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William Shakespeare & The Globe Theatre. Who was this guy??. was an English poet and playwright born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon baptised April 26, 1564 * we don’t include a birth date because no one knows when he was born (believed to be April 23). So, what’s the big deal?.
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Who was this guy?? • was an English poet and playwright • born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon • baptised April 26, 1564 *we don’t include a birth date because no one knows when he was born (believed to be April 23)
So, what’s the big deal? • He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language • His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright • Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive • So, there are LOTS of questions!!
Was he the actual writer? • Around 150 years after Shakespeare's death, doubts began to emerge about the authorship of the works attributed to him. • Proposed alternative candidates: • Francis Bacon (who you meet in Socials 9!) • Christopher Marlowe (another writer) • Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford
Show me the Money!! • All playwrights at this time (and even to this day), were paid to write • If they didn’t produce, they didn’t get paid So……….. • Shakespeare wrote to make a living AND • Many believe that he certainly would NOT have wrote for pleasure
Slumming It! • At this point in time, theatres and plays were illegal inside the city limits • This means that some very “interesting” characters were associated with this area of town
Theatres • During Shakespeare’s time, there were many theatres in the London area • Located near the river Thames, The Globe was not in fact in central London but rather an outlying district called Southwark (a.k.a The Borough) • Southwark had a "colorful" reputation of being not too different from what we would call a "bad" district today
Patrons of Shakespeare’s Plays To understand the environment of ‘The Globe’, it’s important to know who went to Shakespeare’s plays Remember: The Globe was outside of the city limits and, therefore, not within the city’s jurisdiction!!
Patrons of Shakespeare’s Plays Typical patrons: • Artisans & Musicians • Ne’er-do-wells (those up to no good) • Prostitutes (to work and to watch) • Pimps (to work and to watch) • Criminals (thieves/pickpockets) • “Normal” people (who liked to enjoy life)
What was served? • As silly as it sounds, this is another important part of the theatre-going environment • Jugs of mead (to refresh… & to spill) • Apples (to eat… & to throw when finished) • Peanuts (to eat…& to toss on the ground) • Patrons also brought rotting vegetables and food scraps (to throw if the players aren’t up to par)
Players vs. Audience • It was a constant battle for the players to please the often-unruly and rambunctious crowd • Heckling was just ‘part of it’ • If an insult was hurled at a player (which it was often done), the player would return it • The environment inside was entertaining… and not just due to the play on stage
Cost • Audiences paid one penny (10% of the daily wage) which they put in a box by the door • hence the term 'Box Office' • The penny allowed them to view the play by standing on the ground, in front of the stage (these people were called the Groundlings!)
