Shakespeare The Elizabethan Theatre Culture

Описание: William Shakespeare and His Life
William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in the small English market town of Stratford-upon-Avon. He moved to London as a young man to pursue a career as an actor and a playwright. Over the years, he wrote many famous plays that are still performed all over the world today. He was part owner of a theater company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men. Shakespeare eventually retired to his hometown and passed away at the age of 52.
The Design of the Globe Theatre
The Globe Theatre was a famous round building where many of Shakespeare's plays were first shown. It was an open-air theater which meant there was no roof over the middle section. The building was made mostly of wood and could hold about 3000 people at once. The stage was a large platform that stuck out into the central area where people stood. Most of the audience sat in covered galleries that circled the walls of the building.
Life in Elizabethan London
London was a very busy and crowded city during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. The streets were narrow and filled with people, horses, and many different kinds of shops. People from all levels of society lived close together in the noisy urban environment. Sanitation was not very good, so the city often smelled quite bad to visitors. Despite the dirt, the city was the center of culture and trade for the whole country.
Audience Experience at the Play
Going to the theater was a popular activity for both the rich and the poor. The poorest people stood on the ground around the stage and were often called groundlings. Richer citizens paid more money to sit on benches in the higher levels of the theater. Audience members were often very loud and would shout at the actors during the performance. People would eat snacks like nuts and fruit while they watched the story unfold on stage.
Costumes and Special Effects
The actors in the Elizabethan era wore very bright and expensive costumes to impress the crowd. These outfits were often made of fine silk or velvet and showed the rank of the character. Since there was no electric lighting, all plays had to take place during the daylight hours. They used simple props like swords or banners to help the audience understand the setting. Sometimes they used real cannons or animal blood to make the action scenes look more realistic.
Acting Companies and Male Actors
All the actors in Shakespeare's time were men because women were not allowed to perform on stage. Young boys whose voices had not changed yet played the roles of women and girls. Acting was a full-time job that required a lot of training in memory and physical movement. The companies traveled to different towns when the theaters in London were closed for safety. These groups of actors worked very closely together to learn new plays every single week.