Thesis: The Globe theater was unique because of who built it, the actors and acting inside of it, and because of what happens inside of it.

Who built the Globe?: One way the Globe was unique was by who built it.

Quote 1: "James Burbage built the Globe just outside London, in the Liberty of Holywell, beside Finsbury Fields. This also meant that the Globe was safer from the threats that lurked in London's crowded streets, like plague and other diseases, as well as rioting mobs."(Heims).

Commentary 1: This quote talks about James Burbage being the one to start construction on the Globe theater. It's important that the Globe was safe from any threats because then people weren't afraid of coming and watching performances.

Quote 2: "The structure that enclosed the courtyard of a public theater was round, square, or many-sided. In most theaters, it probably consisted of three levels of galleries and stood about 32 feet (10 meters) high. The courtyard, called the pit, measured about 55 feet (17 meters) in diameter. The stage occupied one end of the pit. For the price of admission, the poorer spectators, called groundlings, could stand in the pit and watch the show. For an extra fee, wealthier patrons could sit on benches in the galleries.¨(Lander).

Commentary 2: The Globe was a very big theater in people could pay a penny to watch plays. It's important that people were allowed to get in for a penny, because then even the poorest of people could enjoy the theater.

Quote 3: "When James Burbage died in 1597, his sons completed the Globe's construction. Shakespeare played a vital role, financially and otherwise, in the construction of the theater, which was finally occupied some time before May 16, 1599."(Heims).

Commentary 3: James Burbage died in 1597, and his sons finished the theater for him. It's important that his sons finished the theater for him because then the theater would not be as popular as it is right now.

Acting and Actors: Another way the Globe reshaped the world of acting was the way plays were put on.

Quote 4: "... with a large platform stage that projected from one end into a yard open to the sky. In the back wall of this stage was a curtained-off inner stage. Flanking the inner stage were two doors for entrances and exits. Above this inner stage was a small balcony or upper stage...Trap Doors were placed in the floor of the main stage for entrances and exits..."(Anderson).

Commentary 4: The theater was very unique and included things never seen before. It is very unique how they had trap doors and a balcony. This would make for a very unique show.

Quote 5: "The plays were performed in the afternoon. Since the stage was open to the sky, there was no need for stage lighting...but costumes were often elaborate and the stage might have been hung with colorful banners and trappings."(Anderson).

Commentary 5: Performances were held in the afternoon with elaborate costumes. It's important that the stage was open to the sky, because then they didn't need any extra lighting to put on plays in the dark, making it so more people would come.

Quote 6: ¨Elizabethan plays did not depend on scenery to indicate the setting (place) of the action...Acting companies consisted of only men and boys because women did not perform on the Elizabethan stage.¨(Lander).

Commentary 6: Plays did not use scenery and acting companies did not allow women. It's interesting how they didn't rely on scenery to set the scene. They made the audience think and make up the scene. In addition, the Globe was unique to the other things that happened in and too it.

More about the Globe: There is a lot more to the Globe than what is previously mentioned.

Quote 7: "The Globe... could accommodate an audience of about three thousand people, and individuals from all walks of life attended plays there. It was not uncommon for audiences to bring food and drink into the theater, and even throw food at the stage when they disliked a performance."(Benson).

Commentary 7: A lot of people could fit into the theater. It's interesting that people threw food if they disliked the show, even though they payed to watch it.

Quote 8: "The Globe burned down in 1613, after material from a cannon that was shot off during a performance of Henry VIII set fire to the gallery roof, which was made of thatch (thick straw). Its owners rebuilt it and it reopened later that year. By the 1640s, however, the Puritan faction had succeeded in shutting down theaters in London. The Globe was torn down in 1644 and housing was built on its site."(Benson).

Commentary 8: The Globe burned down, but was rebuilt a year later. In 1644, it was torn down because of a faction that was shutting down all theaters in London. The Globe burned down, but was rebuilt a year later. In 1644, it was torn down because of a faction that was shutting down all theaters in London.

Quote 9: "Unlike other theatres operated by entrepreneurs, the Globe was run by a group of it's leading players, the Chamberlain's Men... The leading players were also the shareholders or housekeepers of their own theatre."

Commentary 9: Not only did Chamberlain's Men perform in their theatre, they also were the 'housekeepers' of it. It's interesting that they were the housekeepers of their own theatre instead of just hiring someone to do it.(Baker).

Quote 10: "...it [the globe] witnessed performances of at the very least seventeen of the greatest of Shakespeare's plays. These range from As You Like It, Julius Caesar, and Hamlet to The Winter's Tale."(Baker).

Commentary 10: The Globe witnessed performances of a lot of Shakespeare's most famous plays. The very best of Shakespeare's plays were performed in the Globe along with many other plays. In conclusion, the Globe theater reshaped acting in the 16th and 17th century.

Works Cited

Anderson, Robert. “Shakespeare and His Theater: A Perfect Match.” Holt Literature & Language Arts: Mastering the California Standards: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking, by G. Kylene Beers et al., Austin, Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 2003, pp. 778-80. Baker, William. William Shakespeare. London: Continuum, 2009. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). W b. 6 Dec. 2016.

Lander, Jesse M. “Shakespeare, William.” World Book Advanced. World Book, 2016. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.

“Shakespeare, William.” In Heims, Neil, ed. William Shakespeare, Bloom’s Classic Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2010. Bloom’s Literature, Facts On File, Inc. www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&WID=103800&SID=5&iPin=CCVW S02&SingleRecord=True.

“Shakespeare, William.” Elizabethan World Reference Library, edited by Sonia G. Benson and Jennifer York Stock, vol. 2: Biographies, UXL, 2007, pp. 197-207. Gale Virtual Reference Library, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GVRL&sw=w&u=tmulvusd&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CCX2587000052&it=r&asid=f84b848efcbdec6df492f23db4e7b735. Accessed 30 Nov. 2016.