Master of the Revels: Difference between revisions
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Originally the person who organised all court entertainments. When censorship became a monopoly of the government, the Master of the Revels became the de facto censor starting from 1581. The companies had to get a licence for every new play they planned to perform and the Master of the Revels had the right and the duty "to order and reform, authorise and put down, as shall be thought meet or unmeet unto himself, or his said deputy in that behalf" (quoted in Gurr 72). | Originally the person who organised all court entertainments. When censorship became a monopoly of the government, the Master of the Revels became the de facto censor starting from 1581. The companies had to get a licence for every new play they planned to perform and the Master of the Revels had the right and the duty "to order and reform, authorise and put down, as shall be thought meet or unmeet unto himself, or his said deputy in that behalf" (quoted in Gurr 72). | ||
You can see the working of a fictitious Master of the Revels in Shakespeare's ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'': Philostrate's job is to organise the shows, song, dance and plays for Duke Theseus' wedding. | You can see the working of a fictitious Master of the Revels in [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'': Philostrate's job is to organise the shows, song, dance and plays for Duke Theseus' wedding. | ||
Revision as of 20:20, 16 January 2009
Originally the person who organised all court entertainments. When censorship became a monopoly of the government, the Master of the Revels became the de facto censor starting from 1581. The companies had to get a licence for every new play they planned to perform and the Master of the Revels had the right and the duty "to order and reform, authorise and put down, as shall be thought meet or unmeet unto himself, or his said deputy in that behalf" (quoted in Gurr 72).
You can see the working of a fictitious Master of the Revels in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream: Philostrate's job is to organise the shows, song, dance and plays for Duke Theseus' wedding.