The Globe Theatre

The Globe was founded in 1599 by Shakespeare’s theatrical company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, about a decade in to his 25-year career as a playwright. Located on the south bank of the Thames River alongside houses of prostitution and bear-baiting, the building was readily accessible to city dwellers while remaining just outside the legal jurisdiction of the City’s devout middle-class civic leadership.

The Globe was rebuilt in 1997 in an effort to replicate the original theatrical experience, one quite different from the expectations of modern audiences. We’re used to sitting placidly while the actors do their thing up on stage—not really so different from watching a movie. But the Globe Theatre’s stage is thrust forward into a sea of spectators. Actors speak to the audience as much as to one another, often interacting in the manner of standup comics. To give you a sense of this, I’m assigning a few introductory videos alongside the play’s first act.

Viewing: a 9-minute discussion of the significance of the Globe’s physical design for Shakespeare’s plays, by Harvard professor Stephen Greenblatt: link.

Optional Viewing: if you want to really immerse yourself in the Elizabethan world of Shakespeare’s era, check out this 45-minute documentary originally released as a bonus feature accompanying the DVD for the 1998 Shakespeare in Love: link.

Reading: Shakespeare, The Tempest Act I. OR consider viewing a 2013 Globe production of the play, available for £10 here. (This is a purchase, not a rental, so you can watch it over the course of a week.)

Writing: Respond to the following prompt, keeping your response short:

• We’re introduced to a host of characters in Act I. How does Shakepeare individuate them? Quote a line or phrase spoken by a character and comment on how those words serve to express social standing and/or personality.