ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -Though there is evidence that women acted in street performances, and in other notorious venues, all commercial acting companies of the time were made up entirely of men and it was illegal for women to act on stage professionally until 1661.

Detailed explanation-2: -In Shakespeare’s theatre actors were called players. There were no actresses, so women’s parts were played by boys. Some boys began their careers as Children of the Chapel Royal, while others were taken on by companies to play female roles.

Detailed explanation-3: -For Shakespeare, as well as for most of Renaissance society, women as the feminine represented the following virtues which, importantly, have their meaning in relationship to the male; obedience, silence, sexual chastity, piety, humility, constancy, and patience.

Detailed explanation-4: -Many of Shakespeare’s plays have historical elements, but only certain plays are categorized as true Shakespeare histories. Works like “Macbeth” and “Hamlet, ” for example, are historical in setting but are more correctly classified as Shakespearean tragedies.