Elizabethan drama remains some of the most appreciated and world-renowned to ever exist. Despite its early foundation in the mid-16th century to early 17th century, plays from William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson and Christopher Marlowe, almost five hundred years later are regularly produced and performed to a modern audience. ‘No dramatist, living or dead, has been more frequently reprinted or performed, or translated into a greater variety of languages…Shakespeare in performance is now reaching larger audiences than ever before in history’. (S.Schoenbaum, 1979) One of the main reasons for the longevity of Elizabethan theatrical success was the construction of ‘The Globe Theatre’ in 1599. With the construction of The Globe came notable improvements in special effects, costumes, makeup and the size of audiences attending the performances.
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The simplistic architecture throughout The Globe and its productions can be recognised as another example of its lasting influence as this tradition remains within modern performances in the 1997 Globe and its own construction. Theatrical innovation was quite creative with regards to special effects and sound. These were managed by using fireworks, drums, and even firing canons throughout the dramas. ‘When Shakespeare wrote plays, all the action took place on a small stage with little more than a painted wall to suggest the setting. If a scene called for thunder, stagehands pounded a drum or rippled sheet metal. If a scene required a ghost or a god, stagehands lowered him on a winch line or sent him up through a trap door. A character wounded in a sword fight clapped a hand to his chest, bursting a pouch beneath his shirt to release blood–or a facsimile thereof’. (Cummings,
Elizabeth’s personal love for the arts helped the artistic life to become more fashionable and attractive for the wealthy members of the court and by their support and money, the arts could now blossom. This support allowed the arts to flourish as it did. However, Elizabeth didn’t support the artistic life only because of her love for it, it was the perfect way to lead propaganda and keeping the people calm. Theatres was also used as a tool for teach people norms and rules of the society, and that even to the illiterate in the country. She also knew that the people of England were desperate for some entertainment after years of wars, disease and poverty.
William Shakespeare influenced much of our modern society. For example, he contributed more than seventeen hundred words to our English language, including ‘eyeball’. Some would attribute his success to his brilliant writing style. While this is certainly true, what made the experience memorable was the scene of the performances, the marvelous Globe Theater! The Globe is a feat of history, design, and special effects.
As theatre began shifting away from the political sphere in the Elizabethan period and focused more on comedic and tragic genres, playwrights were able to feature more intimate and domestic issues in their spectacles, but still regarded courtly settings as the appropriate setting
Imagine watching the famous plays of William Shakespeare being performed right in front of yours eyes at the amazing Globe Theater. William Shakespeare was part owner of The Globe Theater. The famous Globe Theater was a place where outstanding plays were performed. This theater held people from all over the world to watch performances. In the article “The Elizabeth Era” states that “often the Queen would come to the Globe Theater to watch Shakespeare’s work “(Alchin). The Globe Theater has great significance to British history because of the building structure, the actors, the performances, the fire accident, and its impact on England and its people.
The history of theatre in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries is one of the increasing commercialization of the art, accompanied by technological innovations, the introduction of serious critical review, expansion of the subject matters portrayed to include ordinary people, and an emphasis on more natural forms of acting. Theatre, which had been dominated by the church for centuries, and then by the tastes of monarchs for more than 200 years, became accessible to merchants, industrialists, and the less privileged and then the masses.
In the Elizabethan era the globe theater was built by Richard Burbage and his father James Burbage in the eastern end of London called Shoreditch using timber from James Burbage’s previous theatre called “The Theatre” which was built in 1576. James Burbage through this time had a 21 year lease on the land but he was in ownership of the building itself. To the dismay of James and his family the land lord Giles Allen claimed the building as his own after the lease expired. On December of that year while Allen was away for the holidays
William Shakespeare has been known during and after his time as a literary genius. Yet, in addition to his noteworthy plays, he also contributed to his community by increasing the fame of The Globe Theatre. Since his influential role, the Globe Theatre has enchanted and attracted numerous visitors through the course of the years. Yet aside from this attraction, many of these individuals are not aware of the rich history behind this significant structure. However, with the knowledge of the Globe Theatre’s humble beginnings, rise to fame, and its role to modern day guests, the appreciation of this architectural beauty readily increases. And armed with this awareness, one manages to grasp the impact of the Globe Theatre on the past and present.
Throughout the different eras of theatre, the Greek, Roman, Medieval, Commedia, and Shakespearean performers all contributed to the culture of the societies of they were in. However, the level of “social responsibility” that was prevalent in these eras was dependent on whether or not government promoted theatre as a means of enlightening the general public. As a result, the manner in which theatre was presented contributed to the evolution of the particular society either positively or negatively.
The Globe Theatre was the main spot where Shakespearian plays were performed during the Elizabethan Era. The first play that is known to be shown in the Globe Theatre was Julius Caesar in 1599. Many other plays such as Hamlet, Macbeth, and Pericles, Prince of Tyre. The Globe Theatre was divided up into sections in a way that the
For starters, the language is not so cheap or indecent because the theatre appeals more to elites than the lower class. The also differed in seating arrangements. In the Globe, most people stgood. Now, everyone sat in comfortable enough seats to ensure their viewing of the lengthy play was cushioned with no need to leave or get rowdy. Unlike the commoners in the Globe. If they got they slightest bit hungry or uncomfortable, they would start getting too rambunctious, disturbing others around them who actually were focused on the play. A really big difference was their actors. Today’s actors consisted of men and women. The sixteenth century actors consisted of only
Theaters and Drama have been around for quite sometime. The production of these play have changed over the years. The theaters in the Renaissance helped to shape the way of theaters to how we know them today. Theaters like The Globe,The Swan, The Rose and The Curtin. These were a few of the main theaters at the time. The role that these theaters played was very important and influential to the culture of theaters in today’s society.
“To be or not to be,” is one of the many famous lines that Shakespeare is known for. The Globe Theater was once an astonishing place where people visited to catch a glimpse of a play by Shakespeare or other famous playwrights of the era. Although the theater was torn down in 1642, Mr. Sam Wanamaker has started the Shakespeare Globe Trust to help raise support to rebuild this incredible theater. Donating to the rebuilding of this remarkable landmark will provide many benefits to our society today, such as historical, entertainment, and educational values as well. The Globe Theater was an astonishing theater that should not be forgotten.
Although condemned by London authorities, along with cock-fighting, bear-baiting and the bawdy attractions of taverns, the Southwark theater district operated outside the legal reach of the City's officials. But while the Globe Theatre, and indeed, the entire Elizabethan theater scene opened its doors to the low life of the pits, it also accommodated an audience of higher-status, well-heeled, and better educated individuals. As Harry Levin notes in his general introduction to the Riverside Shakespeare (1974), the "Globe was truly a microcosm or little world of man". With its logo of Hercules holding up the earth (as a temporary replacement to Atlas), the Globe Theatre constituted a "little world" in which the social elite rubbed up against a cross-section of common vulgarians, drunken idlers, and other shady, street-wise sorts. Yet, at the same time, the Globe was grand even in the eyes of Elizabethan society's most powerful and prosperous leaders. As Levin also observes in his prefatory essay, recently discovered documents indicate that reconstructions of the Globe as "a quaint little Tudor cottage" have been errant, since Burbage's house "may have had arches, pilaster, and other details of Baroque architecture". Contemporaneous accounts suggests that the Globe was far more impressive than the thatched and half-timbered models of it can capture, having a more spectacular look to its structure than is commonly recognized, one
Shakespeare has a difficult task entertaining the rowdy Elizabethan audience, especially during the exposition of the play, which sets up the entire plot. The audience needs to be engaged and invested in the play, otherwise many of the Elizabethan audience would throw food and furniture on stage or vandalize the theatre in response. Shakespeare employs a variety of techniques throughout the exposition of the play in order to do this, by creating tension between characters, introducing scandalous plots and unresolved issues right at the beginning of the play leaving the audience waiting for an answer. This essay will explore Shakespeare’s techniques and methods of engaging his Elizabethan audience.
“In roughly built playhouses and cobblestone inn yards, an extraordinary development took place in England in the 1500s.” (Yancey, 8). At that time, an opportunity combined to produce literature achievement never before witnessed in the history of drama and theater. The renaissance, helped spark this movement by inspiring scientific and artistic creativity throughout the land. Models began writing dramas that portrayed life in both realistic and imaginative ways. This created work later captured the attention of the world that changed the English drama. The many aspects of Elizabethan theater helped to shape the acting and theater world forever.