Europae, Abraham Ortelius 1527-1598 - Vintage map, Norman B. Leventhal Collection
Summary
Abraham Ortelius, a contemporary of William Shakespeare, created the groundbreaking atlas Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, including this map of Europe, the Mediterranean, Northern Africa, and Western Asia. These regions were heavily traveled for trade and known by reputation to educated people of Renaissance Europe. Many of Shakespeare's characters travelled from their homeland to the far corners of these regions, bringing back reports of unfamiliar and exotic cultures. These "different" societies would have held a certain allure and wonder for Shakespeare's audiences, yet at the same time implied a threat, creating an effective tension for dramatic performance.
Courtesy of Boston Public Library
Tags
Date
1570
Source
Boston Public Library
Copyright info
Public Domain