Drama's Shift from Court to Common Stage: 17th–18th Century Europe

From Shakespeare to the Restoration: A Theater Transformed

"Ham. I heard thee speak me a speech once, but it was never acted; or, if it was, not above once; for the play, I remember, pleased not the million; 'twas caviar to the general: but it was — as I received it, and others, whose judgments in such matters cried in the top of mine — an excellent play, well digested in the scenes, set down with as much modesty as cunning." (Shakespeare, "Hamlet," Act II, Scene 2)

This passage from Shakespeare's Jacobean tragedy perfectly captures the character of the drama that followed the Shakespearean era in 17th-century England and France. During the courtly years of the Restoration period in England, and in France, drama was "caviar for the general" — not for the common people. From the raucous, open-air Elizabethan style of theater, theatrical content shifted away from work designed to "please the million," and this did not change until the rise of the middle class in the 18th century.

The first winds of European theatrical change in the 17th century were felt in England. The broad scope and concerns of Shakespeare — albeit ironically centered on a Prince of Denmark — served a theater directed at the general populace. Performances were given by professional actors who were patronized by royalty but not directly enmeshed in the social world of the court. After Cromwell's revolution closed the theaters and severed the continuity of the theatrical profession, the Restoration ushered in a new era: a theater of the mind rather than the heart, of satire and in-jokes rather than broader human concerns.

The alliance between royalists and the theatrical profession in 17th-century England may initially seem odd, but one must remember that "as Puritanism advanced, the prosperity of the theatrical profession began to decline." While King Charles and his Queen manifested a great love for dramatic entertainments — even more so than his predecessors, frequently taking part in the Court Masques — the Puritans regarded theater as sinful. After Cromwell's ascension to power, the Lord Protector issued an imperative order which, by "threatening to imprison and punish as rogues" all who broke its enactments, severely limited all theatrical performances. "Close upon the heels of this second order came a third, which declared all players to be rogues and vagabonds, and authorized the justices of the peace to demolish all stage galleries and seats; any actor discovered in the exercise of his vocation should for the first offense be whipped, for the second be treated as an incorrigible rogue, and every person found witnessing the performance of a stage play should be fined five shillings." (Baker, 27–34)

No wonder that when the civil wars shut the doors of the theaters, "many of the comedians, who had youth, spirit, and vigor of body, took up arms in defense of their royal master" — namely the cause of Charles, who had protected the theaters. "When they could no longer serve him by the profession of acting, they boldly vindicated his cause on the field." (Baker, 27–34) Meanwhile, in France, courtly theater flourished. In 1660, the Stuart dynasty was restored to the throne of England. Charles II had spent much of the Protectorate in France, together with many of the royalist party, all of whom were thoroughly familiar with Paris and its fashions. (Bellinger, 249–250)

Works Cited

Baker, Henry Barton. English Actors: From Shakespeare to Macready. New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1879.

Bellinger, Martha Fletcher. A Short History of the Theatre. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1927.

Brockett, Oscar and Franklin J. Hildy. History of the Theatre. New York: Longman Press, 2002.

Craig, W.J., ed. "Hamlet." The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. London: Oxford University Press, 1914.

Wilson, Edwin and Alvin Goldfarb. Theater: The Lively Art. Third Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1999.