Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

William Shakespeare was born in Stradford-on-Avon

on April 23.

His mother was from

a farmer's family.

His father was a merchant.

H e graduated

the Grammar school.

In 1582 William got married to Anne Hathaway.

They had three children.

When William was at the age

of 21 he moved to London

and left his family.

In the capital 

William Shakespeare became an actor and a member

of the big acting companies.

Soon he started writing his own plays for this company. 

And only in a few years William was a well-known author.

He wrote about 37 plays for his life.

William Shakespeare

the greatest English poet and dramatist

During Shakespeare’s time London’s population was 200,000.

There was a great gap between the rich and the poor.

But no matter how rich or poor they were, they all had one thing in common:

their delight in, and attendance at, the entertainment that London offered.

The three major attractions were bear baiting, cockfighting,

and entertainment that theatre offered – the Globe Theatre.

Shakespeare

frequently refers to bear baiting in his plays,

using it as a metaphor

for his characters’ situations

(e.g. Julius Caesar, Macbeth.

Globe Theatre Fact 1

The Globe Theatre was built between 1597 and 1599 in Southwark on the south bank of London’s River Thames, funded by Richard Burbage and built by carpenter Peter Smith and his workers .

Globe Theatre Fact 2

The timber for The Globe Theatre was actually reused wood from “The Theatre” – an earlier theatre owned by Richard Burbage’s father.

Globe Theatre Fact 3

The Globe was built as a large, round, open air theatre. There was a roof around the circumference which covered the seating area, leaving the theatre looking like a doughnut from above.

Globe Theatre Fact 4

The architectural style of The Globe was similar to the Coliseum in Rome, but on a smaller scale – other Elizabethan theatres also followed this style of architecture which were called amphitheatres.

Globe Theatre Fact 5

The Globe had three stories of seating and was able to hold up to 3,000 spectators.

Globe Theatre Fact 6

At the base of the stage was an area called “the pit” which held “the groundlings” – people who paid just a penny to stand and watch a performance.

Globe Theatre Fact 7

A crest above the main entrance to The Globe Theatre was inscribed with motto “Totus mundus agit histrionem” – Latin for “The whole world is a playhouse”.

Globe Theatre Fact 8

At the start of each play after collecting money from the audience the admission collectors took boxes full of money to a room backstage – the box office

Many phrases of his works became famous and they are known all over the world.

Complete the Shakespeare’s quotes.

All the world's a stage a. is done

To be, or not to be: b. and all the men and women are merely players.

Love is blind c. and lovers cannot see.

Neither a borrower d. that is the question.

I must be cruel e. nor a lender be.

Men of few word f. only to be kind.

What's done g. are the best men.

Read these sentences and choose the right answers

1.William Shakespeare was born on April 23 (1567, 1564, 1600)

2. He was born at (Liverpool, Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon)

3. Shakespeare visited the theatre when he was (grown-up, schoolboy).

4. He arrived in London when he was (25, 21, 30) years old.

5. He wrote (novels, stories, sonnets, plays).

6. Shakespeare wrote about (fifty, thirty) plays.

7. He died in (London, Coventry, Stratford -upon-Avon).

8. In the (winter, spring, autumn, summer) 1613 the Globe caught fire during the performance of a play and was burnt to the ground.

9. The theatre was built in (1974, 2014, 1546, 1879).

10. The Globe was made of ( concrete, glass, timber, iron)