8-2Costumes&Sets

 Claire Inda 8-3 April 20th WHAT WERE COSTUMES AND SETS LIKE IN SHAKESPEARE’S THEATER?   Many costumes were used in the plays that Shakespeare wrote, though not many sets. His theater, the Globe, had a beautiful stage and structure. In the book, __William Shakespeare & the Globe__, by Aliki, “Elizabethan playhouses had no scenery and few props. The glory of the Globe was the adornment of the stage – the richly painted Heavens, columns, and stage wall, and the hangings covering the central opening. Special effects were provided by musicians and a stage cannon that shot blanks. Often the elaborate costumes were discarded cloths – gifts from noblemen to their servants, who sold them to the company.” Nice clothing must have been expensive if Shakespeare was not even able to buy them new!

Of course, in order to know what the costumes were like, you must know what the fashion of the time was. According to the book, __Tudor Costume and Fashion__ by Herbert Norris, Elizabethan dresses were gorgeous and elaborate, mirroring the prosperity and energy of the age. In this time period, bodices were worn. Under these bodices, women wore corsets. A petticoat was also worn under the skirt. Women didn’t actually wear dresses unless belonging to the upper class. The women who wore these dresses wore pleated and starched ruffs. In fact, if you were to put on a play of Shakespeare’s and wanted it to be authentic; you might as well wear clothes that a Noble would wear daily.

Much like the fashion of the day, clothing was elaborate. Any part of the costume was likely to have been decorated with braid, embroidery, pinking slashing or puffing. Men's clothing like that of women was also ostentatious. The many parts of male attire contributed to the ornate and colorful effect of the ensemble. Costumes and sets were indeed different than what we have today.

What were costumes and sets like in Shakespeare’s theatre?//Answer by Lexi M //
====In the early Elizabethan age, plays were performed in the inn yards. Inn yards were the foreground for Elizabethan theatre, according to Elizabethan Inn Yards (http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-inn-yards.htm). The theatre was booming during the Elizabethan age and was a way for people to get money. There were many different types of Elizabethan theatres including The Globe, The Theatre, Newington Butts, The Curtain Elizabethan Theatre, The Rose Theatre, The Swan Theatre, The Fortune Elizabethan Theatre, The Boars Head, The Bear Garden, The Bull Ring and The Hope Elizabethan Theatre according to Shakespeare, written by Anita Ganeri. (Ganeri, Anita. Shakespeare. First. Great Britain : Pavilion Books Ltd, 1999.). The amphitheatres were designed as open areas. The theatre was about 100 feet in diameter. The theatre could fit from about 1500 to 3000 people. The stage of the theatre projected halfway into the pit or the yard which is also known as the amphitheatre area. It had a raised stage at one end which was surrounded by three areas of roofed galleries with balconies overlooking onto the stage for people to sit in and view the show from. There were no bathrooms so if you had to go while at the show, you went outside. In the summertime, they would perform out in the theatres so there was no need for heating. In the winter months the plays were performed in indoor playhouses. The floors of the theatres were made out of wood and sometimes had rushes on the floor. There were trap doors in the ground which made special effects easy like the smoke effect and things like that. There were pillars called the heavens where the actors could hide behind. They were called the heavens because they reached up high and some say they could reach up to heaven. ====

The sets and the costumes from the play were based on the specific time period that was going on in the play. The costumes were extravagant and sometimes resembled the clothing from their time period according to Fashion, Costume, and Culture, Volume 3,written by Sara Pendergast. (Pendergast, Sara. Fashion, Costume, and Culture. Volume 3. Detroit: Thompson Gale, ) The costumes were made from a person who specifically designed the clothing for the play. Sometimes they would even take pieces of their wardrobe from their wardrobe and incorporate it into their costume. It depends on the character but they would have a more rebellious fashion sense in their plays then they would have in real life even though the costumes were mimicked after everyday clothing. The costumes and sets also depended on what the play was about and when it took place. The sets were sometimes part of the play but other times the sets weren’t a big part of the play considering they were outside and it was hard to create a set outside. They would wear head gear and heavy dresses or outfits that would weigh them down and wear them out. With their outfits, they would pair very interesting accessories such as a gold encrusted glove or a snake necklace. The props they had would have been swords, money, books, and items that would relate to the story in the play. As you can tell, the theatre was the place to be in Elizabethan England.  

Works Cited

Ganeri, Anita. __Shakespeare. First. Great Britain__ : Pavilion Books Ltd, 1999. Pendergast, Sara. __Fashion, Costume, and Culture.__ Volume 3. Detroit: Thompson Gale, 2002. 