Know About Shakespeare's Globe Theater and the Reason Behind Its Location
An overview of the Globe Theatre, where many of William Shakespeare's plays were first performed. The theater was located in Southwark, across the River Thames from the City of London.
Courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library; CC-BY-SA 4.0 (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
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© World Science Festival (A Britannica Publishing Partner)Alan Alda discussing the work of Marie Curie, the subject of his 2011 play Radiance: The Passion of Marie Curie.
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© Open University (A Britannica Publishing Partner)Hear the original pronunciation of Elizabethan English as demonstrated and explained by British linguist David Crystal and his actor son, Ben Crystal. Actors at the rebuilt Globe Theatre, London, have used this pronunciation in performances of William Shakespeare's plays.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Discussion of the historic Globe Theatre and the modern-day replica of it in Bankside, London.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Maynard Mack of Yale University using a model of the Globe Theatre to discuss performance in William Shakespeare's day.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Characterization of London's Bankside area.
Transcript
MICHAEL WITMORE: The Globe Theater is a remarkable place in London theater history. It's located on the south banks of the Thames River. And it was located there for a reason. The authorities in the city of London didn't want theaters in their district, because they thought they were disruptive. So Shakespeare's Globe, in 1599, opens in a part of the city called Southwark, or the Liberties, which is not regulated by the city authorities. It's a place where different kinds of entertainment can take place. And it's contained.
So it is in this theater that Shakespeare perfects the scene. And it's also this theater that pioneers the way for commercial entertainment in London and in Britain, people going to the theater, paying money, so that they can be entertained.
So it is in this theater that Shakespeare perfects the scene. And it's also this theater that pioneers the way for commercial entertainment in London and in Britain, people going to the theater, paying money, so that they can be entertained.