The Globe

Elizabethans loved their theater, just as we love our movies. The theater offered great excitement and entertainment. There was a place in the theater for everyone, from rich to poor. Those who could afford to pay watched the plays from seats in the covered seating. For a penny, those less fortunate could stand in the yard. Appropriately, they were called "groundlings." The yard was open to the sky, which provided the lighting. Performances were given in mid-afternoon, usually with some 2,000 attending.

The largest and most famous of the Elizabethan theaters was Shakespeare's Globe. Look at the description of the parts of the Globe Theater. Take a virtual tour of today's Globe Theater.

Visit Shakespeare Uncovered and view three short videos about the Globe: "The History Behind the Globe," "Playing in the Globe," and "The Globe and its Audience."

A flag signified which type of play was being performed - black for tragedy, white for comedy, and red for history. The flag was flown high enough so most of London could see it waving from the top of the Globe.

The "Heavens" was a ceiling over the stage that protected the actors from too much sun or rain. It also represented the sky and heavens and was painted blue with golden stars. Actors who played angels or spirits descended from the hut on top of this "roof" to the main stage. The hut was also used for storage and additional sound effects such as alarm bells, cannon fire, and thunder.

The Tiring House are dressing and storage rooms. Actors rested here between scenes and changed into lavish costumes. All large props were stored here. The doors to the tiring house also served as actor's main entrances and exits.

The Upper Stage "chamber" was used for most bedroom and balcony scenes.

Galleries are three covered seating sections. Audiences paid more to sit on these tiered wooden benches under a thatched roof to keep out the sun and rain. For an additional penny, a patron could borrow a cushion to sit on.

Main Stage is where the main action of the play took place, especially outdoor scenes of battlefields, forests, or cityscapes. It was often called an "apron" stage because audiences could sit around all three sides. The stage was intentionally built four to five feet high so the audience could not jump up and into the action. For a larger fee, patrons could sometimes sit up on the stage next to the actors.

The Inner Stage was used mostly for indoor scenes. It had a curtain that could be opened or closed for scene changes.

In the Open Yard, audiences paid one penny to stand here and watch the performance, rain or shine. Often these patrons, or groundlings, would participate in the play by cheering, shouting, or throwing snacks at the actors.

Supporting Pillars are wooden pillars that supported the roof and were painted to look like marble. Actors used these pillars to hide on the main stage and observe other characters while speaking in "asides" to the audience.

Actors playing ghosts or witches could rise or descend through the Trap Door built into the main stage. The cellarage underneath was referred to as "hell."

"Gatherers" stood at the single Entrance to collect one penny from each patron per performance. Patrons put their pennies into a box, hence the term "box office." It took audiences at least half an hour to file into the theater.

The Globe's foundation needed to be constructed of brick, as it was built on wet, marshy land close to the Thames River.

Not much is known of William Shakespeare's early years because documents weren't recorded at the courthouse. He was born, probably on April 23, 1564, in Stratford-on-Avon. His father, John Shakespeare, was a prosperous merchant who held several important positions in the town's government. His mother, Mary Arden, came from a wealthy landowning family. Because of the family's status, young William was probably attending grammar school by the time he was seven.

The next fact we know for sure is that in November of 1582, when he was eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway, a farmer's daughter who was twenty-six. Their first child, Susanna, was born four months later. By 1585, the couple had twins, Hamnet and Judith.

From 1585 to 1592 very little is known of Shakespeare, and these years are often referred to as the "dark years." We know that he left his wife and family and probably went to London to begin his career. There has always been speculation about their relationship and why he left.

By 1592 his historical record is clearer. He had moved to London and had become a part of the city's theater. We also know that during this period, Shakespeare was involved with a woman we refer to as the "Dark Lady" because of his description of her in his sonnets. We also know that she broke his heart when she became involved with a younger poet.

By 1594, he was a member of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, one of London's most popular acting companies. Shakespeare was both a writer and an actor.

In 1599 the company built the most famous Elizabethan theatre, the Globe Theatre. After Queen Elizabeth died, James I sponsored the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and they were then known as the King's Men. By this time, Shakespeare had stepped back from acting and devoted his time to writing plays.

The years from 1600 to 1611 are considered the most productive years in all literary history. It was during this period that he wrote the four great tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. He explored into the motivations of his characters, creating men and women of complex dimensions who battle their own desires, often as they also battle good and evil forces. Keep this in mind as you prepare to read Macbeth.

In 1611, Shakespeare retired and returned to Stratford where he lived with his wife at his home called "New Place." He died on April 23, 1616, and was buried in the Holy Trinity Church where he had been baptized fifty-two years earlier.

Once again his relationship with his wife becomes a source of questions. Shakespeare left his wife his "second best bed" in his will. We can never be sure what that means. Was it a specific piece of furniture she loved or a jab at a woman he considered second best?

We don't know very much about Anne Hathaway's life, and the questions surrounding her relationship with her husband will probably never be answered.

We've all heard that it's bad luck to wish an actor "good luck" before he takes the stage. Instead, we say "break a leg." Do you know why?

It has been suggested that the origin of the phrase dates back to Shakespearean days. Apparently, at the time, the poor and uneducated (groundlings), unable to afford real seats, would crowd the front of the theater, right up against the stage. And, if the actors' performances were truly great, the excited groundlings were customarily known to drool!
Prior to their performance (on a stage surrounded by eager groundlings), actors would wish each other good luck by saying, "May you give such a stirring performance that you fall on the ensuing spit of drooling groundlings and break a leg!"

The phrase "break a leg" is called an idiom. Idioms are words, phrases, or expressions that cannot be taken literally. That means that if we used these expressions in our everyday language, we couldn't or wouldn't complete the actual meaning; that would be absurd.

For example, the literal meaning of "break a leg" would mean that someone wanted you to actually break a bone in your leg. The idiomatic meaning is to do your best.

Shakespeare coined many of the idiomatic expressions we use and hear today. Look at the forty idioms that came from Shakespeare. There are many more, but these are just a few of the more famous ones you may have heard. Click on the word to find out the meaning.

 

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