thought meete or unmeete unto himself or his said deputie in that behalf.

(Chambers, 4, pp.285-7)

He was also given the powers to enforce this authority. The Master.s primary concern was to suppress anything that may cause social disorder.

A myriad of subjects were considered dangerous in Elizabethan Drama. Indulging in religious controversy, any kind of sacrilege, and criticism of sovereigns are just a few examples of chief offenses to authority and reason for censorship. On May 16, 1559, Elizabeth I issued a proclamation that instructed all the Masters of the Revels on what was not acceptable in plays:

And for instruction to every one of the sayde officers, her majestie doth likewise charge every one of them, as they will aunswere: that they permit none to be played wherein either matters of religion or of the governaunce of the estate of the common weale shalbe

handled or treated, being no meete matters to be written or treated upon, but by menne of aucthoritie, learning and wisedome, not to be handled before any audience, but of grave and discreete persons.

(Chambers, 4, pp.263-4)

An intriguing matter is the significance religion had in theater when Elizabeth I was enthroned. When Elizabeth came to the throne, the treatment of religion on the stage became an especially important issue. In 1559, Elizabeth gave an order prohibiting plays in derision of the Catholic religion, mass, saints, and God. The order was not heeded, and thus she gave another proclamation that firmly forbade political and religious problems to be discussed on stage stating, .wherein either matters of religion or of the governance of the estate of the common weall shalbe handled or treated: being no meete matters to be written or treated upon, but by menn of aucthoitie, learning, and wisdome, nor to be handled before any audience, but of graue and discreet persons. (Albright 95). Albright notes that in 1559, Elizabeth had to assure the Spanish Ambassador that her own religious faith had much in common with Catholicism. Albright also adds that Elizabeth.s active policy did not carry out that impression, raising the question of what her underlying reason could be in her divergent view of religion in theater. While Elizabeth.s decree was not perfectly enforced, it had a major impact in theater over the next fifteen years. Rel