Shakespeare’s

DramaThe Globe, The Man

andMacbeth

The Globe Theater

Built in 1599 for The Lord Chamberlain’s Acting Company of which Shakespeare was a member (Shakespeare owned 10%)

Made of wood Held 2,000 – 3,000 people 1,500 seats were covered Room for 800 – 1,000 people to stand in the

“pit”, an uncovered area surrounding the stage

No lights so all performances were held between 2 – 5 pm

The Globe Theater, cont’d.

The stage was circular with all sides open

There was an enclosed building to the side for costume changes

No curtains so characters were “announced”, acts and scenes melted into each other, and dead bodies had to be carried off the stage

The Globe Theater, cont’d.

3 levels of the stage* Main stage with small curtained area in the rear

* Upper area (heaven) for balcony scenes

* Lower area under the stage (hell) accessible by a trapdoor on the stage

The Globe Theater, cont’d.

The acoustics were poor so actors had to shout and use exaggerated gestures to be understood

Because there were no curtains to close at the conclusion, all tensions had to be “cooled” before the end of the play

The Globe Theater, concluded

1613 – burned during a performance of Henry VIII when a real cannon was fired onto the roof

1614 – rebuilt 1644 – Puritans destroyed it in an

effort to “clean up” the morals of London

Scenery, costumes, and props

No curtains dictated that scenery be kept to a minimum since no changes could be made during a performance

Costumes were elaborate and highly decorated with hats and other accessories

Props were usually small and could be carried on by hand by the actors

William Shakespeare

His Life and Work

Childhood

Born to wealthy parents in Stratford-Upon-Avon in 1564

Few details are known about his childhood

Well-educated in grammar school as evidenced by his references to classical works, his knowledge of a wide variety of subjects, and his extensive vocabulary

His Career as an Actor and Playwright

1589 – he wrote his first play (Henry VI, Part I)

1594 – he became a member of The Lord Chamberlain’s Men which developed into the premier theater troupe in London, first as an actor and then a playwright

1598 – he became the principal comedic writer and actor of the troupe

1603 – he became the principal tragic actor and writer of the troupe

His Career as an Actor and Playwright, Cont’d.

His success and good investments made him wealthy and well-respected in London society

He wrote the epitaph for his own tomb:

“Good friend, for Jesus’ sake forbear

To dig the dust enclosed here.Blessed be the man that spares these

stonesAnd cursed be he that moves my

bones.”

Macbethfrom

reality to the stage

Macbeth Original play

performed for 17 years before it was actually published

Length of the play suggests it was abridged (shortened) through the years

The stereotypical idea of witches begins with the portrayal of them in this play

King James VI of Scotland (I of England) was a descendant of the real Banquo

MacbethReality

Reigned as king of Scotland between 1040 and 1057

Killed Duncan I with help from Banquo

Killed by Duncan’s son, Malcolm III

Real king Duff murdered by Donwald while a guest in Donwald’s castle

Fiction Rules for about 10

weeks Banquo does not help Lady Macbeth

participates in the murder

Shakespeare combined different elements of stories in Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland to come up with the play

Macbeth Theme: Ambition will bring one’s

downfall. Set in Scotland in 1040 Macbeth is loyal thane of Duncan Macbeth has helped put down

rebellion against Duncan by the Thane of Cawdor