William Shakespeare and the theaters

​​In a nutshell

William Shakespeare was an English poet, actor, and dramatist from the 16th century. He is considered the English national poet and one of the greatest dramatists of all time.

The Author's Life

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564, he attended the local grammar school which gave him great knowledge of classical authors and the use of the language. He married Anne Hathaway and had three kids. In 1584, he went to London where he had his first experience with the theater, he stood out thanks to his cleverness and writing abilities. In 1593, London theaters were closed due to the plague, so Shakespeare got the support of a private patron called the Earl of Southampton, to whom he dedicated many of his poems.

Once the theaters reopened Shakespeare became a shareholder and in 1599 his company built the Globe Theater, where most of his plays were performed. Between 1590 and 1596 he mostly wrote historical dramas and history plays. Between 1593 and 1600, he launched ten comedies from farce to romance, he wrote tragedies between 1595 and 1605. Shakespeare spent the last years of his life in retirement in Stratford, he died in 1616 and was buried in the local church. Seven years after Shakespeare's death, some of his closest friends and actors published the First Folio, which is an edition of thirty-six of his plays in one volume.

Main Topics

Shakespeare had remarkable knowledge and abilities in poetry, playwright, language, history, and comedy. That being said, his most predominant topics were ambition, conflict, what it is to be a man, good and evil, loyalty, order and disorder, sin and retribution, guilt, love, and many more.

ACTING AND PLAYWRIGHT

Shakespeare owned a theater company that performed for important people such as Queen Elizabeth or King James I. He knew how to take familiar stories and turn them into tragic, hilarious, suspenseful, philosophical, and challenging dramas with which people would (and still today) identify.

LANGUAGE GENIUS

At the time Shakespeare was producing his works, theater technologies and complex stage design were not developed. So, he created those worlds through language. He found a way to portray scenes and concepts of love, jealousy, racism, religion, mourning, or power through poetic language. 

THE POET

Shakespeare's sonnets were published in 1609, the collection included 154 sonnets in decasyllables that can be divided into two sections: the first 126 sonnets are addressed to a 'fair youth' (probably the Earl of Southampton), and the speaker encourages the young man to marry and preserve his virtues through having children; the rest of the poems (except the last two) are addressed to a 'dark lady' who was irresistibly desirable despite being physically unattractive. 

THE COMEDIAN

Shakespeare's comedies usually deal with the journey of young men and women from virginity and being out of their parents' control to marriage.  The common set of conventions in the author's comedies includes disguise, frustrated love, mistaken identity, and marital and romantic misunderstandings.

THE HISTORIAN

Shakespeare's historical plays were based on serious events that took place in England such as Tudor's chronicles. The plays did not only deal with monarchies but also with the concept of a Nation. The inclusion of peasants, workers, and soldiers gave insight into the feeling of belonging to England. 

Note: Shakespeare's history plays are generally divided into two 'tetralogies' (a group of four plays). For example, Henry VI Parts One, Two, and Three (1590-92) and Richard III. 

THE TRAGIC PLAYWRIGHT

The transition between medieval and modern words was of notable support to creating the nature of tragedies in Shakespeare's work. The author portrayed in his plays the nature of political power, aspects of human life, and problems of the powerful in a world that was evolving. 

The theaters in England

The first London playhouses were built in the 16th century, these playhouses were generally round or octagonal-shaped and they could house up to 3,000 people. The very first playhouse to be built in London was The Theater (1576), followed by the Curtain (1577), the Swan (1595), and the Globe (1599).

Most of the theaters had the same standards, the stage was twelve meters wide which allowed a maximum of twelve actors on stage at a time. Also, the stage did not have curtains, it was roofed over and supported by two pillars. There was a central area called 'the pit' which was usually used by musicians. On the other hand, there was a sort of gallery above the stage that could be used by the audience or as parts of the stage for scenes such as 'the balcony scene' in Romeo and Juliet.

Another element that theaters had was a trap door which was used for devilish apparitions, disappearances, and burials. In addition, a balcony from where gods and goddesses descended onto the stage. Plays were performed during daylight and scenery were few, such as tables, chairs, swords, golden apples, canvasses for the sun and the moon, and candles or torch to symbolize the night world and dragons. Since the scenery was not so elaborated, the theater relied on the audience's imagination, though the text was enough to bring the play to life.

Scenes during plays finished once all actors were out of the stage and a new set would walk in. The profile of the Elizabethan actor was a busy man who was always rehearsing and was ready to improvise in case of an emergency, and since during Shakespeare times there were no female actresses, female roles were played by boys. 

THE GENRE OF DRAMA

The Elizabethan theater reached its peak of splendor thanks to Shakespeare's works. The dialogue was the main drama resource since it creates the action and provides details and information about the past which can help foreshadow subsequent events. On the other hand, the monologue was a device used in drama to show the character's thoughts about a specific problem, plans for the future, feelings and reactions, and the explanation of what happens between scenes. 

Another technique employed in the drama was the aside comment, which was a short comment made by the character to the audience alone. Its objective was to reveal the nature of the speaker, get the attention of the audience and create humor by introducing the unexpected. 

The following text is an extract of Hamlet (1601) Act III, Scene I, which works as an example of a dramatic monologue:

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet (1594-96) is a play written by William Shakespeare that is divided into five acts. The setting is Verona, where the Montagues and the Capulets are locked in a violent feud. 

FIRST ACT

The first act recounts a whole day in the streets of Verona, it is composed of dialogues about the concept of love which is linked to melancholy, holy devotion, and the idealization of the object of desire. It finishes with the meeting of the principal characters, Romeo (son of Lord Montague) and Juliet (daughter of Lord Capulet).

SECOND ACT

The second act contains the development of the relationship between Romeo and Juliet. The principal theme of this act is love outside the courtly conventions. This act ends with the secret wedding of the young lovers by the priest Friar Laurence.

THIRD ACT

In the third act, Mercurio (Romeo's friend) is murdered by Tybalt (Juliet's cousin) in a street fight. In revenge, Romeo kills Tybalt and is kicked out of Verona to Mantua. The act finishes with the wedding night of Romeo and Juliet at the Capulet's house.

FOURTH ACT

The fourth act prepares the audience for the tragedy. In order to prevent her marriage to Count Paris set up by her father, Juliet takes a drug given to her by Friar Laurence which makes her seem dead. The friar sends a messenger to Mantua, but it was too late, Romeo is told that Juliet is dead and decides to return to Verona.

FIFTH ACT

The fifth act consists of Romeo moving from Verona to Mantua. In the last scene, Romeo drinks poison after seeing Juliet apparently dead in the tomb, while Juliet wakes up from the trance and sees Romeo dead; she stabs herself with his dagger. Unlike most heroes in Shakespeare's plays, Romeo and Juliet will never know the truth about their death.

A LOVE TRAGEDY

Romeo and Juliet does not fit the old stereotype of 'young love' or 'old hate' since the tragic final destruction is a result of the elements of chance, unawareness, and bad communication. Juliet's realistic language plays an important role in how despite her being innocent and set within the court of love, she falls for Romeo; whose name does not correspond to the 'real Romeo', nor it is convenient for her to be with him. Therefore, she reflects upon the symbolic use of language and its links to reality.

The following text is an extract of Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene I, where Romeo and Juliet declare their love for each other:

Macbeth

Macbeth is a theater play written by Shakespeare in 1606. It is said that Shakespeare's inspiration for this play was based on real historical events to produce this work. Macbeth is divided into five acts and the setting is Scotland.

FIRST ACT

The play starts with the news that the Norwegians' invasion helped by the thane of Cawdor has failed by virtue of Macbeth. While Macbeth and his friend Banquo were returning from the battle. They encounter three witches that tell Macbeth he will become King of Scotland and that a line of kings will come for Banquo. Later, Macbeth meets the king's messenger who tells him the king will give him the title of 'Thane of Cawdor', so, motivated by the witches' prophecy, he invites the king to his castle and writes a letter to tell his wife. She makes a plan to murder King Duncan and clears away Macbeth's doubts with her determination.

SECOND ACT

King Duncan is killed and the accusation is put on the king's servants, the king's sons escape from Macbeth's castle, afraid to end like their father. Macbeth has taken the throne, however, Macduff and Banquo suspect him.

THIRD ACT

Macbeth does not feel completely safe as king due to the witches' prophecy which said the throne will fall to the heirs of Banquo. So, he decides to murder Banquo and his son, Fleance, this last manages to escape and Banquo's ghost starts to haunt Macbeth.

FOURTH ACT

The three witches warn Macbeth to beware of Macduff, this leads to the murder of Macduff's family. The witches also forecast that Macbeth will be safe as long as Birnam Wood does not go after him and that 'none of woman borne shall harm' him. 

FIFTH ACT

The fifth and last act opens with Macbeth's wife's madness walking in her sleep washing away Duncan's blood from her hands. Meanwhile, Malcolm (Duncan's son) comes with an army through Birnam Wood and each soldier cuts a branch to hide and advance to Dunsinane Castle. Macbeth finds himself alone since all the lords have allied with Malcolm, and so Macbeth is defeated and killed by Macduff. The play ends with Macduff holding Macbeth's head and proclaiming Malcolm king of Scotland. 

THE POWER OF AMBITION

Macbeth deals with the psychological analysis and complexity in the mind of a man with ambition. It portrays the plot twist of the typical brave and honest hero at the beginning of the play that turns into a tyrant and murderer as a result of his ambition and thirst for power.

The core of Shakespeare's tragedy contains regicide, which unleashes chaos, catastrophe, and terrible weather conditions. Furthermore, the witches' prophecies represent Shakespeare's reversal of values and equivocation, the author explores what is true and what seems to be true, this theme is carried out by the use of metaphors linked to 'clothing', especially clothes that do not fit. In addition, Macbeth depicts the questioning of whether the future is ordained or not inevitable, the result of individual activity.

The following text is an extract from Macbeth, Act I, Scene I, where the three witches are introduced:

The Tempest

The Tempest was written in 1611 by the English playwright William Shakespeare. It is a comedy that develops themes such as betrayal, revenge, magic arts, and ill-treatment.

FIRST ACT

The play opens with a tempest on an enchanted island where Alonso King of Naples, his son Ferdinand, Antonio Duke of Milan, and their court are shipwrecked and washed up to this island. This series of events was Prospero's plan, he explains to his daughter Miranda that he was the rightful Duke of Milan but his brother Antonio set him adrift with her on a boat for being devoted to the study of philosophy and magic. Thus, they reached an island inhabited by the witch Sycorax, her son Caliban and Ariel (an imprisoned wind spirit), this last one becomes Prospero's agent. 

SECOND ACT

While King Alonso is in the depths of despair because he thinks his son drowned. Ferdinand, au contraire, is wandering the island motivated by Ariel's singing, he encounters Miranda and falls in love with her. 

THIRD ACT

In order to test Ferdinand, Prospero makes him do menial tasks. Caliban meets Trinculo (the king's jester), and along with Stephano (the king's royal butler) plots to murder Prospero. Ariel hears them and notifies Prospero about their plan. 

FOURTH ACT

The fourth act works as a sort of interlude to entertain Ferdinand and Miranda while Prospero fulfills his plans of punishment and reward.

FIFTH ACT

The end of the play depicts the reconciliation of the characters: Prospero forgives his brother and returns to Milan to be the Duke, Miranda and Ferdinand get married, Ariel is released free, and Caliban is left alone on the island. 

FORGIVENESS AND HUMAN RELATIONS

The peculiarity of this Shakespearean play is that there is no tragic ending, instead, there are reconciliations, forgiveness, and an atmosphere of enchantment. 

Another bright element of the play is the 'element of magic' and the 'theatrical illusion' that is portrayed through the characters of the witch Sycorax and Prospero. They represent the maleficent and beneficent, as well as, the instrument of power.

The following text is an extract of The Tempest, Act I, Scene II which depicts the way Prospero prepares himself to give up his powers and return to his dukedom.