A Brief History of the Globe Theater

If you're a fan of Shakespeare, then you've probably heard of the Globe Theater. But do you know the history of this iconic theater? In this blog post, we'll take a brief look at the origins of the Globe Theater and how it became such an important part of Shakespeare's legacy.

The Globe Theater was built in 1599 by the playing company Lord Chamberlain's Men. The theater was located in Southwark, on the south bank of the River Thames. It was built with a thatched roof, which made it susceptible to fire; in fact, the theater burned down in 1613 during a performance of Shakespeare's Henry VIII when a cannon misfired and set the thatch on fire. It was rebuilt the following year and continued to be used until 1642, when the English Civil War broke out and all theaters were closed.

The Globe Theater was an open-air theater, which means that performances were held in the open air with no roof over the stage. This made it different from other theaters of the time, which were mostly indoor theaters. The main stage was circular, with three levels of seating around it. The ground level was for standing spectators, who would pay a penny to watch the performance. The middle level was for those who could afford to pay a bit more, and the highest level was for those who could afford to pay sixpence. The seats in the middle and upper levels were benches without backs, so audiences would have to stand up during intermissions.

Shakespeare himself was not only an actor but also a shareholder in the Globe Theater. He wrote many of his plays specifically for performance at the Globe, and many of his most famous plays—including Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth—were first performed there. Since then, countless productions of Shakespeare's plays have been performed at the Globe Theater, both in its original location and its modern-day replica.

Students can learn more about this by visiting Stratford-upon-Avon where they can visit Greenwich Museum or take a tour of Hampton Court Palace.