William Shakespeare's Contributions Chris Contreras Period 3

Thesis: The Globe Theatre influenced the modern theatre through it’s structure, scenic effects, and acting companies.

Structure:

Quote 1: "The structure that enclosed the courtyard of a public theatre 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" (Lander).

Commentary 1: The Globe theatre is very different to other theatres of that time. The theatre had many things that other theaters didn't have like the stage for example the stage was very very unique because of the art on it.

Quote 2: "Public theatres were larger than private ones and held at least 2,500 people. They were built around a courtyard that had no roof. Public theatres gave performances only during daylight hours because they had no artificial lights. Private theatres were smaller, roofed structures. They had candlelight for evening performances" (Lander).

Commentary 2: The theatre had something that had not yet been used by many other theatres this is the open top, which made it so plays had to be done during the day so people can see the play and the actors. The private theatres how ever had roofs and had light that didn't come from daylight so they can have plays at night and this suited better to a higher.

Quote 3: "In his play Henry V, Shakespeare called his theatre a "wooden O." It was a large, round (or polygonal) building, three stories high, 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, which could be used to suggest Juliet's balcony or the high walls of a castle or the bridge of a ship. Trapdoors were placed in the floor of the main stage for the entrances and exits of ghosts and for descents into hell" (Anderson).

Commentary 3: The stage was the biggest part of the entire theatre, it also had the most parts to it. To make the plays function and to do what happened in the plays they had to add entrances and exits so certain characters could come to the scene.

Quote 4: "The Globe was 20-sided and nearly cylindrical, with a diameter of around 105 feet. A large rectangular stage in the center of its amphitheater measured 43 by 23 feet. Three overhanging tiered galleries seated the audience. The top gallery had a thatched roof, but the rest of the theatre was open to the elements. The least expensive area in the theatre surrounded the stage on three sides and was for standing room only. Here was where the "groundlings," as they were called, watched the plays" (Hager).

Commentary 4: The Globe was very different compared to most theatres now, this is because the theatre was round instead of the traditional square or rectangular shapes of today. Also, theatres back then were round and tall versus the theatres of today that are longer and wider.

Scenic Effects:

Quote 5: "Generally, the setting was unknown to the audience until the characters identified it with a few lines of dialogue. In addition, the main stage had no curtain. One scene could follow another quickly because there was no curtain to close and open and no scenery to change" (Lander).

Commentary 5: Even though the play stage did not have a curtain to switch scenery the actors would say in their lines where they were and what the scenery looked like. Also just because the stage did not have scenery this does not mean that the play was any worse this actually made the audience think about what was happening and what it looked like.

Quote 6: "The lack of scenery also allowed the action to flow freely from place to place, as in modern motion pictures. The action of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, for example, shifts smoothly and easily back and forth between ancient Egypt and Rome. Although the stage lacked scenery, the actors employed various props (objects used on stage), such as thrones, swords, banners, rocks, trees, tables, and beds. Richard III calls for two tents, one at each end of the stage" (Lander).

Commentary 6: With some plays having no curtain was sometimes very very helpful because it allowed extremely easy scene transfers from city to city even country to country. Also because of the absence of scenery some scenes required props to show what was happening in the scene.

Quote 7: "This rich variety of available acting areas meant that no time needed to be lost changing scenes. In his own lifetime, Shakespeare heard his lines spoken very rapidly as the action flowed from one part of the several available acting areas to another with no breaks or intermission. The effect was cinematic. One scene dissolved into another as the action and poetry swept the audience along" (Cook).

Commentary 7: I believe this shows that Shakespeare preferred his plays to be fast-paced and exciting to keep the audience intrigued. During his plays to avoid the audiences boredom he would have constant action on one part of the stage to another.

Acting Companies:

Quote 8: "Acting companies consisted of only men and boys because women did not perform on the Elizabethan stage. A typical acting company had 8 to 12 sharers, a number of salaried workers, and apprentices. The sharers were the company's leading actors as well as its stockholders. They had charge of the company's business activities. They bought plays and costumes, rented theaters, paid fees, and split the profits. The salaried workers, who were called hirelings, took minor roles in the plays, performed the music, served as prompters, and did various odd jobs. The apprentices were boys who played the roles of women and children" (Lander).

Commentary 8: When Shakepeare was still alive and was writing plays girls were not allowed to act in theaters which is very different from today where there are many many women actors. Also, because only males were permited to be in plays boys played the roles of women and children because they looked like them.

Quote 9: "By 1594, he was a charter member of the theatrical company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, which was later to become the King's Men. (As the names of these acting companies indicate, theatrical groups depended on the support of a wealthy patron --the King's Men were supported by King James himself.) Shakespeare worked with this company for the rest of his writing life" (Anderson).

Commentary 9: In England when plays were dominated by males the acting companies were virtually owned by someone of importance. Some acting companies were named after the person that sponsored the companies such as Shakespeare's company when they were owned by Lord Chamberlain in 1597 they were named Lord Chamberlain's Men.

Quote 10: "Shakespeare was unusual among Elizabethan playwrights. He not only wrote exclusively for his own company but also served as an actor and sharer in it. The close association between Shakespeare, his fellow actors, and the conditions of production had enormous influence on his dramas. Shakespeare wrote most of his plays with a particular theater building in mind and for performers whom he knew well. Each major actor in the company specialized in a certain type of role. For example, one played the leading tragic characters, and another the main comic characters. Still another actor played old men. Shakespeare wrote his plays to suit the talents of specific performers. He knew when he created a Hamlet, Othello, or King Lear that the character would be interpreted by Richard Burbage, the company’s leading tragic actor" (Lander).

Commentary 10: Shakespeare was not only a writer but an active participant in his plays. In doing so, Shakespeare and his plays stood out among the other productions of his time.

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. Literary Reference Center.

---. “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. Literary Reference Center.

---. “William Shakespeare’s Life: A Genius from Stratford.” Holt Literature & Language Arts: Mastering the California Standards: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking, by G. Kylene Beers et al., Austin, Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 2003, pp. 776-77.

---. “William Shakespeare’s Life: A Genius from Stratford.” Holt Literature & Language Arts: Mastering the California Standards: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking, by G. Kylene Beers et al., Austin, Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 2003, pp. 776-77.

Cook, James Wyatt. “Globe Theatre.” Encyclopedia of Renaissance Literature. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Bloom’s Literature

Hager, Alan, ed. “Globe Theatre.” Encyclopedia of British Writers, 16th and 17th Centuries. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Bloom’s Literature

Lander, Jesse M. “Shakespeare, William.” World Book Advanced. World Book, 2016. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.

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