Shakespeare's plays were performed at various locations throughout the span of his career. However, the Globe Theatre in the Southwark district of London was where his best-known works were first produced. The tragedy, “Othello”, which we are studying, is one of them. The Globe Theatre was first built in 1599. In 1613, it was burned down when the thatched roof caught fire after a canon shot to announce the arrival of King Henry VIII. It was soon reconstructed but was demolished again in 1644 by the Puritans who opposed theatre performances because they felt that society should adopt a strait-laced lifestyle. In 1666, the Great Fire of London destroyed whatever was left of the theatre.
The modern Globe Theatre in London
http://www.freefoto.com/download/31-31-5?ffid=31-31-5
Here, we see the modern recreation of the Globe Theatre in London. It was mainly rebuilt based on guesses drawn from 17th Century descriptions and drawings of a rival theatre because no accurate information on the exact size and appearance of the original theatre can be found anymore.
Great picture shown here.
ReplyDeleteDoes this help you to better visualise what the Globe Theatre might have looked like back then?
Oh yes it does. It looks similar to those arenas for fighting that I saw in movies like Gladiator, same round shape outside and high walls.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. It does resemble the Roman Coliseum in shape. The activities which take place inside are quite similar too if you consider how the crowds back then went there for entertainment and to catch performances, some of which involved scenes of murder, rebellion and adultery!
ReplyDeleteHmm ... looks like the English were not as uptight about behaviour then as they seem to be today! Hehe! But then, since they did not have much entertainment back then, I guess the theatre had to be exciting to draw the crowds to watch right? It's just like our movie theatres nowadays, the gory, titillating blockbusters can always garner an audience no matter how bad it gets!
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