Elizabethan Theatre for BA students

               The Elizabethan Theatre

        Elizabethan age was a period of strolling players. These strolling players performed in improvised theatres - in tavern yards, palaces or gentleman's houses. There were touring dramatic companies, such as Admiral's Men and Chamberlain's Men. James I took Chamberlain's under his protection and the company was called the King's Men. 

       The first permanent theatre was built in 1576 by James Burbage. It was called 'The Theatre'. The theatres are, 

Rose - 1587

Globe - 1599

Fortune - 1600

      Most of the theatres of the time were small. They were different in shape. For example,the Swan theatre was octagonal, and the Fortune theatre was Square shaped. 

      During Elizabethan age the theatre was half open to the sky and the plays were acted during day time. This theatre was not elaborate like the modern theatres. It's main drawback was no proper appliances. Placards were used to announce the location of the action. Shakespeare considered such devices as very unrealistic and therefore tried, to convey the effects of place, time and action through the dialogues between the characters.

      There was no drop curtain in the Elizabethan theatre. The end of the scene was often indicated by a rhyming couplet. There was no female performer. Women's role were played by young boys. His plays did not have many woman. Heroines like Rosalind and Viola appear under the guise of boys.

        Elizabethan audience differed in taste, education and wealth. They were highly superstitious believing in ghost and witches. They were fond of violence. Wealthy people who came to watch the play sat on the boxes. Some privileged person sat on stools on the stage. Rest of the audience sat on groundlings, the most noisy section of the spectators. People who paid just a penny stood on the floor around the uncovered part of the stage. 

      The church was the cradle of English drama. Dumb shows were performed inside the church. Morality and miracle plays were enacted to instruct and entertain the audience. These plays were written following the classical tradition.  The first English dramatist was Robert Greene, who was one of the 'University Wits'. 

Famous Tragedies: 

Spanish Tragedy - Thomas Kyd. 

Dr. Faustus - Christopher Marlowe. 

Elizabethan stage was dominated by William Shakespeare. His dramatic career extended for 20 years from 1590 to 1610. He wrote 37 plays. They are classified as, 

Comedies - play ending happily. 

Tragedies - ends with death. 

Histories - main theme is history. 

Romances - last plays of Shakespeare.