SH+P5+2013+The+King’s+Men

Audience Taylor Thomas The King’s Men was a group of thespians that focused on entertaining the people of England. An article states, “They were free to put on any play and some of these might contain content which spoke against the state or expressed seditious or heretical ideas,” (The Chamberlain's Men). The acting troupe’s primary audience were were the citizens of england who came to watch their acts. They used seditious and controversial topics in their play to provoke thoughts in their audience. Their secondary audience was the Lord Chamberlain and when he died, it become King James I, hence the name “King’s Men”. Naming the troupe after the king himself gained themselves a patron and allowed them to continue in their performances even though Shakespeare continued to write controversial plays. They were well favored in the royal subjects’ eyes. The group of actors influenced the people in their everyday lives and continued to impact the people of England.

"The Chamberlain's Men & the King's Men." The Biography of William Shakespeare. William Shakespeare Biography, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013 "Lord Chamberlain's Men." Guide to Shakespeare. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.

Cultural: The King’s Mean Kaitlyn Ivey The King’s Men were a group of forward thinking Poets. They forever changed the world of theater. “The King's Men was the group of thespians to which William Shakespeare (1564–1616) belonged through most of his career” (King’s Men (playing company). The plays they performed were very controversial for the time period. The ripple effect of these plays can be seen today anytime a person voices an unpopular opinion. People respected the men and their craft; they brought enjoyment to people's life, while at the same time bringing awareness to the world around them. An example of this that is seen in pop culture is Happy Feet the movie. It was a wonderful children's movie that had many laugh, but at the same time raised awareness about destructions of natural habitat. A movie like this would have not been made without the King’s Men.

Mabillard, Amanda. Shakespeare Q & A: The King's Men. __Shakespeare Online__ . 20 Aug. 2000. 13 Nov. "Lord Chamberlain's Men." Guide to Shakespeare. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.

Aim Savi Klasen The King’s Men, originally Chamberlain’s men, were William Shakespeare’s acting troupe that travelled around to tell his plays. According to an article, when they performed at Blackfriar’s Theater, “...they played to a mostly rich and well-educated audience” (“Who Were the King’s Men?”). They played their during the winter, and performed at the Globe Theater in the summer months. Their goal was to tell Shakespeare’s plays and to entertain anybody who came to watch his plays. These plays were very important because there was not a lot of entertainment at the time. The purpose for one particular play, Macbeth, was for King James I because of his love for Shakespeare’s plays. He was even the reason for why the troupe changed their name to the King’s Men. The King’s Men positively influenced playwriting by accomplishing their aim to entertain their audiences.

"Who Were The King's Men?" Shakespeare and the King's Men Acting Troupe. Amanda Mabilliard, 28 Nov. 2011. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Why Did Shakespeare Write Macbeth?" Enotes.com. Enotes.com, 1 Mar. 2007. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Historical <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Alec Scott <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One of the many incarnations of Shakespeare’s nomadic thespian organization, the King’s Men were so called for their patronage by King James I, who rose to the throne following the death of Queen Elizabeth in 1603 and the issue of a royal patent to the organization. As shown by Encyclopaedia Britannica, “(Upon) the accession of James I in March 1603, when, by letters patent, it was taken under royal patronage and henceforth known as the King’s Men,” (Encyclopaedia Britannica) it was royal patronage that brought the organization to it’s zenith. Though not fundamentally based around Shakespeare’s leadership, his writing and the acting of the many influential actors in London at the time contributed very heavily to the amount of success the group incurred in the late 16th to early 17th centuries. Heavily influential, the group was often the subject of royal visits and were supported by many landed and influential members of Jacobean England. Following the patronage of King James in the 1600’s, the King’s Men settled in London around the Globe Theatre, where they seemingly performed their plethora of plays almost non-stop. While thought of in contemporary days as being a creative dictatorship at the hands of William Shakespeare, the King’s Men continued to exist following his retirement and death in 1616. It was only the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642 that finally forced the Theatre to dissolve.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"2. Companies of Players." Companies of Players. British Library, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Lord Chamberlain's Men." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.