Shakespeare - Globe Theater :: essays research papers

Compared to the technical theaters of today, the London public theaters in the time of Queen Elizabeth I seem to be terribly limited. The plays had to be performed during daylight hours precisely and the stage scenery had to be kept very simple with just a table, a chair, a throne, and maybe a tree to exemplify a forest. Many say that these limitations were in a sense advantages. What the theater today can show for us realistically, with massive scenery and electric lighting, Elizabethan playgoers had to imagine. This made the playwright have to write in a vivid language so the audience could understand the play. Not having a lighting technician to counterfeit the control panels, Shakespeare had to indicate wether it was dawn or nightfall by using a speech rich in metaphors and descriptive details. Shakespeares theater was far from macrocosm bare, the playwright did have some valuable technical sources that he used to the best of his ability. The costumes the actors wore were m ade to be very elaborate. Many of the costumes conveyed recognizable meanings for the audience such as a rich aristocrat wearing silk clothes with many ruffles. Many times there were musical accompaniments and sound effects such as gunpowder explosions and the beating of a pan to simulate thunder.The stage itself was also remarkably versatile. Behind it were doors for exits and entrances and a curtained booth or alcove useable for actors to hide inside. Above the stage was a higher acting area which symbolized a porch or balcony. This was useful in the account of Romeo and Juliet, when Romeo stood below Juliet and told her how he love her. In the stage floor was a trap door which was said to lead to "hell" or a cellar, this was especially useful for ghosts or devils who had to come forth and disappear throughout the play. The stage itself was shaped in a rectangular platform that projected into a yard that was enclosed by three story galleries.The building was round or o ctagonal in shape but Shakespeare called it a "wooden O." The audience sat in these galleries or else they could stand in the yard in front the stage. A roof and awning protected the stage and the high-priced gallery seats, but in the case bad weather, the "groundlings," who only paid a penny to stand in the yard, must have gotten wet.