Question

part 3: text structure in an informational text
the time traveler’s guide to elizabethan england
by ian mortimer
the theater
in the modern world we have great admiration for elizabethan theater. at the time, however, it is in the throes of a radical revolution. at the start of the reign the majority of productions are miracle plays—reconstructions of scenes from the bible, performed as both civic and religious rituals. these go out of favor when the privy council decrees that they are too close to catholicism and should stop. those at york cease in 1569; in chester the citizens defy the privy council and continue performing their play about noah’s flood well into the 1570s. the coventry mystery plays are finally suppressed in 1579, so this is the town to visit if you want to catch one later in the reign. the guary miracle play in cornwall continues for some years but is so amateurish it can hardly be seen as a threat. during its performances, a prompter goes to each actor in turn and whispers his speech to him, line by line.
in their stead, people increasingly choose to see secular plays on historical and moral themes. these are performed up and down the country by theater companies called after lords, for example “lord sussex’s men,” “lord strange’s men,” “the lord admiral’s men,” and “lord leicester’s men.” the reason for these names is that, while unattached actors are liable to be arrested for vagrancy, the act of 1572 specifically excludes
read the excerpt from the time traveler’s guide to elizabethan england.
in 1567 thomas kyd produces the spanish tragedy, and soon afterward christopher marlowe brings out the first part of tamburlaine the great. they employ new verse forms, allowing different spoken rhythms, and compose bold speeches with greater resonance and meaning. the new conceptual framework of a revenge tragedy in particular allows them to portray powerful emotions voiced by strong characters. suddenly it is possible to show so much more passion on the stage.
what was the most direct cause of the more passionate performances?

• the collaboration of kyd and marlowe
• the play the spanish tragedy
• the play tamburlaine the great

Explanation:

The question asks for the most direct cause of more passionate performances. The text states that Kyd and Marlowe used new verse forms and a new conceptual framework (revenue tragedy) allowing portrayal of powerful emotions. The collaboration of these two authors introduced these innovations, directly enabling more passionate performances. The other options (individual plays) are examples of their works, not the direct cause.

Answer:

the collaboration of Kyd and Marlowe