"There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so"-William Shakespeare
The Globe and other Theatres
The Globe Theatre
The Theatre was constructed in 1599, out of timber. It was the most elaborate theatre that had been built to date and stood on the south side of the Thames. The lease on the building was co-owned by Shakespeare, and surprisingly, most of his wealth stemmed from the ties he held in the theatre.
The theatre was the primary home of Shakespeare’s acting company and his plays were most famously performed there. In 1613, 14 years after the Globe was built, it went up in flames during a performance of Henry VIII. Then, the theatre was demolished in 1644, when housing establishments were built in its place. Nowadays, attempts have been started to recreate the Globe, however this is proving difficult, owing to the fact that the only guidelines we have are rough sketches from when it was standing in the early 17th century.
Appearance: Despite the lack of information we have about the aesthetics of the Globe, from sketches and images of other theatres of the day, we can piece together what the Globe looked like. The Globe is thought to be a hexagonal structure, three stories high which boasted an inner court spanning approximately 17 metres. It also had no roof, an open courtyard and 3 semicircular galleries that could hold, altogether, more than 1500 people.
Stage: There were 2 sections that made up the Globe theatre’s stage. The outer stage; a rectangular platform that reached in the courtyard and the inner stage; used for interior room scenes and for background players in a scene.
Tiring House: The tiring-house was the three story section of the theatre where the musicians gallery, costumes and props are held. The dressing rooms were also found there and all rooms were interconnecting to allow for easy access in and out of the tiring-house.
Comparisons Between Our Theatres and Shakespeare's
Similarities:
- Both theatre experiences included plays from all genres
- In both Elizabethan and modern times, the theatre is attended by people of all social status
- In both times, theatre was primarily a source of entertainment, rather than to prove social position etc.
- Both theatre experiences included elaborate costuming
Differences
- In Shakespearean times, all roles were portrayed by men, regardless of gender, whereas nowadays, both genders portray characters in theatre.
- In Shakespearean times, there was more audience interaction in the plays because there was no separation between the stage and the audience. Nowadays, there is separation between the audience and the stage, and therefore responders are somewhat removed from the actors.
- Acting troupes in Shakespearean times were normally comprised of 15 actors who played multiple roles in each play, rather than nowadays, where casts of hundreds, sometimes thousands are engaged.
- In the Elizabethan era, playwright's works were not copyrighted and were liable to be stolen, whereas in modern times, all commercial shows are covered by copyright.
- In Elizabethan times, plays were usually seen in the afternoon, rather than nowadays, where plays are seen primarily at night.
- In Shakespeare's time, plays ran for days, rather than the months, and sometimes years that our modern plays and musicals run for.
- Our modern theatres are rectangular in shape, whereas Shakespearean theatres were circular.