著者

ウェイン シルカ

出版者

山梨英和大学

雑誌

山梨英和短期大学紀要 (ISSN:02862360)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.28, pp.168-159, 1994-12-10

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No actresses were used in Elizabethan theatres and it wasn't until after the Restoration in the 1660's that they made their debut in England. This essay examines the practice of female impersonation on the Elizabethan stage. Did audiences in Elizabethan time see a significantly different production of a Shakespeare play than modern audiences? Did boys impersonating the young female characters cause different meanings in the script? Even in Elizabethan times there was criticism of men and boys dressing as women on the stage. It was said to generate unhealthy sexual lust. The fact that female impersonation was a part of Shakespeare's theatre should cause moden scholars to consider the implications related to textual considerations and audience reception.