The Elizabethan theatre Flashcards
Golden age (22 cards)
What was the Elizabethan theatre like at the start of Elizabeth’s reign ?
There wasn’t a single theatre in England. Bands of travelling actors travelled from town to town, but local councils thought that they were a threat to law and order and should be punished
What was the Elizabethan theatre like during Elizabeth’s reign ?
Attitudes started to change. Powerful member s of the royal court started to protect groups of actors and gave them financial support
What was Elizabethan theatre like by the end of Elizabeth’s reign ?
Going to the theatre becam a very popular pastime. Most Londoners went to the theatre at least once a week. Theatre owners, actors and playwrights became famous, respected and wealthy
Why was Elizabethan theatre so popular ?
A visit to the theatre was an afternoon out; a chance to meet other people and be part of a larger crowd l. The Rose Theatre could hold over 2000 spectators and entrance fees were affordable even for the poor.
What did the audience do during performances ?
The audience wandered around whilst eating and drinking. It was rowdy. They responded to play
by clapping, booing and even throwing things at the actors
What was the Lord’s rooms ?
They were the most expensive seats above the stage. They had cushions and were visible to the rest of the audience. This was the place to be seen!
What was the stage ?
If included trapdoors and has a wall at the back, which was where actors made their entrances and exists
What were galleries ?
They were mainly for the gentry l. Tickets cost 2-3 pennies. The thatched roof protected you from bad weather
What was the hut ?
The hut was above the stage and provided storage spaces and an area for special effects
What was the pit ?
It was where poorer people stood to watch the plays. You would get wet if it rained but it was cheaper at a penny a ticket
What was the tiring house ?
It was behind the stage, where the actors put on their costumes and collected their props
How do you remember why the theatre become popular ?
The 5Ps!
Prosperity
Population
Patronage
Propaganda
Playwrights
Why did Prosperity cause the theatre to become popular ?
- Many
people were getting wealthier and had the money to watch plays - People were willing to invest in theatres because they saw profits could be made
Why did population cause the theatre to become popular ?
London’s population was growing quickly. By 1600 around 200,000 people lived in London and the theatre was popular with all sections of society
Why did patronage cause the theatre to become popular ?
- Member dog the royal court, like Robert Dudley, started to support theatres. He hoped that people who attended the plays out in by his company (the Earl of Leicester’s Men) would be impressed and thank him for putting on plays they enjoyed
- He also knew that Elizabeth loved watching plays, so supporting a theatre company was a way of gaining the Queen’s approval
- Other members of the court tried to match Dudley and set up their own companies. Lord Hutson set up the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, of which Shakespeare was a leading member
Why did propaganda cause theatre to become popular ?
- Elizabeth’s advisers saw the
potential for propaganda - spreading positive messages about Elizabeth and her family - Shakespeare’s play often showed Elizabeth’s family in a good light.
- By. on trolling the theatre, Elizabeth’s government could also censor any plays that contained messages that they did not like
Why did playwrights cause the theatre to become popular ?
- The plays were well written and entertaining. Playwrights such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe wrote about things that were revelan to the audience
- Theatre were expected to put in a new play
every couple of days, so there was a great variety of plays that appealed to everyone’s tastes
What is an example of Shakespeare’s plays showing Elizabeth’s family in a good light ?
His play Richard 111 presented Elizabeth (Henry v11) as a saviour of England. In the
play, Richard 111 is shown as a hunch baked, evil monsters who murdered his nephews and seized the crown. Henry killed Richard 111 to
take the throne and become the first Tudor king
How do you remember why there was opposition to the theatre ?
The 3Ps :
Plague
Puritans
Plots
why did the plague cause opposition to the theatre ?
By the 1590s, and estimated 15,000 people visited the London theatres each week.
In 1593, all theatres were closed due to the fear of the
plague
Why did the puritans cause opposition to the theatre ?
- Puritans thought that theatres were the work of the devil and distracted people from religion
- James Burbage was forced to move London’s first theatre in Shoreditch because the land was
owned by Giles Allen, who
opposed the theatre
Why did plots cause opposition to the theatre ?
The government worried that large crowds of
poor people could riot or join together to rebel against Elizabeth
