Shakespeare - Globe Theater :: essays research papers

Compared to the technical theaters of today, the capital of the United Kingdom public theaters in the time of Queen Elizabeth I seem to be terribly limited. The plays had to be performed during daylight hours only and the stage scenery had to be kept very simple with just a table, a chair, a throne, and maybe a tree to symbolize a forest. Many plead that these limitations were in a sense advantages. What the theater today can demo 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 auditory modality could understand the play. Not having a lighting technician to work the bear 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 utilise to the best of his ability. The costume s the actors wore were made to be very elaborate. Many of the costumes conveyed recognizable meanings for the audience such as a rich aristocrat wearing silk array with many ruffles. Many times there were musical accompaniments and sound effect such as gunpowder explosions and the beating of a pan to dissemble thunder.The stage itself was also remarkably versatile. Behind it were doors for exits and entrances and a curtained carrel or alcove useful for actors to hide inside. Above the stage was a higher acting area which symbolized a porch or balcony. This was useful in the story of Romeo and Juliet, when Romeo stood below Juliet and told her how he loved her. In the stage radical 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 appear and disappear passim the play. The stage itself was shaped in a rectangular platform that intercommunicate into a yard that was enclosed by three story galleries.Th e building was round or octagonal 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 protect the stage and the high-priced gallery seats, but in the case severely weather, the "groundlings," who only paid a penny to stand in the yard, essential have gotten wet.