GLOBE THEATRE 12/31/11 1 1

Today 12/31/11

“Totus mundas agit histrionem” Motto of Globe Theatre “Totus mundas agit histrionem” The whole world is a playhouse 12/31/11 3

HISTORY Home of “Lord Chamberlain’s Men” acting company (Shakespeare’s Troupe) Built by buying shares Constructed with recycled (stolen) materials Opened 1599, burned down in 1613 Rebuilt in 1614 closed in 1642 Torn down in 1644 12/31/11 4

The Spectacle of the Globe Theatre A form of entertainment which could be attended by women of good standing Anyone with the price of admission could attend Royal patronage made it “respectable” Plays depicted the nobility as flawed as the common people Nobility could be seen by the masses Fashion trends could be set A good outing for all Courtly manners exposed to masses 12/31/11 5 5

The Audience Anyone with the price of admission Educated and uneducated Washed and unwashed masses Thieves, peddlers, prostitutes, and gamblers Social climbers and wannabes Sick and diseased 12/31/11 P Wilson 6

12/31/11

Competition for Audience Other playhouses and playwrights Gambling parlours Bear-baiting, dog fighting Public executions 12/31/11 P Wilson 8

Holding the Audience Words well spoken were the main way to hold an audience during a play Royalty/Nobility in attendance Plays were about things outside the masses daily routine - royalty, power, wealth Nobility often shown as having same emotions and reactions as masses - flawed Sense of daring to travel outside city and being part of “less respectable” occasion A leisure activity outside daily grind of surviving 12/31/11 9

Elizabethan Period Money and Currency - From 1558 - 1603 The English pound originated from a measure of weight which was used to represent a sum of money. 240 pennies equalled a pound or 20 shillings equalled one pound. The penny was the basic monetary unit of the period. The names of the English units of currency and how they were abbreviated in written format date back to the Roman period. 12/31/11

A penny was expressed as the letter 'd' - an abbreviation for denarius, a silver Roman coin A shilling was expressed as the letter 's' - an abbreviation for sestertius, a silver Roman coin A pound was ( and still is ) a letter 'L' crossed with a bar, expressed as a £ which derives from an abbreviation for Libra, the Latin word for pounds 12/31/11

The Interior 12/31/11 12

The Heavens False ceiling Had trap doors for actors on wires and other special effects Protected actors from weather 12/31/11 13 13

The Lord’s Rooms Best seats –cost 5d Able to hear rather than see the play “audience” (from the French word “to hear”) Could easily be seen by the masses Due to the Statutes of Apparel (The Sumptuary Laws ) ordinary Elizabethans were not able to wear the latest fashions! Fashionable clothes would only be seen at a distance, when wealthy nobles or Royalty were in view! Able to keep distance from rabble and disease 12/31/11 14 14

The Stage Height 1.5m , width 14m, depth 9m Had 2 parts - inner or under for scenes within scenes Outer where everything could be seen and most action took place Trapdoors for actors to enter and exit under stage Referred to as “hell” Extended into “yard” where groundlings paid 1d 12/31/11 15 15

The Yard Admission 1d Called “groundlings” or “stinkards” Peddlers sold wares/food Fighting often occurred Gambling always Theft Drinking but no toilets…. Loud audience which often made comments to the actors Throwing of food and such if poor acting or play Easy to spread diseases through contact 12/31/11 16 16

The HUT and Tiring House The Hut was used for storage of props etc it also allowed access to fly the flag on performance days The Tiring house was behind the stage curtain for actors to change and wait between scenes on stage There were stairs to link the three levels Later musicians were able to be housed in the galleries above the stage 12/31/11 17 17

The Galleries Covered areas around the theatre Cost more(2d-4d) and sometimes came with cushions Kept patrons away from the masses which often were diseased Food and drink were available for a price Could be seen by others who mattered in society 12/31/11 18 18

12/31/11

12/31/11

About the Globe Theatre 12/31/11 21

Advertising Flying the flag of Hercules holding up a globe Word of mouth or royal patronage Color coding was also used A black flag meant a tragedy A white flag meant comedy A red flag meant history  12/31/11 22

Why people think Shakespeare is still relevant today The human condition is the same Relationships are still the same Power, greed, wealth, and love are still great themes Plays are easily adapted to modern technology - television, cinema Plays have universal appeal Few cultural limitations 12/31/11 23

Legacy of the Globe Basis of modern theatre architecture Legitimising dramatic theatre Establishing format for play structure 2-3 hour performance length Theatre should be for everyone Money collected in boxes would be stored in a special room called the “box office” Different prices for different seating 12/31/11 24

The Final Curtain 12/31/11 25

Changing Social Standards After the long reign of Elizabeth, the social scene began to change. The throne came under the influence of the Puritans who thought anything which made you feel good was bad. They closed most forms of entertainment and all theatres were closed. They finally tore down the Globe and built housing on the site. 12/31/11 26

Shakespeare 400+ years later Still being performed throughout the world Studied in schools Adapted for television and cinema Relevant stories for modern times Translated into most languages No copyright costs for productions Can be performed with little frills 12/31/11 27

What Shakespeare offers us Insight into the human condition Love Racism Jealousy Adultery Greed Murder Power Depression Family Obedience Fate Farce Supernatural Loyalty Humour Corruption 12/31/11 28

Plays of William Shakespeare HISTORIES King Henry IV Part 1 King Henry IV Part 2 King Henry V King Henry VI King Henry VIII King John Richard II Richard III 12/31/11 P Wilson 29

COMEDIES Alls Well That Ends Well - Much Ado About Nothing As You Like It Pericles, Prince of Comedy of Errors Taming of the Shrew Cymbeline The Tempest Love's Labour's Lost Troilus and Cressida Measure for Measure Twelfth Night Merchant of Venice Two Gentlemen of Verona Merry Wives of Windsor Winter's Tale Midsummer Nights 12/31/11 P Wilson 30

TRAGEDIES Antony and Cleopatra Coriolanus Hamlet Julius Caesar King Lear Macbeth Othello Romeo and Juliet Timon of Athens Titus Andronicus 12/31/11 31

RESOURCES www.william-shakespeare.info/william- shakespeare-globe-theatre.htm www.elizabethan-era.org.uk 12/31/11 P Wilson 32