Shakespeare and His
Theatre
An Introduction to the
Elizabethan Theatre
By G. Maxwell
September, 2002
The Tudor Family
Henry VII’s plan for succession
 Oldest son, Arthur, marries Catherine of
Aragon (princess of Spain) in 1501
 Daughter Margaret marries King James IV
of Scotland
 Daughter Mary marries King Louis XII of
France
 After Arthur’s death in 1502, second son
Henry marries Catherine of Aragon in 1509
Henry VIII (1509-1547)
 King Henry VIII was a
poet, musician,
sportsman, and scholar
 He strongly supported
the arts
 King Henry VIII was a
powerful and
influential man; he was
determined to continue
the Tudor line with a
male heir
The Six Wives of Henry
VIII
 Henry married
Catherine of Aragon
 They had 5 children,
only Mary survived
 In 1527 Henry
divorced Catherine
and in doing so
created the Church
of England
Anne Boleyn
 Henry secretly married
Anne Boleyn while still
married to Catherine
 Anne gave birth to
Elizabeth (this birth
angered Henry)
 Anne miscarried a male
fetus in January of 1536
 On order of Henry VIII,
Anne was beheaded in
May of 1536
Jane Seymour
 Henry married Jane the
same month Anne was
beheaded
 Jane gave birth to Edward
VI of England through
caesarian section
 Jane died 12 days after the
birth
Henry marries 3 more times, but has no more
children. He dies 9 years later in 1547.
Edward VI: the child king (1547 – 1553)
 Edward VI was
crowned at the age of
nine (upon Henry’s
death)
 Edward was betrothed
to his cousin, Mary
Queen of Scots
 He died of tuberculosis
at the age of 16
Fight for the Throne
 Edward’s death caused a great upheaval at
court
 Edward was succeeded by Lady Jane Grey
(at age 15) who was merely a pawn and
reigned for nine days before she was
arrested for treason
 The throne was now taken by Mary Tudor
(Catherine of Aragon’s daughter)
Fight for the Throne
Continued
 Mary Tudor (or Bloody
Mary) ascended the throne in
1553
 Mary I denounced the
Church of England and
persecuted Protestants
 Mary died in 1558 and
Elizabeth (Ann Boleyn’s
daughter) became Queen
Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603)
After the unhappiness of
Mary’s rule, Elizabeth came to
the throne with much rejoicing
 Elizabeth reinstated the
Church of England
Elizabeth was very welleducated – spoke 6 languages
 Elizabeth was fond of the arts
(as was her father) and she
sponsored artists, poets,
musicians and playwrights
 Elizabeth did not marry, nor
did she have children -- “The
Virgin Queen”
Turning the tide on the Spanish Armada
To show her faith in the
English forces, she personally
rode on horseback to the
port to inspire them:
“I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts
and good-will of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as
you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being
resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you
all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my
honour and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body but of a
weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and
of a king of England too.”
Elizabethan Society -Renaissance
 During Elizabeth’s reign, an incredible
movement was taking over Europe -The Renaissance
 Art, music, theatre, dance, and
architecture were being revolutionized
 The invention of the printing press
(1440) dramatically increased literacy
Elizabethan Society -Ideals
 Elizabethan society held
members of the noble class in
high regard; family honour was
of great importance
 Elizabeth also encouraged her
Ladies and Lords to follow the
rules of courtly love
 The concept of idealized,
unattainable love greatly affected
the artists at the time
The Great Chain of Being
 Elizabethans believed that
all things had a place in the
hierarchy of being
 It was believed that you
could not change your
stars, but must fulfill your
role as given to you by
God
 Kings and Queens have
“divine right” (the power
and approval of God)
The Great Chain of Being:
on earth
Magical and Supernatural Forces
The Elizabethans believed
in the power of the
supernatural or magical – a
realm above mortals but
below heaven
Witches, fairies, fate,
destiny, the power of the
stars and the moon, are all
featured quite heavily in
Elizabethan art
Without scientific
explanation, unusual
illnesses or events were
explained using the
supernatural or magical
Elizabethan Society –
the role of the Fool
 a fool or jester was a
common sight at Court
during Henry VIII’s
reign and Elizabeth I’s
reign
 these fools were
“artificial” fools -- they
acted to entertain or
sometimes gave advice
Elizabethan Society -Fashion
Elizabethan dress was gorgeous and elaborate, mirroring
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the prosperity and energy of the age -- nobles donated their
clothing to acting companies which they sponsored
Elizabethan Society -Fashion
Men and women often curled or dyed
their hair. On occasion they used false hair
or full wigs
Men's hair was worn in a variety of
styles, cut short at the sides, brushed up
and held with gum or wax, or curled all
over
Beards were sometimes dyed to
coordinate with an outfit or the wearer's
mood. A carnation beard "speckled with
green and russett" would mark the return
of a loved one, for example.
Elizabethan Society -- Food
 Elizabethans ate a diet
of meat, grains and
root vegetables
(potatoes, carrots,
beetroot, etc.)
 Elizabethans did not
drink water as it was
often polluted, and
instead drank ale and
wine
Elizabethan Society -- Marriage
 Marriage was a religious,
economic, and practical
necessity. In the nobility,
it was a major means of
increasing capital
 The husband ruled the
family based on religious
conceptions of hierarchy
Elizabethan Society -- Weddings
 Weddings were cause
for great celebration in
all levels of society
 Celebrations would be
spread over several
days, and included
singing, dancing,
feasting, contests, and at
times, performances by
actors, jugglers, fools
etc.
Elizabethan Society -Huswifery
John Fitzherbert (A Book of Husbandry, 1525) offers
this advice:
and evening and give thy pullen [fowl]
meat in the morning, and when time of
 When thou art up and ready, then
the year cometh, thou must take heed
first sweep thy house, dress up thy
how thy hen, ducks and geese do lay,
dish-board, and set all things in good
order within thy house; milk thy kine and to gather up their eggs; and when
they wax broody to set them thereas no
[cows], feed thy calves, sile [strain]
up thy milk, take up thy children and beasts, swine or other vermin hurt
array them, and provide for thy
them.
husband's breakfast, dinner, supper,
and for thy children and servants,
and take thy part with them.
 And to ordain [organize] corn and
malt to the mill, to bake and
brew withal when need is. . . Thou
must make butter and cheese when
thou may; serve thy swine, both
morning
Elizabethan Society -Huswifery
 A housewife must also: care for
her family in sickness and health,
provide (deliver) children, prepare all
food, drink, make all clothes, look
after all animals, grow food, and care
for the family’s finances
Elizabethan Society -Husbandman
The husband was in charge of all
major work outside the home
He ploughed, sowed, made hay,
harvested, threshed, slaughtered the
large animals, and kept up the
maintenance of the house
Sports for men included:
hunting, hawking, fishing,
archery, and cockfighting
Cockfighting…
Cockfighting…
Elizabethan Society -- London
 Many people lived in
London, England’s busiest
and most vibrant city
 London was the port
where ships would arrive
 The city was crowded and
full of noise and disease
 Public buildings were
often closed down due to
the plague
Plague!!!
Plague!!!
Elizabethan Society –
Trade Guilds
 A guild is a group of
craftspeople who have joined
together for mutual
protection, and establishment
of professional standards
 The levels include: Master,
Journeyman, and Apprentice
 Guilds also performed as
actors, putting on elaborate
performances to promote
their professionalism
Examples of professions with guilds: Bakers, Joiners,
Tinkers, Watchmen, Actors, Bankers, Blacksmiths,
Saddlers, etc.
Elizabethan Society -Entertainment
 Elizabeth appointed a Master of
the Revels -- a censorship body
which had absolute control over
all entertainment
 Elizabeth held great
tournaments (which included
wrestling, jousting (or tilting),
and other combat contests
London -- Location of Entertainment
 The City of London is divided by the River Thames –
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population today is over 7 million
In the Elizabethan era – population 250,000
The south bank of the Thames was outside the City limits
Theatre, Baiting and Prostitution became illegal inside the
city limits
Therefore, all entertainment buildings and bawdy houses
were located on the South side of the river
Entertainment must be reached by boat (or over very crowded
bridges)
All affluent society lived in London proper (the north bank of
the Thames)
London -- Location of Entertainment
Elizabethan Society -- Entertainment
 Bear-baiting and bull-baiting
were common public sports in
London
 Hangings were also a public
form of entertainment
 Often, such events were closed
down due to the plague (a
disease spread from rats via
fleas– but this was unknown at
the time)
Elizabethan Society -Theatre
 Another form of popular entertainment was the theatre - a
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“hit” production might be seen by 50% of the male
population
People from all social classes visited the theatre (including
royalty)
By 1600, half of the 3.5 million people in England had
some education
Plays were comedies, dramas or romances
Plays were mostly performed during the day
There were several important playwrights of the time
including Marlowe, Lyly, Kidd, Jonson, and Shakespeare
Elizabethan Society -Theatre
 Plays were performed in
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open-air, wooden theatres
First public playhouse
opened in 1576
The theatres were round (or
oval) and had tiers of seating
for the public
Notable theatres of the time:
The Rose, The Theatre, The
Swan, and The Globe (1599)
The theatres had few points
of entry and no washrooms
Elizabethan Society -Theatre
 Areas for viewing
included: the pit, the
Gentleman’s Rooms, the
covered galleries and the
Lords’ Rooms
 Each area charged a
different amount: the
Lords' Room:1 shilling ,
the Gentlemen's Rooms: 6
pence, the galleries: 2
pence, the pit (for the
"groundlings"): 1 penny
Elizabethan Society -Theatre
 Playbills were handed
out as publicity, but
since much of the
populace was illiterate,
a flag was raised at the
theatres on
performance days
 Plays were performed
in Repertoire -- on a
rotating schedule
Elizabethan Society -Theatre
 The general atmosphere in
an outdoor theatre was
loud and raucous
 Prostitutes, pick-pockets,
orange sellers and buskers
milled in the pit, trying to
make some money
 The audience booed or
cheered the action -- often
throwing fruit if the
performance was substandard
Elizabethan Society -Theatre
 On June 29, 1613, a
cannon shot during the
opening of Shakespeare’s
Henry VIII set the roof of
The Globe Theatre on fire
 The original Globe theatre
burned to the ground
The Globe Theatre -- today
 The Globe Theatre has
been rebuilt on the south
bank of the Thames in
London
 The company and theatre
are run as they would have
been in Elizabethan times
with matinees, plays in
repertoire, and similar
production values (no
lighting; minimal set
design) and an all-male
acting company
The Globe Theatre -- today
 The flag still flies to tell
people that a performance is
scheduled for that day
 Some concessions have been
made for modern audiences
– washrooms have been put
in, and there are sprinklers
on the thatched roof to
prevent a fire from
destroying the wooden
structure
 And another show has been
added: shows run at 2:00 and
6:00
The Globe Theatre -- today
 Admission costs for the
pit, the tiered seating, the
Gentlemen’s Rooms and
the Lord’s Rooms are
relative to the cost during
the Elizabethan era.
Today, standing in the pit
to see a show will cost you
£5.00 ($12.00)
 You may not sit in the pit
(you will be asked to leave
if you do)
The Globe Theatre -- today
 There is a thrust stage,
with a roof (the
groundlings still get
wet if it rains!)
 The stage is about 4 ½
feet off the ground (so
you have to look over
people’s heads to see
the action
The Globe Theatre -- today
 You can see the balconies
and the Lord’s Rooms in
this photograph
 The central balcony would
be used for musicians and
any “balcony scenes” in
the plays
 The ceiling of the stage is
very ornate (as most of the
groundlings only have a
clear view of the ceiling)
Elizabethan Society –
Acting Companies
 Actors were in troupes or companies (8-20 men)
 The companies were arranged like the guilds with share-
holders, apprentices, and hired men
 Between 1590 and 1642, there were approximately twenty
companies of actors in London (although only four or five
played in town at one time), and more than a hundred
provincial troupes
Elizabethan Society –
Acting Companies
 All acting companies
by law had to be
sponsored by a
nobleman and wear his
colours, or “livery”
 The Queen sponsored a
company (The Queen’s
Men)
 All actors found
without a sponsor were
arrested as beggars
Elizabethan Society -- Actors
 Actors usually played similar
characters in all plays -- the
lead, the king, the comic
character
 All actors sang and danced
(music is a feature of all
plays -- even tragedies)
 Musicians played music
throughout the performance
from a gallery off stage
 Performances often started
with an “opening act” of
music or slapstick and ended
with a dance
Elizabethan Society -Actors
 Women were not allowed on stage -- all female
parts were played by young male apprentices
(until their voices changed)
 Male children were allowed to act and Queen
Elizabeth sponsored a troupe of child actors for
many years
Elizabethan Society -Actors
 There were several popular and talented
acting troupes including: Lord Admiral’s
Men (lead actor: Edward Alleyn), and Lord
Chamberlain’s Men -- later the King’s Men
(lead actor: Richard Burbage)
 The Lord Chamberlain’s Men had a very
talented, young, up-start playwright and actor
in their company -- William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare -- Child
 William Shakespeare
was born/baptized on
April 23, 1564 in
Stratford-upon-Avon
 He was the third of
eight children born to
John and Mary
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare -School
 His father was a local businessman and town
councillor
 Shakespeare was educated at the village
school, and did not attend university
 He would have read books like the Hornbook
(a religious reading), and other books in Latin
and Greek
 He would have learned to write in italic hand
with a quill and ink
William Shakespeare -Family
 Shakespeare was
granted a marriage
license on November
27, 1582 to marry
Anne Hathaway
 Anne Hathaway was
eight years
Shakespeare’s senior
(she was 26 and he 18)
William Shakespeare -Family
 William and Anne had three children: Susanna,
Hamnet and Judith (Hamnet died at 11 years of age)
William Shakespeare -London
 Shakespeare left his
family in Stratford in
1592 (approximately)
and moved to London
 He is first mentioned
in A Groats-worth of
Witte by Robert
Greene as an “upstart
crow”
William Shakespeare -Author
 During his time in London,
Shakespeare joined Lord
Strange’s Men (later Lord
Chamberlain’s men and
still later the King’s Men)
 Shakespeare was primarily
a playwright, however he
also acted bit parts
 Shakespeare wrote plays,
sonnets (154 of them!) and
narrative poems
William Shakespeare -Published
 Plays were not considered literature and were not generally
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published
Actors were given “sides” which contained only their own parts
Shakespeare’s plays were published shortly after his death due
to their popularity
They were published in quarto and folio
The texts are unreliable since typesetters did not include
punctuation and spelling was not standardized
Elizabeth I -- End of an era
 Elizabeth I was said to
have “admired”
Shakespeare’s plays
and helped their
popularity
 Elizabeth I died on
March 24, 1603
 The crown passed to
James VI of Scotland
who became James I
of England
James I -- Patron of the Arts
 James I became a patron of
Shakespeare’s troupe, Lord
Chamberlain’s Men -renaming them the King’s
Men
 Shakespeare enjoyed great
prosperity during these years.
His family received a Coat of
Arms and he purchased a
large house in Stratford
William Shakespeare -Retirement
 Approximately 1610,
Shakespeare returned to
Stratford
 He wrote two plays in
retirement, and regularly
returned to London
William Shakespeare -Death
 William Shakespeare died
on April 23, 1616
 He had written 37 plays,
and numerous sonnets and
narrative poems – now
translated into over 50
languages
 He is considered the
greatest English writer in
history
 “He was not for an age,
but for all time…”
Works Cited
Brockett, Oscar and Franklin, J. Hildy. History of the Theatre. Allyn & Bacon: Toronto, 1990.
Evans, G. Blakemore, et al. The Riverside Shakespeare. Houghton Mifflin: New York, 1990.
Folger Shakespeare Library
2000. http://www.folger.edu/Home_02B.html (2 Jan. 2002).
Rusche, Harry. “Shakespeare Illustrated”
2001. http://www.emory.edu/ENGLISH/classes/Shakespeare_Illustrated/Shakespeare.html (2 Jan. 2002).
Shakespeare.com.
2001. http://www.shakespeare.com/ (4 Jan. 2002).
Shakespeare’s Globe Research Database – English Department, University of Reading.
2000. http://www.rdg.ac.uk/globe/ (4 Jan. 2002).
Surfing with the Bard
2001. http://www.ulen.com/shakespeare/ (2 Jan. 2002).