The+Globe+Theater

__//**The Globe Theatre:**//__ The  Globe Theatre opened in 1598 near the south bank of the river Thames in the Bankside, Southwark district of London’s suburbs. For a number of years, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men performed in the Theatre when the landlord suddenly decided to tear it down. In December of 1597, the Brubage brothers, a skilled carpenter, and a group of workmen gathered at the Theatre and disassembled it, carrying the materials across the frozen river Thames to its new location. They spent six months in 1598 reconstructing to form what was known for many decades as the Globe Theatre. This amphitheater had the ability to fit nearly 3,000 people and became the location where the Lord Chamberlain’s Men performed many of the playwrights created by William Shakespeare. The Globe Theatre wa s a place for entertainment within London, England. Depending on the genre of the play, flags would hang outside of the theater advertising for that night's production. The crowds who attended were of many diverse statuses. Both males and females gathered to view these plays, including some prosperous women who wore masks to cover their identities. Along with the elite women and noble people, many groundlings would join to see the production. While the wealthy would sit in elaborate, furnished galleries, balconies, or aside of the stage, the groundlings stood in the courtyard of the theater. This social gathering cost about one penny to all peasants (about one tenth of their days wage as an apprentice) and a few pennies more for the nobleman, depending on their seating location. Due to Shakespeare’s extensive vocabulary, many of the common attendee s did not understand the comedy and sarcasm expressed in the plays. In response, these uneducated people would throw vegetables up onto the stage and at the actors. Shakespeare’s creativity gave him the name of “the Ghost of his own Hamlet”. He took on two major roles within the Globe Theatre. Primarily, Shakespeare wrote dramatic tragedies and comedies that were presented to the theatergoers. He also acted in a number of these plays including famous playwrights such as Hamlet, Othello, and Lear. During these times, males played both gender roles, younger men usually playing the women as the older, more mature men performed as male characters. There were three times throughout the history of the theater when it closed, this giving Shakespeare the opportunity to go home and focus on writing new multiple act playwrights. After being open for only five years, the Bubonic Plague (also known as the Black Death) overcame London and its surrounding suburbs in 1603, causing the death of over 33,000 English. Due to so many dying as well as the extent of this communicable disease, the theater was forced to discontinue their productions for a number of months.

After opening in the later months of 1603, the stage company continued their performances until June 29, 1613 when the original theater burned down. As the competitions between the London theater companies increased, the production of King Henry VIII decided to use a canon as a special effect. The canon was shot and hit the thatched roof, breaking out a fire that spread to the theater’s timber structure. Within minutes, the amphitheatre was a pile of ash, later rebuilding the theater on the original foundation in 1614. This time, they used tiles for the roof, making the building less of a fire hazard. Far after Shakespeare’s death in 1642, the English Civil War broke out between the Parliamentarians, better known as the Puritans, and Royalists. As the war developed into 1644, the Puritans demolished the Globe Theatre as the performing arts in London came to a halt for many years. The Globe Theatre has been the place where most of the Shakespearean classics were first presented as through its 46 years, it was a place for entertainment to many.

Study Guide: 1. Who constructed the Globe Theatre and how did they complete this task?

2. Who attended the plays at the Globe Theatre?

3. Who are the common people?

4. How much money did it cost to get into the theatre?

5. What would occur if the attendees were disappointed with the play they were watching?

6. What happened to the original Globe Theatre and how did it happen?

7. Where was the new Globe Theatre located?

8. How did the Globe Theatre affect William Shakespeare's career?

9. Name the three times that the Globe Theatre was closed in chronological order.

Works Cited: http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/globe-theatre-facts.htm http://www.bardweb.net/globe.html http://absoluteshakespeare.com/trivia/globe/globe.htm http://www.william-shakespeare.info/william-shakespeare-globe-theatre.htm media type="custom" key="2712953"