1. Macbeth Notes #1
Hellenga

2. Elizabethan Theatre E E

3. The Elizabethan Era Queen Elizabeth I embodied power and beauty
It was an extravagant and brutal age
The first theatres in England appeared
William Shakespeare began writing his famous poems and plays

4. Drama in the Elizabethan Age
- After defeating the Spanish
Armada, England became intensely
Interested in the past
Playwrights were practical men
bent on making a living
Once a playwright sold his manuscript, he had no personal
right to it—there were no copyright laws
Plays were written to be acted and
not read

5. Playhouses Private – usually in the houses of the wealthy
Public – usually the backyards of inns
Famous theatres – the Rose, the Swan, the Globe, and the Fortune

6. Structure Public theatres were either a round, square, or octagonal
wooden structure which
consisted of:
unroofed courtyard
roofed galleries
platform stage
tiring-house
curtained discovery space
hut
trapdoor

7. Seating Determined by the wealth and the social status of the people.
The wealthiest people took the best seats.

8. Dialogue The playwright used poetic dialogue to:
paint a picture of the scene
establish the time and the place of
the action
familiarize the audience both with
the characters’ identities and their
physical appearances
Soliloquies and asides were also
used to compensate for the absence
of an elaborate stage.

9. Time of the action Physical appearance Picture of the setting
Why should I war without the walls of Troy
That find such cruel battle here within?
Troilus and Cressida
Time of the action
Look Hector, how the Sun begins to set;
How ugly the night comes breathing at his heels,
Even with the veil and darking of the Sun,
To close the day up, Hector’s life is done.
Physical appearance
O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear;
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!
Romeo and Juliet

10. Costumes Elaborate and colorful costumes
Communicate the message of the character; show his/her social status, profession

11. Acting Companies
Before the theatres were built performances were put on by traveling troupes
They had the reputation of being vagabonds
Many people gathered and sometimes behaved in a disorderly manner

12. Actors The typical Elizabethan acting company comprised of:
shareholders
salaried actors
apprentices
Actors were expected to be able to:
sing
clown
fence
perform acrobatic feats
dance

13. The Globe Theatre Built in 1599 by Cuthbert Burbage
Shakespeare put on most of his plays there and acted in some of them
In 1642 the theatre was completely destroyed