Macbeth Notes #1 Hellenga

Elizabethan Theatre E E

The Elizabethan Era Queen Elizabeth I embodied power and beauty It was an extravagant and brutal age The first theatres in England appeared William Shakespeare began writing his famous poems and plays

Drama in the Elizabethan Age - After defeating the Spanish Armada, England became intensely Interested in the past Playwrights were practical men bent on making a living Once a playwright sold his manuscript, he had no personal right to it—there were no copyright laws Plays were written to be acted and not read

Playhouses Private – usually in the houses of the wealthy Public – usually the backyards of inns Famous theatres – the Rose, the Swan, the Globe, and the Fortune

Structure Public theatres were either a round, square, or octagonal wooden 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 dialogue to: paint a picture of the scene establish the time and the place of the action familiarize the audience both with the characters’ identities and their physical appearances Soliloquies and asides were also used to compensate for the absence of an elaborate stage.

Time of the action Physical appearance Picture of the setting Why should I war without the walls of Troy That find such cruel battle here within? Troilus and Cressida Time of the action Look 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. Physical appearance O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night Like 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 theatres were built performances were put on by traveling troupes They had the reputation of being vagabonds Many people gathered and sometimes behaved in a disorderly manner

Actors The 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 Theatre Built in 1599 by Cuthbert Burbage Shakespeare put on most of his plays there and acted in some of them In 1642 the theatre was completely destroyed