The Study Of The Actresses In Shakespearean Drama In English From The 18th To The 19th Century

From the 18 th century to the 19 th century,Britain was in a period of historical turning.At this time,the main theme of society can be summed up with a word "change".Great changes had taken place in the fields of politics,economy,culture and ideology.After the revival of Shakespearean drama in the second half of the 17 th century,Shakespeare's actresses began to appear.At the end of the 18 th century,the rise of Shakespeare's actresses created a new situation of Shakespeare's stage performance.Most of Shakespeare's female roles are complex,three-dimensional and multifaceted,so it is a great challenge and exercise for the actress to play these roles.But correspondingly,the actress' s speculation and exploration of the characters and the portrayal of the female characters on the stage have also successfully fed the Shakespearean drama.This virtuous cycle greatly enriched the stage presentation of Shakespearean drama,produced a profound impact on the stage performance of Shakespearean drama,and pushed the artistic value of Shakespearean drama to the peak.In this paper,Sarah Siddons,Helen Faucit and Ellen Terry,three of the most representative actresses in the 18th-19 th century,are taken as the research objects,and their performance styles,literary values and social influences are discussed in depth.This paper consists of introduction,three chapters and conclusion.The introduction first clarifies the value of this paper,and then combs the domestic and foreign research on the actresses of Shakespearean drama,points out the significance of the research on actresses of Shakespearean drama in English from the 18 th to the 19 th century,and finally explains the research ideas and methods of this paper.The first chapter mainly discusses the rise of actresses in Shakespearean drama in English from the 18 th to the 19 th century.First of all,it analyzes the reasons and background of the emergence of the actresses in the restoration era of the 17 th century.Secondly,with the prevalence of Romanticism in the 18 th century,the upsurge of seeking Shakespearean drama in England had arisen.Shakespearean drama was frequently performed on the stage.At the same time,Shakespeare's actresses had begun to play an important role in the stage,which greatly enriched the stage presentation of Shakespearean drama.The second chapter introduces the three important actresses in Shakespeare's stage history and the changes they bring to Shakespeare's stage performance.Sarah siddons in the 18 th century,Helen Faucit in the Victorian era and Ellen Terry in the 19 th century are in turn.This paper introduces the important roles and performance styles in their career,and analyzes how they understand the character and show the charm of the role.The third chapter reveals the literature and art value and social influence brought by the actresses in Shakespearean drama.Actresses use their unique imagination and rich performing skills to perform Shakespearean drama,which has a profound impact on the performing arts.At the same time,their interpretation of Female role in Shakespearean drama enriched critics' comments on the stage performance of Shakespearean drama,aroused social women's thinking about their own status at that time,and promoted the improvement of women's social status.The conclusion part summarizes the content of the thesis,affirms the contribution of the actresses in Shakespeare's canonization from 18 th to 19 th century,reaffirms the literary value of the actresses in Shakespearean drama,and promotes the awakening of women's individual consciousness.