Thinking Activities
Hello Readers! This blog is a part of thinking Activity. In this blog I am going to present about major writer Ben Johnson as writer of Elizabethan Age.
The Elizabethen Age:-
"The great ages did not perhaps produce much more talent than ours, but less talent was wasted." - Jonah lehrer
The Elizabeth age is the time period associated with the region of Queen Elizabeth-I during 1558-1603. It is often considered to be a golden age in English history. It was an age of considered to be the height of the English Renaissance, and saw the full floring of English literature and English poetry.
In Elizabeth theater, William Shakespeare among others, composed and staged plays in a variety of settings that broke away from England's past style of plays. The Elizabethen Age is viewed so highly becouse of the contract with the period before and after. It was a brief period of largely internal peace between the English.
Elizabethen Age was remarkable for its,
- Rigious tolerances
- strong
- national spirit
- patriotism
- social content
- Intellectual progress
- unbounded enthusiasm
Incredible thoughts, feeling and vigorous actions were the piller of this age. It flowers extraordinary development of drama.
Society and religions spread :-
Elizabethan England had four main classes: the Nobility, the Gentry, the Yeomanry, and the Poor. A person's class determined how they could dress, where they could live, and the kinds of jobs people and their children could get.
A nobleman was rich and powerful and therefore during the reign of Elizabeth as well as the reigns of her father and grandfather Henry VIII and Henry VII, the monarch rarely appointed new nobles. They viewed the noble class as a threat to their power and liked to keep their numbers small. A person could become a noble either by birthright or by grant from the king or queen. Nobility could lose their fortune, but it took a high crime like treason to lose their title.
The gentry were knights, squires, gentlemen and gentlewomen whose fortunes were great enough that they did not have to work with their hands for a living. Their numbers grew rapidly, and became the most important class during Elizabethan time. They could start as a knight and through generations and marriages they could gradually build a wealth and title. Most of the important people of this time came from this class.
The Yeomanry were the ‘middleclass'. They could live comfortably with the little savings they built up, but at any moment, be it illness or famine, could lose everything. While the gentry spent their wealth building large homes, the yeomen used their wealth more simply and instead worked to expand their land and improve it.
At the bottom were the Poor who for some reason or another found themselves without money, food, or shelter. Because their numbers were increasing, the Poor Laws were passed to assist them. Any Poor person found guilty of being able to do an honest day's work but who chose not to, could be sentenced to death.
Elizabethen literature refers to bodies work produced during the reign of Queen Elizabeth-I and is one of the most splendid ages of English literature. In addition to drama and the theatre, it saw A flowering of poetry, with new forms like the ,
- Sonnet
- spenserian stanza and
- blank Verse
As well as prose , including historical, chronicles, pamphlets, and the first English novels. Major writers include
- William Shakespeare
- Edmund Spenser
- Christopher Marlowe
- Richard hooker
- Ben jonson
- Philip Sidney
- Thomas kyd
- Francis bacon
- John Webster and many others.
Now we discuss in brief about writer Ben jonson
Q.1 write in brief about Chaucer or Edmund Spenser or Ben jonson or Francis bacon or on any of their works.
Ben Johnson :-
'There was never a great genious without a touch of madness.'
- Ben jonson
His early life :-
Ben jonson , byname of Benjamin jonson, he was born in England 1572 and died in 1637 in London.The English playwright and poet Ben Jonson (1572-1637) is best known for his satiric comedies. An immensely learned man with an irascible and domineering personality, he was, next to Shakespeare, the greatest dramatic genius of the English Renaissance.
Notable works:-
Jonson wrote his first great play, Every man in his humor in 1598. His another famous works are like that,
- Volpone (1605)
- The Alchemist (1610)
- Bartholomew fair (1614)
- Every man in his humour (1598)
- The silent woman ( 1609 )
Works of poetry:-
- A celebration of Charis: I. His Excuse for loving
- A celebration of Charis: Iv. Her Triumph
- Epithph on Elizabeth, l.H.
Early career:-
Jonson began his theatrical career as a strolling player in the provinces. By 1597 he was in London, the center of dramatic activity, and had begun writing plays for the theatrical manager Philip Henslowe. In what is probably his first piece of dramatic writing. The Isle of Dogs, Jonson ran afoul of the law. The play (which has not survived) was judged to be a "lewd" work containing "seditious and slanderous matter," and Jonson was imprisoned. In 1598 he was in more serious trouble. Having killed a fellow actor in a duel, he escaped hanging only by claiming right of clergy—that is, by reciting a few words of Latin commonly known as "neck-verse."
Now we discuss his famous work The Alchemist.
The Alchemist (1610):-
The Alchemist is a comedy play written by Ben jonson. It is devided into five act. First performed in 1610 by the king's men , it is generally considered jonson's best and most characteristic comedy. Samuel Coleridge believed that it had one of the three most perfect plots in literature. The play's clever fulfilment of the classical unities and vivid depiction of human folly have made it one of the few Renaissance plays with a counting life on stage, apart from a period of neglect during the Victorian Era.
Publication history:-
Quarto of the play appeared in 1612 published by Walter burre, printed by Thomas snodham and sold by John stepneth.
The Alchemist characters:-
1. Face / Jeremy the Butler
Subtle and doll's criminal associated and lovewist's butler.
2. Subtle
A conman and face and doll's criminal associate.
3. Doll common
Face and subtles criminal associate.
4. Sir Epicure mammon
Surely's friend and one of the face and subtles's
5. Dapper
Dapper is a law clerk.
6. Ananias 7. The Spaniard 8. Kestrel ...
Subtle, face and doll common are a trio of low life grifters, it's their story that we are most concerned with in this play and truth be told, we are sort to rooting for them.
Meaning of Alchemist :-
Someone who transforms things for the better.
Summary of The Alchemist:-
When the play opens there is an argument between Face and subtle that continues throughout the play. The argument is based on who is of chief importance for the business they run, each talking about his supremacy. Don come in between and resolves their conflict and compel both to shake their hands. Meanwhile, there is knock on the door the first gull of the day, a legal clerk, enters. Subtle takes the role of the “Doctor” while Face plays the role of “Captain Face”
Dapper, a legal clerk, desires for a spirit that can help him win the game at gambling. Subtle tells him that he is connected to the queen of fairies and promises him to get one for him. He asks Dapper to come back after washing himself and bring a clean shirt with him. As soon as Dapper left, another client, known as Drugger, enters. He is a tobacconist who comes to know how he should place his shop. Subtle asks him to return back with tobacco and a damask. The argument between Face and Subtle resume, however, Dol interferences and warns them about the visit of Sir Epicure Mammon.
Subtle has promised Sir Epicure Mammon that he will make him a Philosopher’s stone for which Mammon is extremely happy and is fantasizing about it. Now, Sir Mammon and Sir Pertinax, his cynical assistance are standing next to the door. Face now plays the role of “Lungs”, a doctor’s laboratory assistance while the two conmen astonish Mammon and irritate Surly with their twisted scientific language. Face told Surly that he will meet him at temple church at half an hour, meanwhile, Dol enters that provokes Sir Mammon and he starts pleading Face to arrange a meeting with Dol.
Another client Ananias, an Anabaptist, comes and meets with Subtle with anger. He wants Subtle to give him the Philosopher’s stone so that he can earn much money to convert people to his religion. He returns with Tribulation, his priest. As he leaves, another client Kastril is brought by Drugger. Kastril comes to know how to fight and to case the joint in order to see if this man is suitable for his rich, widowed sister, Dame Pliant, or not. Kastril is immediately impressed by Face.
Subtle and Face robbed Dapper by engaging him in a fairy rite. When Mammon comes he is engaged by Dol in the outhouse while Face pretending that Subtle is unaware of Mammon’s attraction towards Dol.
Another entry happens when a widow comes. Face meets a Spanish Don, who is in fact Surly in disguise. Face and Subtle are now having a conversation that who is going to marry the widow and mocks the Spaniard by speaking loudly that they will deceive him. As Dol is busy with Mammon, they trick the Spaniard and made him agree to marry the widow.
Dol, in the meantime, has gone extra comfortable with Mammon. They are caught by a furious “father” (Subtle). He tells them, as they were involved with illegal actions, all the furnace and Alchemist apparatus has been destroyed by an explosion. Mammon immediately pushed himself at the door, having entirely destroyed by the loss of his investment.
Everything is getting out of control and all the clients are gathered at the door without warning. Later, all the clients are present in the room, including Surly while Face manages himself to get out of the spot. However, Dol informed them that Lovewit has just reached, Face changes his masks once again and become “Jeremy the Butler”.
When love reaches his home, he is surrounded by the neighbors and the clients on the door. Face is forced to admit everything by the Dapper when his voice emerges from t0he privy that nothing happens at it is shown to us. Face puts every blame on the Dol and subtle, however, they manage to escape penniless from the back wall and the clients come back with police and a search warrant. The clients search every corner of the house but can’t find anything for themselves and are forced to leave with nothing. Kastril, Lovewit and his new wife leave the stage. Face is rewarded financially and delivers an epilogue.
Themes:-
1. Deception and Gulibility
2. Religion
3. Sex and greed and
4. Alchemy and transforming
The title is significant because everyone has it in them to change their lives, to pursue their dreams and achieve their goals. In that sense, each and every one of us, according to the governing idea behind the story, is an alchemist.
Justify the title The Alchemist :-
The novel is called The Alchemist because Santiago learns how to turn the base or basic elements of his nature into something precious. He discovers his personal legend and is able to follow the signs of God. Like him, we can all become alchemists and turn our lives into precious gifts.
Here is a video in hindi language of the story of The Alchemist:-
Three main goal of The Alchemist were
- To find the stone of knowledge ( the philosopher's stone)
- To discover the medium of eternal youth and health, and
- To discover the transmutation of mentals .
Thus, we can say that, The Alchemist is an entertaining and hilarious comedy. According to Ben Jonson, the aim of his comedy was to “sport with human follies, not with crimes.” He tried to expose human follies to laughter with a purpose to rid people of these follies.
Word count:-{ 1,993 }
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