ELIZABETHAN THEATRE Dorothy Qian, Jeanne Kuang, Keelan Ellis, & Paul Nestor Theatre Arts 1 ; Period 6

Elizabethan theaters were in London where the queen watched plays. There were over 25 Elizabethan theaters in London

1558 – Elizabeth I becomes queen of England 1564 – Shakespeare was born 1599 – The Globe Theatre was built 1608 – Shakespeare’s company moved to Blackfriar’s Theatre 1613 – First Globe Theatre burned 1644 – The new Globe was torn down

Up to 100 feet in diameter Design was based on the Roman Coliseum but built on a much smaller scale Based on Classical Greek and Roman structures Stage dimensions varied from 20 foot wide 15 foot deep to 45 feet to 30 feet The stage was raised – 3 to 5 feet and supported by large pillars No seating; audience had to stand The stage structure projected halfway into the ‘yard’ where the commoners paid 1 penny to stand to watch the play THE GLOBE THEATRE

Elizabethan Costumes Makeup contained lead, wasn’t very healthy. Middle Class Men also wore practical clothing but their clothes showed that they had a little more extra time and money to use on their closets. The Wealthy Class Men wore very fashionable clothes since they had money to spend on various outfits. They had ballooned pants called round hose. Women wore extravagant dresses with hoops. They had a shift/smock underneath the dress, a corset, stockings, and large skirts.

FAMOUS PLAYWRIGHTS CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE ( ) -Not as famous as Shakespeare but born in the same year -Wrote plays from 1587 to his death -Started using blank verse -An atheist -Most famous for Dr. Faustus (1588) THOMAS KYD (1558-c.1594) -famous for The Spanish Tragedy BEN JONSON ( ), JOHN FLETCHER ( ), and FRANCIS BEAUMONT ( ) -collaborated a lot on their works and they were good friends. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE ( ) -widely regarded as the greatest writer of English -38 plays, 154 sonnets, 2 long narrative poems, and others -part owner of the Globe Theatre, known as his theatre -four periods of his plays: mainly comedies, comedies and histories, mainly tragedies, and tragicomedies (romances) -has influenced many later writers/artists WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE

FAMOUS PLAYS Other Elizabethan Plays -Dr. Faustus, The Jew of Malta, Edward II (Christopher Marlowe) -The Spanish Tragedy (Thomas Kyd) -Every Man In His Humour, Every Man Out of His Humour, The Silent Woman, The Alchemist (Ben Jonson) -The Knight of the Burning Pestle, The Scornful Lady (Beaumont and Fletcher) Shakespeare's Plays -Famous Comedies: The Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, Twelfth Night -Famous Tragedies: Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, Othello -Famous Histories: Richard II, Henry V, Richard III, Henry VIII - HAMLET