Shakespeare - Globe Theater :: essays research papers

Compared to the technical field of operations of today, the London public theaters in the time of magnate Elizabeth I seem to be terribly limited. The plays had to be performed during daylight hours plainly and the stage scenery had to be kept very simple with exclusively a table, a chair, a throne, and maybe a tree to intend a forest. Many say that these limitations were in a sense advantages. What the theater today can show for us realistically, with massive scenery and galvanic lighting, Elizabethan playgoers had to imagine. This made the playwright have to write in a vivid language so the audience could understand the play. Not having a lighting technician to work the control panels, Shakespeare had to indicate wether it was dawn or declivity by using a speech juicy in metaphors and descriptive details. Shakespeares theater was far from being bare, the playwright did have some blue-chip technical sources that he used to the best of his ability. The costumes the actors wore were made to be very elaborate. Many of the costumes conveyed recognizable meanings for the audience such as a rich aristocrat wearing silk clothes with many ruffles. Many times on that point were musical accompaniments and sound effects such as gunpowder explosions and the whacking of a pan to simulate thunder.The stage itself was also remarkably versatile. stillt joint it were doors for exits and entrances and a curtained booth or alcove useful for actors to encompass inside. Above the stage was a higher acting area which symbolized a porch or balcony. This was useful in the story of Romeo and Juliet, when Romeo stood below Juliet and told her how he love her. In the stage floor was a trap door which was say to lead to "hell" or a cellar, this was especially useful for ghosts or devils who had to appear and disappear throughout the play. The stage itself was shaped in a rectangular platform that projected into a yard that was enclosed by three story galleries.The building was round or octagonal in shape but Shakespeare called it a "wooden O." The audience sat in these galleries or else they could stand in the yard in front the stage. A roof and awning protected the stage and the high-priced gallery seats, but in the case bad weather, the "groundlings," who only paid a cent to stand in the yard, must have gotten wet.