Act 2 Prologue: Innovation - Then to Now
We understand technology only as it is today. It has become so ingrained into our lives that it can be very hard to fully grasp life without technology. Yet to bring us back to Shakespearean times is to bring us back to a time where the machine was not yet invented in any capacity near what we have today, the industrial revolution was more than 100 years away when Shakespeare died and very little technological advancements existed beyond a few minor creations. We will discuss the innovations that cultivated the spirit of entrepreneurship in which we live today and try to uncover how Shakespeare could utilise this for his benefit in the modern world.
16th Century
The wheel-lock was invented, handguns and muskets became more widespread. Vesalius published 'The Fabric of the Human Body' presenting an accurate diagram of the human body. And in 1564, Shakespeare was born. Through his life, several important technological advancements were made. The microscope was invented, Galileo created the basic thermometer, and most importantly, the pencil was invented! Such an innocuous thing today did not exist when Shakespeare was born. Truly a sign of the utter lack of technology he possessed. Information technology was limited to word of mouth, or perhaps single use scrolls of dialogue such as those on which Shakespeare produced his works (Lambert, n.d.).
17th Century
Before Shakespeare's death in 1616, Hans Lippershey invented the telescope as we looked further to the stars. While Shakespeare missed much of the century, a substantial growth in inventing and discovery ensued through the 17th Century. He was born into the foundlings of this world and perhaps it was this that sparked his freely creative mind. And with his death, innovation continued - The barometer, the adding machine, the grenade. We continued to work to innovate and in the 18th Century, the industrial revolution began (ibid.).
18th Century
In the early years we continued to see the boom in inventing that existed in the 17th century, with Jethro Tull's seed drill and later the revolutionary steam engine. Several small inventions continued until the start of the industrial revolution in 1760. These included the piano, the mercury thermometer, the chromatic lens, the fire extinguisher. But as we move further through the 17th century and we see further advancements in the steam engine to power boats and trains, as we see more inventions targeted at realised problems, such as Benjamin Franklin's bi-focals, or the Spinning Jenny, we can begin to realise that much fruit is coming from a rise in communicative competencies. We begin to see the development of intentional innovations - an innovation that serves a proposed purpose. We see flushing lavatories, parachutes, hot-air balloons, safety locks, bicycles, and even the guillotine.
19th Century
Onwards we go and the wheel of invention is well and truly spinning. Relevant for Shakespeare, the typewriter and printing press are invented. Photography is created in France. Charles Wheatestone invents the microphone. So much is created in the early 19th century that is relevant still today - dental chair, revolver, mechanical calculator, refrigerator, stapler, the battery. And in 1858, the internal combustion engine was created. The foundation of modern travel, a thing which has brought our distant world ever closer. Meanwhile other inventions like the machine gun and dynamite threatened the opposite. The lightbulb, the AC transformer, the contact lens, radar, even Coca-Cola was invented!
Source: (theInventors.org, n.d.)
Modern times
We now live in a truly connected world. Passing through the global conflicts throughout the 20th century, we arrive at a second industrial revolution, a technological one, which has grasped and changed the world. Satellite, GPS, the mobile phone. The whole world from the home - the television, the personal computer, the internet. Then, social media, online streaming and the increasing power of the technologies to offer us the world in our hand. We look back at Shakespearean time and see a world with no means of broad scale communications. Phones did not exists, printing presses did not exist, marketing was through word of mouth. You were you own salesman. Reputation was everything and Shakespeare became a master of prestige.
Now compare that to today, we have the medium of composition, once by hand - ink to scroll - now on a personal computer with a keyboard. The medium of publishing is now widespread - online arenas, including virtual meetings with production executives or sharing through social media. The medium for production is no longer limited to theatre but has now expanded to film and television, not exclusively within the bounds of a theatre. We now consume content through the vertical stage, the moving stage and Shakespeare will need to make a substantial adjustment to accommodate this new means of creative production. The means of sharing content has changed exponentially. Our ability to target our demographic immediately and with ease has enhances the entertainment experience this will truly be a most unique tool for Shakespeare to use.
- Hugo
Now read on through Act 2 where we discuss Shakespeare's strategy in navigating this high-tech world:
Act 2 Scene 1: Leveraging Strategic Information Systems
References:
Lambert, T., n.d. 16th and 17th Century Technology - Local Histories. [online] Local Histories. Available at: <https://localhistories.org/tudortech/#:~:text=In%201593%20Galileo%20invented%20a,machine%20was%20invented%20in%201589.> [Accessed 12 January 2022].
Lambert, T., n.d. 16th and 17th Century Technology - Local Histories. [online] Local Histories. Available at: <https://localhistories.org/tudortech/#:~:text=In%201593%20Galileo%20invented%20a,machine%20was%20invented%20in%201589.> [Accessed 12 January 2022].
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