Term Paper on "Elizabethan Theatre"

Term Paper 8 pages (2281 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Structure and Arrangement of the Elizabethan Theater

The emergence of the Elizabethan theater changed how plays were produced and the general nature of how pays were produced. The Elizabethan theater began with groups of adult companies acting in a variety of places, which included houses, the halls of an Inn or Court, or inn-yards. James Burbage built one of the first permanent theater structures aptly called the Theater in 1576. Interestingly, this playhouse was located just outside of London "beyond the jurisdiction of the city authorities who were generally hostile to dramatic spectacles" (Abrams 431). Not long after this, other public theaters were built. These playhouses were generally shaped like an oval, with the center yard unroofed. (Abrams 431) This includes the famous Globe Theater, which was also located outside London.

The Elizabethan stage was different from previous stages because it "utilized an open platform stage inherited from medieval theater" (Wilson 279). Wilson notes that the theater buildings had a character "all their own" (Wilson 279). Another significant difference between Elizabethan theaters and earlier theaters was the fact that Elizabethan theaters did not have painted scenery. Because of the nature of how plays were performed, the platform stage had to be a rather neutral playing area "which could become many different places in quick succession" (279). Because a play's action moved swiftly, this type of stage was not only convenient but also essential to provide a sense of continuous action as the play progressed.

Elizabethan playhouses were public and private. Public theaters were used primarily by professional adult acting companies until around 1610. The Globe is by far the most famous of these playhouses. It is estimated that this type of playhouse seated anywhere from 1,500 to 3,000 audience members. Playhouses from this era were circular and octagonal. Sylvan Barnet notes that the Chorus of Shakespeare's play, Henry V, calls the theater a "wooden O'" (Barnet 765).

According to Wilson, the Fortune Theater was square with a rectangular stage running along one side. (Wilson 279) According to historical records, this shape was the exception rather than the rule.

Private theaters held performances indoors and were lit with candles and windows that were usually located on the second story. While the name causes us to think that these types of playhouses excluded certain individuals, this is not the case in Elizabethan England. Private theaters were open to the public; however, they were considerably smaller than public theaters and, as a result, usually attracted a smaller audience.

The Elizabethan playhouse was small, according to G.B. Harrison. From estimations, it is believed that the Elizabethan playhouse measured 80 feet by 80 feet, externally. The interior area of the playhouse was more than likely 55 feet by 55 feet with the stage occupying almost half of this space. While the playhouses might have been small, Harrison notes that even by today's standards, "the size of the stage is considerable" (Harrison 136). The inner stage was used for discoveries made throughout the course of plays but it could also be used for concealments as well.

The stage itself is commonly referred to as the "apron" (Harrison 140). Generally, the stage was a raised platform and audience members were never very far from the actors. Perhaps the most important thing to remember about plays during this era is that actors would step forth in broad daylight almost into the center of the audience. This concept is essential in that the actor and the spectators were "fused into a common experience" (Harrison 140). This helps us understand the nature of the famous soliloquy. In Elizabethan drama the soliloquy was a "quite natural communication as a character explains his thoughts and intentions to those immediately before him" (140). As a result of this intimate setting the actor did not need to shout or speak slowly. While it may seem difficult to believe today, the actor was easily heard and the spectators were "eager and trained listeners"(140). Wilson notes that that even spectators at the back wall of the galleries "were less than 10 yards away from the stage" (Wilson 281). Indeed, the stage was the center of attraction as well as action.

Most stages had trapdoors that were used for scenes like the gravedigger scene in the play, Hamlet. Located behind the stage was the stage house, or the tiring house, which was generally a three-story structure that housed all the props and scenery used in plays. Actors also changed costumes in the tiring area. The tiring house had two doors on either side that were used for entrances and exits throughout plays. It is also important to note that some stages had an inner stage, which was located at the back of the regular stage. An example of when the inner stage might be used is the scene where Polonius hides behind the curtain in Gertrude's room in Hamlet. After Hamlet stabs Polonius, the curtain revealed the dead man. Another aspect of the stage was the "upper playing area" (Wilson 282). This was used in scenes that needed a second story building, such as the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet. The third story of the tiring house is sometimes referred to as the "musicians gallery" (282) and this is where the musicians played. An extended roof from the tiring house served as protection from the stage.

The outer walls of the playhouse that circled that stage were constructed of three tiers of galleries, which provided audience members looked down upon the action. Generally, it cost one penny to see a performance. The area on the floor in front of the stage, or the pit, was reserved for the "poorer spectators" (Harrison 139) who could only afford to pay one cent. Those who could pay more were allowed into the central courtyard, where they would stand and watch the play. The seats in the tiers cost even more money and for even more money, nobility could sit on "cushioned seats in galleries next to the stage" (Wilson 270).

One tier was sectioned into boxes that were known as "lords' rooms" (Wilson 280) and were reserved for the wealthy.

The scenery used in Elizabethan plays was in a word sparse. Aside from an occasional tree or gate, there was not much to be seen. Playhouses did not have any of the stage equipment that we are accustomed to seeing today. There was no special lighting or special effects at all. Instead, the actor "gained his effects by a direct assault on the emotions and imagination of the spectators" (Harrison 140). Harrison explains that poetry was thus a "natural medium for dramatic speech, especially at exalted moments, and a good actor could carry his audience with him by the emotional force of rhetoric" (140). Generally, a simple costume would suffice. Chairs might often indicate indoor scenes and an actor wearing riding boots would indicate that he was bearing a message. In addition, an actor carrying a lantern would indicate that it was night. While these props and arrangements might seem simple, they were not crude by any means. It is also important to note that the Elizabethan theater did attempt to convey a sense of reality. For example, some characters, when stabbed, bled. Plays also included an "elaborate system of trumpet calls; sennets, tuckets, alarums, flourishes appear frequently in stage directions" (Harrison 145). Harrison notes that "no king enters or goes out without a flourish" (145). While scenery was scarce, it apparently was enough to allow the audience to know what was going on.

Acting in Elizabethan drama was also continuous and there was literally "no break in the illusion" (140) of the play. From this knowledge, we can see how the number of scenes in a particular play was unimportant and the exact locality of the scene was not important either. Generally, the actor would provide information relating to the scene. For example, in the Tempest, Viola is told that she is in the land of Illyria.

The Chorus in plays was generally constructed to speak directly to members of the audience and, in many cases, it provided useful information and bridged gaps in the play. In King Henry V, the Chorus has a very interesting role. One primary role is to clues the audience in to the different times and locations in the play. However, an additional role of the Chorus is to cause the audience to consider the character and actions of King Henry. In this play, we cannot believe everything that the Chorus tells us. Shakespeare's intent was to urge spectators to think about everything they have seen and heard and draw conclusions from that.

In the Prologue, the Chorus makes an apology for the inadequacies the audience finds on the stage. The Chorus also makes an apology at the end of the pay, stating:

Thus far, with rough and all-unable pen,

Our bending author hath pursu'd the story;

In little room confining mighty men,

Mangling by starts the full course of their… READ MORE

How to Reference "Elizabethan Theatre" Term Paper in a Bibliography

Related Term Papers:

Elizabethan Theatre Term Paper

Elizabethan Theatre

The English theatre lived the most expressive period of its history during the forty-five-year supreme rule of Queen Elizabeth I in the second half of the 16th century.… read more

Term Paper 20 pages (7289 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Literature / Poetry

---

Literary Criticism on Elizabethan Theater as a Popular Entertainment for Its Time Thesis

Elizabethan Theatre

Theatre in the Time of Elizabeth I: Popular Entertainment and Social Incentives for Attendance

William Shakespeare is one of the most recognizable names in the world even four… read more

Thesis 6 pages (1760 words) Sources: 4 Topic: Recreation / Leisure / Tourism

---

Private Elizabethan Theatre Research Paper

Greek and Roman

The Private Elizabethan Theatre

In 1558, when Elizabeth I came into power there were no specifically designed theatres in England. Collections of performers moved throughout the kingdom… read more

Research Paper 13 pages (4392 words) Sources: 8 Topic: Theatre / Opera / Play

---

Globe the Development of the Globe Theater Term Paper

Globe

The Development of the Globe Theater

To understand how Shakespeare's original audiences observed his plays, it is necessary to understand the structure and the style of the original venue… read more

Term Paper 3 pages (1054 words) Sources: 3 Style: MLA Topic: Theatre / Opera / Play

---

Elizabethan Revenge Within Hamlet Term Paper

Elizabethan Revenge Within Hamlet

William Shakespeare wrote the play Hamlet and was first acted upon between 1600 and 1601. (Hamlet: The Play by Shakespeare) the play very intimately tracks the… read more

Term Paper 5 pages (2334 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Crime / Police / Criminal Justice

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>