How Disguise Tropes in the Chamberlain/King's Men's Repertory from 1594 to 1630 Responded to the Rolling Process of Change Within the Company

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

I propose to research how dramatic disguise conventions performed by the Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men, during 1594-1630 can affect our understanding of commercial playwriting. This thesis will provide context as to how companies adjusted commercially, utilising and varying their repertories to remain successful; success being determined by their longevity. From 1594 to 1630, the Chamberlain's/King's Men had 66 new works involving disguise in their repertory, 18 of which were revived before 1630. These dates are significant in marking a transitionary period across the company, as they shifted from the first generation of company members to the second, beginning with Burbage's death in 1619 and concluding with Heminge's death in 1630. I suggest that their continued success relied on the company's continued, albeit transforming, use of increasingly conservative disguise tropes in response to the structural changes to the company.The dramatic function of conventions such as the disguised Duke allowed playwrights to place characters outside of their usual social situations, engaging in contemporary debates on politics, identity, and sexuality. My thesis will identify early modern society's understanding of those three topics through the company's representation of disguise. I aim to show how the social and cultural landscape of Elizabethan and Jacobean London determined the crafting of disguise tropes, questioning how this has influenced our understanding of the relationships between an early modern playing company and its playwrights,especially as the company's repertory became increasingly conservative. In The Queen's Men and Their Plays (1998), McMillin and Maclean suggest that the Queen's Men's collapse was caused by their reliance on out-dated true histories. How, then, did the Chamberlain's Men remain commercially successful whiledisguise remained an integral aspect of their repertory for so many years? Research into one aspect of a company's repertory can help to develop our understanding of how companies utilised specific stylistic elements, leading to an in-depth knowledge of how commerciality influenced early modern playwritingand theatregoing.