IDEOLOGICAL CONTENTS ACTUALISATION IN ENGLISH EARLY TUDOR DRAMA

Abstract

The ways of the artistic representation of topical ideological contents in English early Tudor drama are under consideration in the article. It’s shown that political subject matter is strongly pronounced in the plays by English playwrights of the epoch (H. Medwall, J. Skelton, J. Rastell, J. Heywood, N. Udall). The topics of the authorities and the monarch are of particular importance in the thematic complex of their interludes. They are developed in such motifs as: rivalry between the old and new political elites (“Fulgens and Lucres” by H. Medwall), fighting corruption to strengthen the authorities (“Respublica” by N. Udall), educating the monarch (“Nature” by H. Medwall, “Magnyfycence” by J. Skelton), the authority tolerating its opponents (“The Play of the Weather” by J. Heywood), political foresight and the necessity to defend the state interests (“Four Elements” by J. Rastell) etc. Political problematics also get realised through the system of characters in the play, since the central persona can sometimes be associated with the figure of the sovereign in office (“Nature”, “The Play of the Weather” etc.).