In honor of William Shakespeare we are celebrating the 400th anniversary of his death on April 23, 2016. What better way to do this, than by highlighting the writing done by first-year students in Associate Professor of English John Wesley’s first-year seminar, A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare? This first-year seminar in scholarly inquiry studies four remarkable plays Shakespeare wrote or saw into production in 1599, the same year he opened the Globe Theatre. In the first half of the course, students were introduced to the myriad ways in which Shakespeare’s 1599 plays are shaped by and give shape to the political and cultural intrigues of that year. In the second half of the course, students turned to a play (and year) of their own choosing, the historicist analysis of which is the basis of an independent research project. As part of this project, students were asked to prepare a blog post that reflected on aspects of Shakespeare’s life, a specific work, or a resource or organization associated with Shakespeare, or to provide a personal interpretation of a play. During the month of April, we’ll feature the posts from students that celebrate all things Shakespeare!
Congratulations to our wonderful first-year writers. For additional online resources about Shakespeare, check out these sites:
- British Library: http://www.bl.uk/
- Folger Shakespeare Library: http://www.folger.edu/
- Globe Theatre: http://www.shakespearesglobe.com
- Internet Shakespeare Editions: http://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca
- Shakespeare 400: http://www.shakespeare400.org/
The Audience of Shakespeare’s Globe
By Sarah Rau
Interior of the Swan Theatre by Johannes de Witt drawn in 1596
While plays have evolved into a luxurious form of entertainment, they were once a common leisure. The plays of William Shakespeare are a notable example of this evolution. Today, attending a Shakespeare play is considered a significant occasion; however, when his plays were first being produced, playgoing was simple entertainment for all people. Shakespeare’s three-storied Globe, located in London, was an exceptional example of a diverse audience. Holding around three-thousand people at its maximum occupancy, the Globe theatre accommodated a group of people, ranging from criminals to nobility.
The cheapest admission at Shakespeare’s Globe was into the Penny Gallery or yard. The Penny Gallery referred to an extremely-crowded standing area surrounding the stage; entry into this area only cost one cent. Situated in the center of the open-air theatre, this area of the Globe was exposed to the unpredictable London weather. The audience members in the Penny Gallery endured the somewhat lengthy plays without seating, but they did enjoy food and drink. On the downside, the Penny Gallery was thus cursed by a reek of what some described as garlic and beer according to the Shakespeare’s Globe company. One could only imagine what the unwashed playgoers and lack of lavatories added to the already potent smell of food and alcohol. Although uncomfortably cramped and surrounded by unpleasant odors in the Penny Gallery, one had the advantage of intimacy with the players. Being within reach of the stage, the commoners were able to interact with the play and be swept up into its tale. The other audience members did not enjoy this personal experience although they were free of most inconveniences associated with the Penny Gallery.
Above the Penny Gallery stood different tiers of audience members. These tiers mimicked the social hierarchy of the time – the lower galleries held the commoners while the higher galleries were reserved for higher-class citizens. One could scan the audience from the Penny Gallery up to the third-floor, carefully observing the broad scope of the audience. According to Andrew Gurr, a broad variety of people, from prostitutes and pickpockets to army captains, occupied the lower galleries. In the lower galleries, one could afford the luxury of a bench seat for the cost of two pennies.
Above the lower galleries, wealthier people, such as merchants and lawyers who could afford pricier seating, populated the Central Galleries. The highest galleries, containing the most expensive seating, were known as the Lord’s Rooms. In the higher galleries, one could enjoy sheltered seating and the prominence of being among wealthier citizens rather than commoners and their crude stenches. Understandably, the aristocracy used their wealth as an advantage to segregate themselves from the overpopulated, unpleasant Penny Gallery, yet the intimacy became absent from their experience because of their distance from the stage.
Each social class possessed its own comforts at the Globe; the wealthy welcomed the luxury of prestige and covered seating while the lower classes enjoyed their ability to buy food and drink as well as interact with the play. In contrast with today’s world and regardless of the distinct division among social rank at the time, playgoing at Shakespeare’s Globe remained a form of entertainment enjoyed by the majority of Londoners.
Interior of the Swan Theatre by Johannes de Witt drawn in 1596. The Globe closely resembled the Swan Theatre – this drawing is the closest artifact to an original drawing of the Globe.
Bibliography
“Audiences.” Shakespeare’s Globe: Globe Education. The Shakespeare Globe Trust, 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.
De Witt, Johannes. The Swan. 1596. The Shakespearean Stage 1574-1642. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2009. 163. Print.
Gurr, Andrew. The Shakespearean Stage 1574-1642. New York: Cambridge UP, 2009. Print.
Harbage, Alfred. Shakespeare’s Audience. New York: Columbia UP, 1941. Print.