EE

Elizabethan Theater

Martin,P.(2012).TheGlobeTheatre.RetrievedSeptember15,2012fromwww.shakespeare.pppst.com

.

The Elizabethan Era

Queen Elizabeth I embodied power and beautyIt was an extravagant and brutal ageThe first theaters in England appearedWilliam Shakespeare

Drama in the Elizabethan Age- After defeating the Spanish Armada, England became intenselyInterested in the past.

- Playwrights were practical menbent on making a living

- Once a playwright sold his manuscript, he had no personal

right to it

- Plays were written to be acted , not read

Playhouses

Private – small, roofed buildings for the wealthy peoplePublic – usually the backyards of innsFamous theaters – the Rose, the Swan, the Globe, and the Fortune

Structure

Public theaters were either a round, square, or octagonalwooden structure which consisted of:

• unroofed courtyard• roofed galleries• platform stage• tiring-house• curtained discovery space• hut• trapdoor

Seating

Determined by the wealth and the social status of the people.

The wealthiest people took the best seats

Dialogue

The playwright used poetic dialogueto:

• paint a picture of the scene• establish the time and the place of the action• familiarize the audience both withthe characters’ identities and theirphysical appearances

Soliloquies and asides were also used to compensate for the absence of an elaborate stage.

Picture of the setting

Why should I war without the walls of TroyThat find such cruel battle here within? Troilus and Cressida

Time of the actionLook Hector, how the Sun begins to set;How ugly the night comes breathing at his heels,Even with the veil and darking of the Sun,To close the day up, Hector’s life is done. Troilus and Cressida

Physical appearance O, she doth teach the torches to burn brightIt seems she hangs upon the cheek of nightLike a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear;Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear! Romeo and Juliet

Costumes

Elaborate and colorful costumes

Communicate the message of the character, show his/her social status, profession

Acting Companies

Before the theaters were built performances were put on by traveling troupes They had the reputation of being vagabondsMany people gathered and sometimes behaved disorderly

ActorsThe typical Elizabethan acting company comprised of:

• shareholders• salaried actors• apprentices

Actors were expected to be able to:

• sing• clown• fence• perform acrobatic feats• dance

The Globe Theater

Built in 1599 by Cuthbert BurbageShakespeare put on most of his plays in there and acted in some of themIn 1642 the theater was completely destroyed

Sources

http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-age.htm

http://www.enotes.com/william-shakespeare/shakespeares-globe-theater

http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/schools/Springfield/eliz/artsarchitecture.html