The Tempest - Renaissance Attitudes

The Tempest - Renaissance Attitudes

1. Believed in magic

   • Elizabethan Witchcraft Act

2. Believed in hell and the devil

   • Edward Alleyn
     • Wore a cross under his costume; audience thought they saw an extra devil on stage

3. Patriarchal society

   • Women owned by father and then husband
     • 'my rich gift'
     • 'Worthily purchased, take my daughter'
     • 'she is thine own'

4. Protestant society

   • Pope scene in Dr Faustus would have pleased the majority Protestant audience - though would have offended any Catholics

5. Marriage

   • Essential for health of Protestant society

6. Great Chain of Being

   • It details a strict, religious hierarchical structure of all matter and life, believed to have been decreed by God.
     • The chain starts from God and progresses downward to angels, demons (fallen/renegade angels), stars, moon, kings, princes, nobles, men, wild animals, domesticated animals, trees, other plants, precious stones, precious metals, and other minerals http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_chain_of_being

7. New world, discovery, colonisation, conquest

8. Attitudes to revenge

   • 'wild justice'
   • 'Vengeance is mine saith the Lord'
   • And forgiveness
     • Jesus says you should love your enemies; you have to forgive a brother who sins against you 70 x 7 times.