Why did the Puritans close the Globe Theatre in 1642?

The Puritans closed the Globe Theatre and all other London theaters in 1642 due to the outbreak of the English Civil Wars.123

This closure was part of a broader religious and moral campaign against the theater, which Puritans and other religious authorities viewed as a source of immorality and social disorder. Beyond the political instability of the Civil War, Puritans were specifically incensed by practices such as transvestite acting, where boys donned women's clothing to play female roles, which they condemned as a violation of biblical gender boundaries and a catalyst for sinful behavior.45

The theaters remained closed for 18 years until the Restoration of the monarchy under Charles II in 1660.623