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The Elizabethan Age
The reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England (1558-1603) was considered one of the greatest epochs in English history. The Elizabethan Age was most famous for it's literature. It's prose, poetry, and drama were the defining factors of this era. In order to understand the Elizabethan world, we must understand that the places in which they performed the acts played a crucial part. They had 7 main playhouses or theatres. These playhouses were built on the outskirts of the cities between 1576 and 1600. They were built there because of the conflict between the players and the church.
The first of the playhouses was simply called the Theatre. It was located in the northern region of the river in Shoreditch. James Burbage, the father of one of the greatest actors in Shakespeare's company, Richard Burbage, built it. The plays that Shakespeare wrote before 1597 were performed there. The next playhouse, Henry Canman's Curtain, was built directly adjacent to the Theatre. It was used by famous clown and singer, Robert Armin and by Lord Charaberlain's men. During this time, the erection of the most famous theatre of the Elizabethan theatre came about, the Globe. This is where Shakespear's latter plays were performed. It was built from the same scraps that the Theatre was built from by Peter Street. The Globe lasted from 1599 to 1613 when a fire destroyed it. Of this next playhouse, very little is known. It was located at Newington Butts and was probably owned by Phillip Henslowe. He was the greatest Elizabethan impresario. Henslowe also owned another playhouse. This one was called Rose. Performers of the Rose included Strange's men, Sussex's men, the Queens men, and the Admiral's men. The Rose was torn down in 1605 so the Admirals men moved from there to another playhouse called Fortune. It was the main rival of the Globe (in terms of money). Henslowe and Edward Alleyn built it. The Swan was another one of the 7 theaters. A golRABmith named Francis Langley built this one in 1595. In 1606 the Red Bull was built. Near the city of Clerkenwall. This was the last of the playhouses built in the Elizabethan era.
In 1642 all of the playhouses were shut down. The reasons for closing them down were numerous. One reason is that the theatres, as meeting places, had certain political implications that the anti-theatricalists, which were for the most part, religious people and politicians, were not ready to deal with. It was the mixture of social and economic classes. This, in a way, marked the disruption of the social structure. This worried the anti-theatricalists. As a result, a man by the name of E.K. Charabers came up with The Elizabethan Stage. In this document, an act was passed called, Act of the Common Council of London. This act "attempts to restrain and regulate public playing within the Liberties", simply put, they wanted to restrict the availability of performance space. A couple of reasons that were given to justify the passing of this act. The plague is transmitted faster when playgoers get together at Inns and yarRAB. There is a much higher occurrence of "illicit sexual encounters" and it "provides for the occasion for the dissemination from the stage of unchaste, uncomeyle and unshamedfaste speeches and doyrges" (Howard 74). Another reason is because the plays were disturbing the religious institution, which was one of the main forms of order of the Elizabethan society. The public playhouses proved that they had the ability to distract the citizens from afternoon church going. Hence, the players were seen as heretics and sinners. Also because they performed acts that were completely against their religious instruction for example, the players performed on Lent and on the Sabbath when the Bible directly states that this should not be done. "Remeraber the Sabbath day by keeping it Holy…On it you shall not do any work" (Exodus 20:8-10). The men also wore women's clothing, which is also bad according to the Bible. "A woman must not wear a man's clothing, nor a man wear a woman's clothing for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this" (Deuteronomy 22:5). In Elizabethan times, all the parts were played by males, including those of females and children. The young players began their acting careers at the age of 13. Since, at that time, the onset of puberty came about later; the voices of the young actors had not fully matured, so they played the parts of children and of women. Then at the age of approximately 15 or 16, they begin to leave the more effeminate roles and take on more masculine roles. Shakespeare makes a reference to the boy players in Antony and Cleopatra when Antony says " Shall be brought drunken fourth, and I shall see some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness I'th'posture of a whore." (V. ii 216-19).
The Elizabethan Age, although greatly known for it's literature, was not the perfect society. They had their share of differences among the people and the governing group. They had issues regarding sexuality and gender, social and economic class, religion and conformity. Like in present times, you can't make everyone happy. In any society, there will always be groups in conflict. In this case, the players were the losers. All of the theatres were shut down and that marked the downfall of the Elizabethan Age.
The reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England (1558-1603) was considered one of the greatest epochs in English history. The Elizabethan Age was most famous for it's literature. It's prose, poetry, and drama were the defining factors of this era. In order to understand the Elizabethan world, we must understand that the places in which they performed the acts played a crucial part. They had 7 main playhouses or theatres. These playhouses were built on the outskirts of the cities between 1576 and 1600. They were built there because of the conflict between the players and the church.
The first of the playhouses was simply called the Theatre. It was located in the northern region of the river in Shoreditch. James Burbage, the father of one of the greatest actors in Shakespeare's company, Richard Burbage, built it. The plays that Shakespeare wrote before 1597 were performed there. The next playhouse, Henry Canman's Curtain, was built directly adjacent to the Theatre. It was used by famous clown and singer, Robert Armin and by Lord Charaberlain's men. During this time, the erection of the most famous theatre of the Elizabethan theatre came about, the Globe. This is where Shakespear's latter plays were performed. It was built from the same scraps that the Theatre was built from by Peter Street. The Globe lasted from 1599 to 1613 when a fire destroyed it. Of this next playhouse, very little is known. It was located at Newington Butts and was probably owned by Phillip Henslowe. He was the greatest Elizabethan impresario. Henslowe also owned another playhouse. This one was called Rose. Performers of the Rose included Strange's men, Sussex's men, the Queens men, and the Admiral's men. The Rose was torn down in 1605 so the Admirals men moved from there to another playhouse called Fortune. It was the main rival of the Globe (in terms of money). Henslowe and Edward Alleyn built it. The Swan was another one of the 7 theaters. A golRABmith named Francis Langley built this one in 1595. In 1606 the Red Bull was built. Near the city of Clerkenwall. This was the last of the playhouses built in the Elizabethan era.
In 1642 all of the playhouses were shut down. The reasons for closing them down were numerous. One reason is that the theatres, as meeting places, had certain political implications that the anti-theatricalists, which were for the most part, religious people and politicians, were not ready to deal with. It was the mixture of social and economic classes. This, in a way, marked the disruption of the social structure. This worried the anti-theatricalists. As a result, a man by the name of E.K. Charabers came up with The Elizabethan Stage. In this document, an act was passed called, Act of the Common Council of London. This act "attempts to restrain and regulate public playing within the Liberties", simply put, they wanted to restrict the availability of performance space. A couple of reasons that were given to justify the passing of this act. The plague is transmitted faster when playgoers get together at Inns and yarRAB. There is a much higher occurrence of "illicit sexual encounters" and it "provides for the occasion for the dissemination from the stage of unchaste, uncomeyle and unshamedfaste speeches and doyrges" (Howard 74). Another reason is because the plays were disturbing the religious institution, which was one of the main forms of order of the Elizabethan society. The public playhouses proved that they had the ability to distract the citizens from afternoon church going. Hence, the players were seen as heretics and sinners. Also because they performed acts that were completely against their religious instruction for example, the players performed on Lent and on the Sabbath when the Bible directly states that this should not be done. "Remeraber the Sabbath day by keeping it Holy…On it you shall not do any work" (Exodus 20:8-10). The men also wore women's clothing, which is also bad according to the Bible. "A woman must not wear a man's clothing, nor a man wear a woman's clothing for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this" (Deuteronomy 22:5). In Elizabethan times, all the parts were played by males, including those of females and children. The young players began their acting careers at the age of 13. Since, at that time, the onset of puberty came about later; the voices of the young actors had not fully matured, so they played the parts of children and of women. Then at the age of approximately 15 or 16, they begin to leave the more effeminate roles and take on more masculine roles. Shakespeare makes a reference to the boy players in Antony and Cleopatra when Antony says " Shall be brought drunken fourth, and I shall see some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness I'th'posture of a whore." (V. ii 216-19).
The Elizabethan Age, although greatly known for it's literature, was not the perfect society. They had their share of differences among the people and the governing group. They had issues regarding sexuality and gender, social and economic class, religion and conformity. Like in present times, you can't make everyone happy. In any society, there will always be groups in conflict. In this case, the players were the losers. All of the theatres were shut down and that marked the downfall of the Elizabethan Age.