Who was the audience in Elizabethan England
All levels of society, from groundlings to nobility
Where were religious plays performed in the Middle Ages
Inns, castle halls, large wagons at pageants
What did Elizabethan dramatists use as models for plays
Tragedies and comedies of Ancient Greece and Rome
Who are three talented playwrights that emerged by the end of the 16th century
Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, William Shakespeare
What was England's first theater called
The Theatre
When did the Theatre open
1576
Who was the Theatre built by
James Burbage, an actor
Where did James Burbage build the Theatre and why
Shoreditch, just outside London, because officials had banned plays in London
Who took over the Theatre after James Burbage's death
His son, Richard Burbage
What did Richard Burbage do when the lease on the Theatre expired
Moved it to Southwark, across the River Thames
Why did Richard Burbage move the Theatre
Shoreditch landlord was causing problems and Southwark was a popular theatre district
What was Richard Burbage's new theatre built out of
Timbers from the older, smaller building
What was the name of the theatre built by Richard Burbage
The Globe
When did the Globe open
1599
What did the Globe later become
Most famous theater of the English stage
What was the shape of the Globe
Round or octagonal
Explain the layout of the Globe
Central stage open to sky, pit in front of stage, 2-3 galleries in enclosure surrounding open area
Who stood in the pit and for how much money
Groundlings for a penny
Who were the galleries for and why did they want to sit there
Audience members who paid more and to be under shelter and distanced from groundlings
Who were the box seats in galleries for and what was the appeal
Nobility and so they could watch and be seen
What was the enclosure behind the stage used for
Staging the play
What would actors enter and exit through
Doors at stage level or trapdoors
What was the space above backstage used for
Storage and dressing rooms
What was the first gallery used as
Second stage, such as the balcony in Romeo and Juliet
Why did performances take place in the afternoon
Artificial light was not used
How was the setting communicated and why
Through dialogue because there was no scenery
About how long were most plays
Two hours
In contrast to simple sets and minimal special effects, what was elaborate
Costumes
Where did Shakespeare's acting company stage plays in 1609
Blackfriars Theatre
Where was the Blackfriars Theatre
London proper
How was the Blackfriars Theatre different from other theaters at the time
Indoor, no space for groundlings, relied on wealthy clientele, used artificial lighting, nighttime performances
Dialogue
Conversation between characters; follows name of speaker; reveals personalities/relationships of characters and advances plot
Stage directions
Notes in a play that describe how the work should be staged; include scenes, lighting, sound effects, character actions; in italics and sometimes brackets
Summarizing
Briefly stating main ideas in writing; helps check comprehension
Text aids
Numbered explanations
Where did William Shakespeare grow up
Stratford-upon-Avon, a busy market town on the Avon River, 75 miles northwest of London
Who was Shakespeare's mother
Mary Arden, the daughter of a wealthy farmer
Who was Shakespeare's father
John Shakespeare, a glove maker who owned property
When did Shakespeare get married
1582
Who did Shakespeare marry
Anne Hathaway
How many children did Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway have
Three
When did Shakespeare move to London
1592
How did Shakespeare start out careerwise
As an actor
What happened in 1594
Shakespeare became the playwright of Burbages' acting company
How did Shakespeare earn money
From his three disciplines- acting, playwrighting, owning a theater company
When did Shakespeare's profit rise
When the Burbages' company moved to the Globe
When did Shakespeare write Julius Caesar
1599
When and where was Shakespeare born
April 23, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England
When was Shakespeare baptized
April 26, 1564
What did Shakespeare receive as a child
An education
How old were Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway when they got married
18 and 26
Who reigned in the Early Years
Queen Elizabeth
What flourished in the Early Years
Arts and theater
What does Shakespeare do in the Early Years
Moves to London, apprentices a theater company, begins writing career, acts for Lord Chamberlain's plays, wrote plays and sonnets
What did Shakespeare write in the following years: 1593, 1596
Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet
When did Shakespeare become the partial owner of the Globe Theater
1599
What happened in 1601
Shakespeare's father dies; Hamlet is written
What happened in 1603
Queen Elizabeth dies, succeeded by James I of Scotland; Shakespeare's company becomes "The King's Men"; receives the support of the crown
When was Macbeth written
1605
What happened in 1609
All Shakespeare's sonnets published
What happened in 1611
The Tempest written (last play); Shakespeare is financially secure so retires and moves back to Stratford and lives with family
When did Shakespeare die and where was he buried
April 23, 1616 and in a church in Stratford
When was the First Folio published
1623
First Folio
Contains the first collection of 36 Shakespearean plays; about 225 copies still exist
What was the Elizabethan Theater named for
Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603)
What was pre-Elizabeth drama in England
Morality, mystery, and miracle plays performed by townspeople; guilds for church celebrations and feast days; heavily influenced by Medieval chivalry
How did theater change under Elizabeth I
Emergence of theater as an established site for drama; many rival theaters and acting groups performing in London
What was the theater often supported by
Nobility and rich patrons but equally accessible to middle and working class citizens
What did the audience want
Good storytelling; most were illiterate but appreciated "poetic language
What did most plays feature
Action, comedy, violence, sexual humor, romance, and supernatural events
How many people could the Globe seat
Almost 3000
What were all actors
Men (unacceptable for women to act); limited number of female parts
Why was there a limited use of props or stage sets
They cost money and acting groups operated on a tight budget
What did the audience feel free to express
Approval or disapproval
What was the most important feature of plays
Costumes, donated by wealthy patrons
What happened to the Globe
It burned down
When was the Globe rebuilt
1613
What happened to the Globe in the 1640s
It was destroyed by Cromwell and the Puritans
What are the accepted conventions of Shakespearean Theater
Monologue, soliloquy, aside, oxymoron, foils, allusions, dramatic irony, puns, comic relief
What did the history plays focus on
English history; often celebrated the founders of the Tudor dynasty since Shakespeare lived during Elizabeth I's reign
What are the history plays
King John, Richard II, Henry IV, Henry VI
What did the comedy plays start with
Hate, distrust, and mistaken identities
What did the comedy plays end with
Happy ending often resulting in marriage
What are the comedy plays
The Comedy of Errors, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer's Night Dream, The Taming of the Shrew
What is the "tragic hero
Admirable but flawed protagonist who has a catastrophic fall or death
What did the tragedy plays show
The flaws in human nature
What are the tragedy plays
Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet