Emergency Lesson Plan
Instruction Sheet
The Globe Theatre
Lesson Overview
A look at the Globe Theatre.
Objectives
To read and respond to the Globe Theatre handout.
To reinforce the history, layout and motto of the Globe Theatre.
Instructions
»» Read the Globe Theatre Handout.
»» Based on the given information complete the Globe Theatre crossword.
»» Hand in the completed crossword (Remember to write your name at the top) at the end of class.
Materials Needed
»» The Globe Theatre Handout.
»» Globe Theatre crossword.
»» Pen.
Theatrefolk
Original Playscripts
PO Box 1064
Crystal Beach, ON, L0S 1B0, Canada
1-866-245-9138
www.theatrefolk.com
The Globe Theatre
The Globe Theatre was
a theatre in London
associated
with
William Shakespeare.
It was built in 1599 by
Shakespeare’s playing
company, the Lord
Chamberlain’s
Men,
and was destroyed by
fire on 29 June 1613. A
second Globe Theatre
was built on the same
site by June 1614 and closed in 1642.
that could house up to
3,000 spectators. The
foundation
suggests
that it was a polygon of
20 sides.
At the base of the stage,
there was an area called
the pit, (or yard) where,
for a penny, people (the
“groundlings”) would
stand on the floor to
watch the performance.
Around the yard were three levels of
stadium-style seats, which were more
expensive than standing room.
A rectangular stage platform, also known as
an ‘apron stage’, thrust out into the middle
of the open-air yard. The stage measured
approximately 43 feet (13.1 m) in width, 27
feet (8.2 m) in depth and was raised about
5 feet (1.5 m) off the ground. On this stage,
there was a trap door for use by performers
to enter from the “cellarage” area beneath
the stage.
Large columns on either side of the stage
supported a roof over the rear portion of the
stage. The ceiling under this roof was called
the “heavens,” and was painted with clouds
and the sky. A trap door in the heavens
enabled performers to descend using some
form of rope and harness. The back wall
of the stage had two or three doors on the
main level, with a curtained inner stage in
the centre, and a balcony above it. The doors
entered into the “tiring house” (backstage
area). The floors above could have been
used to store costumes and props and as
management offices. The balcony housed
the musicians and could also be used for
scenes requiring an upper space, such as the
balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet.
History
The Globe was built in 1599 using timber
from an earlier theatre, The Theatre, which
was built on leased land. The landlord
claimed that the building had become his
with the expiry of the lease. On 28 December
1598, while the landlord was celebrating
Christmas at his country home, a carpenter
supported by the players and their friends,
dismantled The Theatre beam by beam and
transported it away. The following spring,
the material was ferried over the Thames to
reconstruct it as The Globe. It was probably
completed by the summer of 1599, possibly
in time for the first production of Henry V
and its famous reference to the performance
crammed within a “wooden O”.
On 29 June 1613 the Globe Theatre went up
in flames during a performance of Henry the
Eighth. A theatrical cannon, set off during
the performance, misfired, igniting the
wooden beams and thatching. No one was
hurt except a man whose burning breeches
were put out with a bottle of ale. It was
rebuilt in the following year.
Like all the other theatres in London, the
Globe was closed down by the Puritans in
1642. It was pulled down in 1644, or slightly
later to make room for tenements.
Motto
The name of the Globe supposedly alludes
Layout
The Globe’s actual dimensions are to the Latin tag totus mundus agit histrionem
unknown, but the evidence suggests that it (all the world plays the actor). Totus mundus
was a three-storey, open-air amphitheatre agit histrionem was therefore adopted as the
approximately 100 feet (30 m) in diameter theatre’s motto. 
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globe_theatre
You may freely copy and share this document, as long as the document is distributed in its entirety, including this notice.
Get more free stuff at: theatrefolk.com/free
Theatrefolk
Original Playscripts
PO Box 1064
Crystal Beach, ON, L0S 1B0, Canada
1-866-245-9138
www.theatrefolk.com
Name:_________________________________
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EclipseCrossword.com
Across
Down
4. The play “Henry V” refers to The Globe as a ________
6. This play definitely made use of the balcony
10. The Globe’s Motto: Totus mundus agit __________
11. Shakespeare’s Playing Company: Lord _____ Men
13. They closed The Globe in 1642
1. Located in this city
2. The area beneath the stage
3. How many sides did The Globe have?
5. They stood on the earth floor to watch the performance
7. The Globe burned down during a performance of Henry the ______
8. The Globe was torn down to build these.
9. “The Theatre” was dismantled beam-by-beam on this holiday
12. The Globe had this type of stage.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globe_theatre
You may freely copy and share this document, as long as the document is distributed in its entirety, including this notice.
Get more free stuff at: theatrefolk.com/free
Theatrefolk
Original Playscripts
PO Box 1064
Crystal Beach, ON, L0S 1B0, Canada
1-866-245-9138
www.theatrefolk.com
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EclipseCrossword.com
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globe_theatre
You may freely copy and share this document, as long as the document is distributed in its entirety, including this notice.
Get more free stuff at: theatrefolk.com/free
Theatrefolk
Original Playscripts
PO Box 1064
Crystal Beach, ON, L0S 1B0, Canada
1-866-245-9138
www.theatrefolk.com