Elizabethan theatre
The Elizabethan Theater is a historical theatre found in London, as we know it was called the Theatre, built at Shoreditch, London in 1576 and the owner was James Burbage. James Burbage had obtained a 21 year lease with permission to build the first playhouse, aptly named ' The Theatre '. Before this time plays were performed in the courtyard of inns or inn-yards, or sometimes, in the houses of noblemen or in extreme circumstances on open ground. After the Theatre, further open air playhouses (theaters ) opened in the London area, including the Rose Theatre (1587), and the Hope Theatre (1613). The most famous Elizabethan playhouse (theater ) was the Globe Theatre (1599) built by the company in which Shakespeare had a stake - now often referred to as the Shakespearean Globe The full history of the Elizabethan Theater with all its theaters, playhouses and inn-yards is available by clicking the Elizabethan Theatre link which provides comprehensive information about Elizabethan Inn-Yards, Theaters and Playhouses.
In addition ,The Globe, built by carpenter Peter Smith and his workers, was the most magnificent theater that London had ever seen and built in 1597 -1598. This theatre could hold several thousand people! The Globe Theatre didn’t just show plays. It was also reputed to be a brothel and gambling house. It was situated on the South bank of the river Thames in Southwark. The old Globe Theatre was a magnificent amphitheatre, as shown in the picture at the top of the page. Maps of London clearly show the architecture of the Globe Theatre, and these have enabled an approximate picture of the old Globe Theatre to be drawn. Not one inside picture of the old Globe Theatre is in existence, however, a picture of another amphitheatre, the Swan, has survived. The amphitheatres were similar in design, so the picture of the Swan Theatre can be used a good guide to the structure of the old Globe. The Globe Theatre was a huge success and as it had been built in close proximity to the Bear Garden. The profits of the Bear Garden slumped and in 1614 Henslowe and Edward Alleyn (the most famous actor in Elizabethan England) had it demolished and replaced with a new playhouse which they called The Hope Theatre (aptly named!). Edward Alleyn returned to the stage in an attempt to lure the crowds from The Globe Theatre.
Furthermore days out at the Globe Theater would have been an exciting event. The grounds surrounding the Globe Theater would have been bustling with people. There would be Stalls selling merchandise and refreshments creating a market day atmosphere. Non playgoers would flock to the Globe Theater to go to the market stalls and 'soak in ' the holiday-like atmosphere. The Globe would have particularly attracted young people and they were many complaints of apprentices avoiding work in order to go to the theater. A trumpet was sounded to announce to people that the play was about to begin at the Globe Theatre in order for people to take their final places.
At the global theatre audience never had time to get bored. In just two weeks Elizabethan theaters could often present “eleven performances of ten different plays”. The Shakespearean Actors generally only got their lines as the play was in progress. Parts were often allocated on the day of the performance. Many times the actors didn't even get their own lines. They did "cue acting ", which meant that there was a person backstage who whispered the lines to the actor just before he was going to say them. This rapid turnover led to another technique called “ cue scripting ”, where where each actor was given only his own lines. The complete scene of the play was not explained to the actors until it was actually being performed. This technique allowed for zero rehearsal time, thus enabling a fast turnover in terms of new productions at the Globe Theater and a huge portfolio of different roles. There were no actresses. Female characters had to be played by young boys. The acting profession was not a credible one and it was unthinkable that any woman would appear in a play. Two of the most notable actors of the Elizabethan era were Edward Alleyn and Will Kempe. Edward Alleyn became immensely wealthy due to stake holding in a theatre company (the Admiral's men)
Moreover, The Elizabethan general public (the Commoners) referred to as groundlings would pay 1 penny to stand in the 'Pit' of the Globe Theater. The gentry would pay to sit in the galleries often using cushions for comfort! Rich nobles could watch the play from a chair set on the side of the Globe stage itself. Theatre performances were held in the afternoon, because, of course, there was no artificial lighting. Men and women attended plays, but often the prosperous women would wear a mask to disguise their identity. The plays were extremely popular and attracted vast audiences to the Globe. The audiences only dropped during outbreaks of the bubonic plague, which was unfortunately an all too common occurrence during the Elizabethan era. This happened in 1593, 1603 and 1608 when all theaters were closed due to the Bubonic Plague (The Black Death). The Shakespearean actors were therefore temporary out of work and left London to stay in other parts of England. William Shakespeare no doubt used these periods of closure to write more plays and go home to Stratford.
To conclude The Globe was only in use until 1613, when on June 29 a fire broke out at the Globe Theatre. The canon used for special effects, such as heralding great entrances, was loaded with gunpowder and wadding. The thatched roof caught on fire and the Globe Theatre burned to the ground. It is not known whether there were any casualties but there must have been some panic. In 1614 the Globe Theatre was rebuilt (referred to as Globe 2).
Biography of shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, who is known for his plays even today. He is regarded as the greatest writer in the English language, often called ‘Bard of Avon’ (or simply ‘The Bard’). Amongst all his works, the ones that have survived till date include 38 plays, 154 sonnets, 2 long narrative poems and several other poems. Shakespeare’s plays have been translated to almost all the major languages in the world and have been performed on stage, more often than those of any other playwright. His plays and poems are also studied as a part of the literature curriculum, in many universities. Childhood William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon and baptized on 26th April 1564. He was the son of John Shakespeare, a successful Glover and alderman from Snitterfield and Mary Arden, the daughter of a rich landowning farmer. He was the third amongst his parents’ eight children, apart from being the eldest surviving son. Since his exact birth date is unknown, people usually celebrate 23rd April, St George's Day, as his birthday. It is believed that Shakespeare studied at the King's New School, in Stratford. It was a free school chartered in 1553, which was around a quarter of a mile from his home. Early Life Shakespeare got married to Anne Hathaway, a 26-year-old woman, when he was hardly 18 years old. The couple was issued a marriage license on 27th November 1582, by the consistory court of the Diocese of Worcester. Anne was pregnant before the marriage and gave birth to a daughter, Susanna, six months after the ceremony. Susanna was baptized on 26th May 1583. Around two years after the birth of Susanna, the couple had twins - son Hamnet and daughter Judith, who were baptized on 2nd February 1585. Hamnet died at the age of 11, of causes that are unknown, and was buried on 11th August 1596. Shakespeare's Lost Years From the birth of his twins, to the time when Shakespeare appeared on the London theatre circuit, in 1592, there are hardly any historical records on him. In fact, because of lack of information about these years of his life, the period is often referred to as ‘Shakespeare's Lost Years’. However, there are a number of apocryphal stories attributed to this period. While some believe that he fled to London, to escape prosecution for deer poaching, others are of the opinion that he used to look after the horses of theatre patrons in London. Yet another story is that he worked as a country schoolmaster. London and Theatrical Career Though there is no conclusive evidence on the time Shakespeare began writing, it is believed to be somewhere in the end 16th century. There are records of shows, based on his plays, performed at the London stage by 1592. In fact, he was so well known by that time that playwright Robert Greene even attacked him in print. From 1594, Shakespeare's plays were performed only by one company, named the Lord Chamberlain's Men. It was owned by a group of players, including Shakespeare. Within no time, ‘Lord Chamberlain's Men’ became the leading playing company in London. The quarto editions published some of Shakespeare's plays, from 1594. In the next four years, he gained major recognition and his name became a selling point. He even started appearing on the title pages. However, along with working as a playwright, he continued to act in his own as well as other plays. In 1599, the members of the ‘Lord Chamberlain's Men’ entered into a partnership and built their own theatre ‘Globe’, which was situated on the south bank of the Thames. Shakespeare acted in ‘Every Man in His Humour’ in 1598 and was seen in Sejanus, His Fall, in 1603. In 1603, following the death of Queen Elizabeth, ‘Lord Chamberlain's Men’ was awarded a royal patent by the new king, James I. Following the award of the patent, it had its name changed to the ‘King's Men’. Around five years later, in 1608, they took over the Blackfriars indoor theatre also. During the time the company was prospering, Shakespeare also became quite wealthy. He bought New Place, the second-largest house in Stratford (1597) and also invested in share of the parish tithes in Stratford (1605). London and Stratford Throughout his career, Shakespeare divided his time between London and Stratford. In 1596, he was living in the parish of St. Helen's, Bishopsgate. The next year, he bought New Place, his family home in Stratford. Two years later, in 1599, he moved to Southwark. During this year, his company was constructed the Globe Theatre in Southwark. By 1604, Shakespeare had moved to the north of the river again. He shifted to an area that was situated to the north of St Paul's Cathedral and boasted of many fine houses. Finally, he moved back to Stratford and lived his last days in New Place. Later Years and Death In the 17th century, Shakespeare wrote fewer plays. In fact, there has been no record of a play being written by him after 1613. Even his last three plays are believed to be collaborations, probably with John Fletcher. The latter succeeded Shakespeare as the house playwright for the ‘King’s Men’. Though he retired to Stratford some years before his death, he continued visiting London. Shakespeare died on 23rd April 1616, survived by his wife and two daughters, both of whom were married. Susanna had married John Hall, a physician, in 1607, while Judith was married to Thomas Quiney, a vintner. He was buried in the chancel of the Holy Trinity Church, two days after his death.
BOOKS WRITTEN BY SHAKESPEARE
Theatre of the absurb
The “Theatre of the Absurd” is a term coined by Hungarian-born critic Martin Esslin, who made it the title of his 1962 book on the subject. The term refers to a particular type of play which first became popular during the 1950s and 1960s and which presented on stage the philosophy articulated by French philosopher Albert Camus in his 1942 essay, The Myth of Sisyphus, in which he defines the human condition as basically meaningless. Camus argued that humanity had to resign itself to recognizing that a fully satisfying rational explanation of the universe was beyond its reach; in that sense, the world must ultimately be seen as absurd.
Esslin regarded the term “Theatre of the Absurd” merely as a "device" by which he meant to bring attention to certain fundamental traits discernible in the works of a range of playwrights. The playwrights loosely grouped under the label of the absurd attempt to convey their sense of bewilderment, anxiety, and wonder in the face of an inexplicable universe. According to Esslin, the five defining playwrights of the movement are Eugène Ionesco, Samuel Beckett, Jean Genet, Arthur Adamov, and Harold Pinter, although these writers were not always comfortable with the label and sometimes preferred to use terms such as "Anti-Theater" or "New Theater". Other playwrights associated with this type of theatre include Tom Stoppard, Arthur Kopit, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Fernando Arrabal, Edward Albee, N.F. Simpson, Boris Vian, Peter Weiss, Vaclav Havel, and Jean Tardieu. Although the Theatre of the Absurd is often traced back to avant-garde experiments of the 1920s and 1930s, its roots, in actuality, date back much further. Absurd elements first made their appearance shortly after the rise of Greek drama, in the wild humor and buffoonery of Old Comedy and the plays of Aristophanes in particular. They were further developed in the late classical period by Lucian, Petronius and Apuleius, in Menippean satire, a tradition of carnivalistic literature, depicting “a world upside down.” The morality plays of the Middle Ages may be considered a precursor to the Theatre of the Absurd, depicting everyman-type characters dealing with allegorical and sometimes existential problems.
