8-4RoleofTheatre

Theatre in England What role did Theatre and Drama serve in Elizabethan England? What are the Characteristics of Elizabethan Theatres and Drama? //Answer Prepared by Kyler W.// The Elizabethan Theatre was a place of fun entertainment and pleasure. You could go and see your favorite actors performing one of Shakespeare’s greatest works. You could also, at some of the theatres, go to see prostitution, and maybe go over to the bar and have a few drinks. Theatre was a way for Englanders to relax after a hard days work. You could go and hang out with all your friends.

Going to the theatres was cheap and inexpensive unless you wanted the good, covered seats. According to the book “The Age of Shakespeare,” “thanks to a wide range of prices offered by the ‘box offices’ of the time, theatres were places of popular entertainment.” It goes on later to say, “Entrance to the ‘pit’ – the standing room around the stage – cost only a penny; price rose to sixpence for seats in the covered galleries.” Because of this going to the theatre was as common as going to see “bloodsports, such as fights between bulls, bears, and packs of dogs. This also included executions,” states the book “Discover Shakespeare.”

The diverse crowd consisted of, “Puritans, rogues, pickpockets, and prostitutes,” says “The Age of Shakespeare.” The theatre was a time and place where people could let their emotions go by roaring with laughter or dissolving into tears. You could cheer for your favorite actor or star, or even purchase rotten fruit and vegetables to throw at the bad actors. Theatres had a fun environment. You could hang out with friends and watch all of your favorite plays. They played famous plays such as, “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” “Roxanna” “Hamlet” and many others. Works Cited Chrisp, Peter. Eyewitness Books: Shakespeare. New York City, NY: DK Publishing Inc., 1995. Print.

Laroque, Francois. The Age of Shakespeare. Abrams, New York: Thames and Hudson Ltd., 1991. Print.