Here is a beautiful book I just read, enjoy and I hope it makes you smile or cry
http://yuumei.deviantart.com/art/1000-W0RDS-126831037
1000 Words....

I had to write an research report essay on something to do with Shakespeare so I ended up choosing arts during Shakespeare's time, I had to cut it down heaps cus I went over the word limit but here the main jist of it so please enjoy...seriously i worked really hard on this XD =P

Shakespeare Renaissance

Shakespeare lived during the Elizabethan era where the arts revolved around the renaissance. Because of Queen Elizabeth the 1st’s great love of the arts, they all flourished under her reign. The arts ranged from painting music and sculpture to architecture, the decorative arts, painting and literature, which all played a part in everyday life.

It is said that the renaissance came late to England in comparison to Italy and other parts of Europe. But when it did arrive, it was immensely popular, especially among the aristocracy. Before the Elizabethan era were the Tudor and Stuart eras which are known as the ‘Fine arts’ eras.  The Elizabethan era on the other hand is known as the ‘Era of Elegance’

Music was a very popular aspect of the arts during Shakespeare’s time, so travelling musicians were desired to have at court, in churches, at local festivals and country houses. Because of their rising popularity musicians began to move into their own Music Houses and Guilds. People began to learn more and appreciate music especially those in the higher social classes. Music became more refined and expressive, becoming a great source of entertainment, with people paying to see performances. In the community, folk songs and ballads were common and “It became the fashion in the late 17th century to collect and sing old songs”

Shakespeare believed that music had great healing and transformational power in and also in music’s ability to control nature “tame the savage beast”. In his plays Shakespeare used songs that were already around at the time as well as his own originals.  “Music oft hath such a charm, to make bad good, and good provoke to harm” Shakespeare used music to set the mood or create atmosphere and to create excitement. This use of music also helped the audience understand the characters and their emotions better. Shakespeare re-invented the way that music was used in drama and created the foundation of how we use music in media and theatre today.

In the Elizabethan era people used their houses to display their wealth, so sculpture and architecture was on a grand scale. The more elaborate and symmetrical a building was, the more expensive it seemed. Tall houses, towers, gardens and stables were favoured. Sculpture was commonly found in tombs and architectural decoration, as well as busts of the monarch or religious figures. The Elizabethan style was similar to that of the Tudor style of architecture which was succeeded in the 1500’s by a purer Italian style, brought up by Indigo Jones (Era of Elegance)

The decorative arts were wide spread across England during the era. Domestic silver was in great demand because of rapid growth in population and expansion in the middle and upper classes.  Silver plates were usually decorated with engraved designs of fruits and figures. Similar designs were also used to decorate suits of armour and textiles, which were embroidered with colourful, gold and silver threads and silks. The costumes in Shakespeare’s plays were as realistic as possible, the costumes of wealthy characters were usually decorated with braid, embroidery slashing or puffing. They had lace trimming, spangles, artificial flowers and were encrusted with jewels and pearls. The costumes were based on the clothes worn by the aristocracy and royalty “Elizabeth I's admiration for the arts, along with England's economic buoyancy during her reign, provided ripe conditions for the production of enduring hallmarks in the visual, decorative, and performing arts.”

English writers of the time were greatly influenced and inspired by Italian sonnets, they began to write “complicated poetic structures in both verse ad prose” In particular, William Shakespeare’s sonnets and plays were very popular in England, and after time across Europe.  Shakespeare’s plays varied from comedies to tragedies and romances, because of their popularity, theatre became a “national pastime” across England. Other than Shakespeare there were other famous playwrights such as Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson. There were also poets Edmund Spencer and John Milton.

During the Elizabethan era there was a great change in style and quality of painting. “The art of the middle ages had been formal and based mostly on religious themes, but the new age was inspired by the livelier myths and legends of ancient Greece and Rome”  Queen Elizabeth  the 1^st contributed to the arts and artists and had her own personal portrait painter Nicholas Hilliard.

Nicholas Hilliard, the Queen’s “limner and goldsmith” Is one of the, most famous artists of the era. Hillard’s style displayed distinctive line and reduced shadow. Hilliard’s work pays extreme attention to detail and intricate patterning, but he is best known for his miniatures which he produced on ivory card or vellum. Miniatures were intended for private viewing and were very personal objects often in the form of lockets.

Isaac Oliver was a Frenchman who studied under Hilliard and together they were influential miniature portrait painters. Nicholas Hilliard has been recognised as "the central artistic figure of the Elizabethan age, the only English painter whose work reflects, in its delicate microcosm, the world of Shakespeare's earlier plays”.

Some of the most talented artists like Hilliard, Robert Peake, Gheeraerts, John de Critz, and George Gower received commissions from the Crown. The Queen had these artists paint large paintings displaying the aristocracy in armour, hunting gear and other finery with ruffs, embroidery and lace. This was the typical image portrayed in Elizabethan paintings.

With the help of Dr. Hohn Dee (famous magician and alchemist) James Burbage designed the plans for the Globe theatre. The theatre was built by Burbage and his brother in law John Brayne. The idea was of a Roman Coliseum/amphitheatre but on a smaller scale, housing up to 3000 people.             The “designers believed that basing the look of the theatre on classical Greek and Roman structures would give them an air of respectability”.

As an open circular structure the centre was under the sky, but this also meant that the audience in the centre had an up-close experience of what was happening on stage. The Globe theatre was framed and supported by large timbers which were placed upright with diagonal timbers supporting them.  The walls were coloured black and white in the traditional Elizabethan style. Two massive pillar/columns supported the ceiling above the stage, and these were painted to appear as if they were marble.

The false ceiling above the stage was painted blue for the sky and had a trapdoor to represent the heavens, while the stage represents the earth with a trap door leading down to represent hell, also known as ‘Hell mouth’.

The Globe theatre itself was a place of the arts, from the unique structure and design to the costumes, songs and sonnets. The motto of the Globe is “Totus mundus agit his trionem” the whole world is a play house or more commonly known as “All the worlds a stage”.

Arts during Shakespeare’s time were bountiful and are well recognised today. The quality of all areas of the arts improved during the Elizabethan era, and many new things were created and invented, people were learning new things and broadening their horizons.  Shakespeare became one of the most well-known and recognised figures in the world. As a result of the Queens great love of the  arts they all had room to expand and evolve and became a significant part of history that is treasured to this day.

Don't worry I'm not depressed or anything but here's a picture I found that I though many people could relate too, even if the words on the blocks are different for each person...