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In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, the time period in which William Shakespeare was active in the
theatre, attending a play during the afternoon was a favorite leisure activity for many members of London society in much
the same way as going to movies and plays is a popular form of entertainment today. A closer examination of the theatre of
Shakespeare’s time, however, will reveal many differences between the Elizabethan theatre and the movies and plays of
today. This article will give you an overview of the elements of the Elizabethan theatre and help place the dramatic works
of Shakespeare and his contemporaries in a better context.
Elements of the Theatre
If you were to travel back in time and attend a play in Elizabethan theatre, you would
immediately notice many aspects of the theatre’s interior that would seem strange to you. One of the first differences
you might have noticed upon entering the theatre was the structure of the stage, a large platform surrounded by the audience
on three sides. This close proximity of the audience to the stage created a more interactive relationship between the actors
and the audience. Unlike most of today’s audiences, the people attending Elizabethan theatre were involved in the play,
shouting suggestions, encouragement, or curses to the actors. When the audience did not like a character, they even threw
rotten fruit at the actors to demonstrate their displeasure!
Another aspect of the Elizabethan theatre that might have seemed strange to you was the tiring-house, an
area behind the stage that corresponds to the backstage area of a theatre today. The tiring-house was used as dressing rooms
by the actors. Entrances and exits were also made of the doors leading to the tiring-house. Actors could also enter the action
from the curtained discovery space at the rear of the stage. By opening the curtains, the actors could reveal characters who
were eavesdropping on the conversations of the characters on stage.
The Elizabethan stage also included a small roof projecting over a portion of the back part of the main stage
which was topped by a hut. This structure was known as the heavens and contained the machinery needed to produce sound effects
or to lower “angels” and “gods” down to the stage. Gods, angels, and other characters could also appear
in the gallery that hung over the back of the main stage. This gallery was often used as a castle wall or a balcony. Of course,
“ghosts” and “demons” must also be provided for, and so the stage was equipped with a trapdoor leading
to a “Hell” beneath the stage. The trapdoor was also used as a grave in theatrical funerals.
theme of disguise a common convention of Elizabethan theatre. In order to exchange places
with another character or conceal his identity, all an actor needed to do was to change his costume.
Actors
In a typical Elizabethan acting company, there were roughly ten shareholders, several salaried actors,
and apprentices. All the actors in the company were male because, due to the often crude and disorderly atmosphere of the
theatre, women were not allowed to participate in the plays. the female characters were acted by young boys, who were the
apprentices of the senior actors. Each actor in a company was assigned a particular type of character to portray in the company’s
plays, such as a fool, a hero, a clown, etc. In addition, the actors often played more than one character within the same
play. Besides being able to act, Elizabethan actors also had to be able to sing, clown, fence, perform acrobatic feats, and
dance.
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