Elizabethan Theatre

"The English Elizabethan Era is one of the most fascinating periods in the History of England." "The history of the theater is amazing." I'm just going to leave that there for a while.

The Elizabethan theatre was as popular as cinemas and movies in the early 20th century. A lot of money could be made off of it. However, there are many differences between the Elizabethan Theatre and the Modern Theatre.

Elizabethan Theatre

• Acting was not a highly paid or highly respected profession.  Actors were seen as troublemakers who promoted hard living and sin.
• In the 16th century, actors traveled from town to town on a cart, looking for audiences to pay to watch them perform.
• Women were not allowed to act until after 1660, due to acting being not a respected profession. Therefore, teenage boys who hadn't gone through puberty would play the roles of women.
• The most expensive seats in a theater were the in the top row of the theater, farthest from the audience.  The cheap seats were directly in front of the stage. Rich people would want to have the most segregated and exclusive seats in the theater, away from the rowdy, poor people.
• People expected to see a new play everyday in theaters. 

Researching this, I've noticed that this is the TOTAL opposite of theatre/acting today. Let me briefly explain how the theatre works today.

Modern Theatre

• Acting is a very highly paid profession that many people respect and appreciate. (If this doesn't prove how different modern theatre is than Elizabethan theatre , then I don't know what will... But I'll keep going!)
• Theater houses are set up in a permanent location. They often stay open for decades and become part of a community.
• Both men and women are allowed to act on stage or in movies.  Men and women may also play opposite gender roles.
• Going to the theater is considered to be a sophisticated and elegant affair.
•  The most expensive seats in a modern theater are directly in front of the stage. The cheapest seats are in the back of the theater because they have the worst view of the stage.

And that's how much the theatre changed from the Elizabethan era to the Modern era. I think, in my opinion that we've stooped so low. Think about it, in the Elizabethan era, acting was considered not to be a very respectable job. Now, it's one of the most respected occupations and that's how most people become famous. Some people might disagree with me, and say that we've improved and moved on from these times, but to me, I think that the job that wasn't respected and paid very low, became a highly respected, highly paid job. I'll give you a minute.

Since this is a blog all about Shakespeare, then I have to answer this question: How does all this relate to Shakespeare?

The Globe Theatre

The Globe theatre is one of the most famous theatres in the Elizabethan era. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company. The Globe was owned by actors who were also shareholders in Lord Chamberlain's men (playing company whom Shakespeare wrote for most of his career). Two of the six Globe shareholders owned 25% each; the other four men, Shakespeare, John Heminges, Augustine Phillips, and Thomas Pope, owned 12.5% each.

Now, let's refer back to what I quoted in the beginning. "The English Elizabethan Era is one of the most fascinating periods in the History of England." "The history of the theater is amazing."

I'm going to be honest here, I thought this topic was going to be really boring, and I would lose interest really quickly, but I've actually learnt a few things, and I found this quite interesting. So, I'm going to have to agree with whoever said these quotes.

If you want to go into more detail, watch this video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYfM0RFZ5cs

Websites used:

• https://sites.google.com/site/shakespearefunfact/elizabethan-theater
• http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-theatre.htm

Who was Shakespeare?

His Life:

Almost everything about Shakespeare is not very reliable; a lot of information about him is actually guessed and estimated. We're not sure about his birthday as it was guessed, and his face will remain a mystery. However, most people today consider Shakespeare a very influential dramatist. In fact, no one equaled his ability to construct a story by writing dramatic and poetic means.

Shakespeare was born in 1564, the exact date is unknown. He was the third child and first son of John Shakespeare and his wife Mary Arden, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. It is said the he most likely attended the Local Grammar School. In 1582, at the age of eighteen, he got married to Anne Hathaway, the daughter of a farmer. One year later (1583), they had their first child, Susanna. Then, two years later (1585), they had twins; Hamnet and Judith.

 Shakespeare achieved some success as an actor, poet and a playwright a few years after his family moved to London in 1588. The Sonnets especially started his reputation as a gifted and popular poet, however, the 38 plays he wrote or worked with someone else on, established his reputation as the greatest dramatist who ever lived. In 1594, Shakespeare became a licensed member of a theatrical company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men. He first worked in theatres owned by James Burbage. Later, in 1598 Burbage moved to Bankside, and built the Globe Theatre. Shakespeare profited from the success of being a partner in the Globe. 

After 1608 Shakespeare's creative work decreased and he returned to Stratford. He settled and raised his family in one of the town's finest homes and became a well-known local citizen. Eight years later (1616), he died 52 years old. He was buried in the chancel of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Stratford. His tomb's elegy was written by him: 

“Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbear
To dig the dust enclosed here.
Blessed be the man that spares these stones
And cursed be he that moves my bones.”

His works:

Shakespeare's work is generally separated into four major periods:

1. His early plays (1589-95) were experimental. They include history plays, an admired genre of the period of medieval tragedies played out in detail with blood, and a range of comedies.
2. Shakespeare's second period (to 1600) had important plays dealing with English history, his comedies and two major catastrophes. His technique became distinct and recognized as he began to combine elements of tragic events and comic representations.
3. Great tragedies were written during the third period (to 1608) of Shakespeare's career. These include Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth. He also wrote thoughtful and bitter comedies during this time.
4. During his fourth period (to 1613) Shakespeare wrote his basic romantic tragicomedies including The Tempest, considered by many to be Shakespeare's most beautiful play.