Interpretation of the Downton Abbey Essays - Downton Abbey, Downton

British period drama Downton Abbey has become a global sensation since hitting our screens in 2010. An almost instant hit in the UK, series two cemented Downton as a worldwide "phenomenon" and one of the UK's biggest exports, with more than 100 countries owning the rights to broadcast the show. The series is set in the fictional Downton Abbey, a Yorkshire country house, the seat of the Earl and Countess of Grantham, and follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants during the reign of King George V. The first series spanned the two years before the Great War beginning with news of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, which set the story in motion. The second series covered the years 1916 to 1919, and the 2011 Christmas Special covered the 1919 Christmas period, ending in early 1920. The third series picks up soon thereafter, covering 1920 through the autumn of 1921. I have watched the first two series and the beginning of the third series and I find some key words to interpret this drama. Locations Highclere Castle in Hampshire was used for exterior shots of Downton Abbey and most of the interior filming. The village of Bampton in Oxfordshire was used to film outdoor scenes, most notably St Mary's Church and the library, which served as the entrance to the cottage hospital. Many historical locations and aristocratic mansions were used to film various scenes. The fictional Haxby Park, the estate Sir Richard Carlisle intends to buy in Series 2, is part of Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire.Inveraray Castle doubled as "Duneagle Castle" in the 2012 Christmas special. In the third series, Bates' prison scenes were filmed at Lincoln Castle in Lincolnshire. The Downton Abbey of the title and setting, though fictional, is described as lying in the historical County of Yorkshire. The towns of Easingwold, Kirkby Malzeard, Kirkbymoorside, Malton, Middlesbrough, Ripon, Richmond, and Thirsk, each mentioned by characters in the series, lie in present-day North Yorkshire, as does the city of York, while Leeds?similarly mentioned?lies in West Yorkshire. Those locations are signs that this drama is completely different from other dramas which take place in modern times. In this special setting, the Downton Abbey must have other distinctive characteristics. Love British-style romantic love lies in almost every English literary works. In the Downton Abbey, the restraining sentiments between gentlemen and ladies that make us relaxed and fascinated are quite different from the free love. Matthew, a handsome and independent lawyer, fell in love with Mary, the eldest daughter of Lord. Among the three daughters, Mary is the most beautiful one; she had a number of pursuers after the death of her fianc?. After long-term engagement, Mary came to love Matthew for his is upright and aspirant. Costumes The stories of first two series took place between 1912 and 1919; accordingly, the fashion trend of costumes has undergone slight changes. Skirt became shorter, looser and more comfortable. In the first series, actress are required to wear corsets while in the second series, the requirement is not that strict. However, in this huge drama, all the actors and actress, from noblemen to servant, wear second-hand costumes borrowed from theatres except actress Maggie Smith. She played the Lord Grantham?s mother. All the finest elements of British drama can be traced in the Downton Abbey: calm language, huge story of aristocratic family, contradictory and restrained personality. I don?t know the ending of it, but I hope that it could have a happy ending just like the stories from the pen of Jane Austen.