Katolíci, papeženci a protestantská Anglie – role Španělů a Francouzů v alžbětinském a raně stuartovském dramatu
Catholics, Papists and Protestant England – Roles of Spanish and French in Elizabethan and Early Stuart Drama

Summary/Abstract: This study deals with the image of Catholics, papists in early modern English drama between 1580 and 1640. The main emphasis is put on Spanish and French on the Elizabethan and early Stuart stage. Although the construction of French and Spanish characters could be motivated by various reasons, in the background there were usually the religious causes because when the English Protestantism was put at risk, the whole community felt unsafe. This article examines all the roles and functions that French and Spanish could have on the stage. In Elizabethan drama they were introduced as the bad ones, which went hand in hand with the anti-alien xenophobia and the national patriotism, and became a laughing stock. Later, the same stereotypical characteristics were used to show the shortcomings and imperfections of the English behaviour so that the aliens might be regarded as a mirror to the Englishmen. In the early Stuart plays the positive attitude toward French and Spanish can be found as well.

• Details
• Contents