Download Shakespeare`s Theatre

Shakespeare’s Theatre
Elizabethan Drama
Queen Elizabeth on the throne from 1558-
1603
Shakespeare born 1564, lived to 1616, so
he was primarily an Elizabethan
First theatres either Inn-Yards or Great
Halls
Shakespeare’s London
 He grew up in
Stratford-on-Avon
 Moved to London in
1585/6
 First play, Henry VI
produced in 1590
 London Bridge full of
shops and houses
View of London
 Looking over the
River Thames to
Westminster Abbey
The Tower of London
 Called by
Shakespeare “Julius
Caesar’s ill-erected
tower”
Inn-Yards
 The innkeepers of the
day figured out that
business was brisk
when a play came to
town, so they decided
to erect a temporary
stage where the
audience could gather
or watch from the
galleries
Great Halls
 More refined
performances took place
in the great halls of
noblemen’s houses, or of
Oxford and Cambridge
colleges.
 In 1603, the King and
court stayed at Hampton
Court palace, and were
entertained by
Shakespeare’s players
Plays within plays
Many of Shakespeare’s plays included a
play within a play
–
–
–
–
The Taming of the Shrew
Love’s Labours Lost
Midsummer Night’s Dream
Hamlet
Outdoor theatres
In 1575, when Shakespeare was only 11,
the City authorities imposed a Code of
Practice upon the Players which they
despised
Moved their theatres outside of the city
limits
In 1576, ‘The Theatre’ was built in
Finsbury Fields, several others followed
The Globe
 The Globe was built
by the Burbage
brothers in 1599
 Their father had built
‘The Theatre’
 Fabric taken from
‘The Theatre’ to build
The Globe
Shakespeare and The Globe
 Shakespeare’s
company, the
Chamberlain’s Men,
performed all their
plays after 1599 at the
Globe theater
Open-air theatres
 The stage stood at one
end of the theatre jutting
out into the audience for
about half of the depth of
the theatre
 Three tiers of galleries for
wealthy audience
 ‘Groundlings stood on
ground in front of stage
Apron stage
 The stage was raised
3-4 feet above the
ground, and was
surrounded on three
sides by the audience
 The main stage had
two doors in back to
the “inner stage”
 Above the recess was
the “upper stage”
Stage construction
The main stage was hollow, and there was
access to the stage through numerous
trapdoors
Theatres were open to the sky, but thatched
over the galleries and the upper balcony or
“heaven”
Front of stage was open to the elements
Uses of the multiple stage
Main action took place on the main stage
Surrounded by audience, so that the
“asides” were not so artificial as they seem
today
Soliloquies could appear to be spoken
confidentially to the audience
Trapdoor could serve as Ophelia’s grave
Indoor theatres
 While the outdoor theatres were being built,
several indoor theatres were also constructed for
companies of boy actors
 These were developed along the lines of the
Great Halls
 They were smaller than outdoor theatres,
rectangular, roofed, and lighted by candles
 Admission more expensive, only 700 or so
people could fit into these theatres.
Settings
 No elaborate settings like plays of modern theatre
 Shakespeare had to create setting by the use of
the words
 He had to establish time of day by stating the
time, since many performances were outside
 No curtains to main stage, had to create change in
scenes by the words and the actions of the players
The Players
 The first Folio of
1623 gives us a list of
all 26 of
Shakespeare’s
Company members
 Richard Burbage was
one of the great tragic
actors of his day
Shakespeare as Player
 Shakespeare’s
apprencticeship was
the stage itself
 Generally credited
with playing the ghost
in Hamlet
 Liked to play parts
that kept him on stage
but allowed time to
write as well
Sources
Mowat, Barbara A. and Paul Werstine, eds.
Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Folger
Shakespeare Library. New York:
Washington Square Press, 1992.
Lecture by Hilda D. Spear (University of
Dundee) held at Cologne University on
October of 1989