Elizabethan Theater: Plays Written and Performed Openly in England
Elizabethan theatre is a general concept embodying the plays written and performed openly in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I from 1558 to 1603. The term can be applied more generally to also incorporate theatre of Elizabeth's immediate successors, James I and Charles I, till the end of public theatres in 1642 on the inception of Civil War. (Elizabethan theatre: Wikipedia) During the end of 16th century and inception of 17th century William Shakespeare dominated the theatrical environment, and at that time witnessing a play during afternoon was considered a great entertainment for many members of London society and acclaimed similar popular form of entertainment as that of going to movies and plays presently. A thorough look at the theatre of Shakespeare's time however, will entail many distinctions between the Elizabethan theatre and the movies and plays of today. (Welcome to the world of the Elizabethan theatre!) During the later part of 15th century, plays were being staged in two kinds of theatre buildings: the private theatre and the public theatre. During 1576, the first public theatre in London was constructed and during the period Shakespeare was bringing out his plays and highest number of play houses in
The tours of these players steadily substituted the performances or the mystery and morality plays by local players and a 1572 law avoided the remaining companies, deficient of formal patronage by discarding them as vagabonds. At court also the performance of masques by courtiers and other amateurs, are really common in the early years of Elizabeth, was replaced by the professional companies with noble patrons who rose in number and quality during her reign. The local government of London was normally aggressive to public performances, but its aggressiveness was superseded by the interest of the Queen for plays and support of the Privy Council. Theatres strangled up in suburbs, particularly in Southwark, reachable across the Thames to city dwellers, but nor regulated by the London corporation. The companies maintained the pretence that their public performances were only rehearsals for the regular performances prior to the Queen, but while the latter did provide prestige, the former were the correct source of the income professional players necessitated. (Elizabethan theatre: Wikipedia) London were emerged in comparison to other European cities. To illustrate Rose was constructed during 1587, the Swan in 1595, the Globe in 1599 and the Fortune in 1600. Shakespeare and his patronizing company, Lord Chamberlain's Men, played in the Globe theatre. (Welcome to the world of the Elizabethan theatre!) The city was very nervous of its prerogatives; so that irrespective of the strong patronage of the drama, throughout her whole reign no public theater buildings were permitted within the proximity of City Corporation. However, such confinements were narrow and in 1576 James Burbage initiated a new age of erecting 'The Theater' just to the north of the 'city', only a few minutes' walk from the center of population. His illustration was soon pursued by other managers, though the favorite place for the theaters soon came to be the 'Bankside', the region in Southwark just across the Thames from the city where Tabard Inn of Cahucer had erected and where pits for bear-baiting and cock-fighting had emerged for a long period of time. (An Elizabethan Stage from Chapter VI. The Drama from about 1550 to 1642)
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Approximate Word count = 4045
Approximate Pages = 16 (250 words per page double spaced)
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