1. Shakespeare’s Globe Theater

2. History of The Globe Theater
The Globe was built in 1599 in the suburb of Southwark located just outside of London near the Thames river
Theaters were outlawed in London at the time
It was built by Shakespeare and his partners

3. History of The Globe Theater
In 1613, the original Globe Theatre burned to the ground when a cannon shot during a performance of Henry VIII ignited the thatched roof of the gallery

4. History of The Globe Theater
The company completed a new Globe on the foundations of the old Globe before Shakespeare's death
It continued operating until 1642, when the Puritans closed it down along with all the other theatres; they tore it down and built homes in its place

5. History of The Globe Theater
This is an excerpt taken from Thomas Platter’s diary
He was Swiss Tourist in London
Thomas Platter, a native of Basel, visited England in 1599
The following excerpt, translated from German, describes his visit to the Globe Theater
“On September 21st after lunch, about two o'clock, I and my party crossed the water, and there in the house with the thatched roof witnessed an excellent performance of the tragedy of the first Emperor Julius Caesar with a cast of some fifteen people; when the play was over, they danced very marvelously and gracefully together as is their wont, two dressed as men and two as women.”

6. The Structure of The Globe
The Globe Theater was 3 stories high
It was a circular building
A small hut sat on part of the roof, where the owners raised a colored flag to let the town know when and what they were performing

7. The Structure of The Globe
A thatched roof covered the galleries, where audience members who paid for expensive tickets sat (thatching is…)
The center of the globe was an open courtyard known as “the pit”
“The pit” is where the groundlings stood and watched the performance
“Groundlings” paid the least amount for their tickets

8. The Structure of The Globe
The Main Stage
A large platform that protruded from one end of the pit
This is where most of the action of the plays took place
A trap door was cut into the bottom of the stage
A roof covered the main stage that was supported by two columns
The roof area became known as the heavens because of paintings of moon, stars, and sun on the underside of the roof
Above the roof was a balcony

9. The Structure of The Globe
The Inner-below
A small room behind the main stage covered by a curtain
This was the location of interior scenes in plays
The Inner-above
The area located above the inner-below
behind the balcony located above the main stage
Also covered by a curtain
This used in much of the same way as the inner-below

10. Scenery Plays were NOT expected to be realistic
Very little scenery was used
Since there was little scenery, there were many short scenes in a variety of locations
Instead of scenery, they used many colorful costumes, music, and sound effects

11. The Structure of The Globe
There were also TWO more balconies located on either side of the main stage

12. Inner above
Side balconies
Balcony
Inner Below

13. The Globe Theater Today
Although the original Globe Theater was destroyed, a new Globe Theater was built in London in the same general area as the original theater
It was finished in 1997 and Queen Elizabeth herself attended the first performance