While there are no contemporary drawings of the
Globe’s interior, maps and other images from the
era show its exterior. This etching of the building by
a late-eighteenth- or early-nineteenth-century artist
was probably based on some of those drawings.© Pearson Education, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved.literature and Culture • THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH
Literary History
Elizabethan Theater
The Rise of English Drama English drama came
of age during the reign of Elizabeth I, developing
into a sophisticated and popular art form.
Although playwrights like Shakespeare were mainly
responsible for the great theatrical achievements of
the time, the importance of actors, audiences, and
theater buildings should not be underestimated.
Elizabethan Actors Before the reign of Elizabeth
I, theater companies traveled about the country,
putting on plays wherever they could find an
audience, often performing in the open courtyards
of inns. Spectators watched from the ground or
from balconies or galleries above.
When Shakespeare was twelve years old, an actor
named James Burbage built London’s first theater,
called simply the Theatre. Actors—even prominent
and well-to-do actors like James Burbage— had a
complicated status in London society: They were
frowned upon by the city fathers, but were wildly
popular with the common people, who clamored to
see them perform. Though actors were considered
rogues and vagabonds by some, they were held
in sufficient repute to be called on frequently to
perform at court. A man like Burbage enjoyed a
reputation somewhat like a rock star’s today.
The Globe In 1597, the city fathers closed down
the Theatre. In late 1598, Richard Burbage (James
Burbage’s son) and his men dismantled it and hauled
it in pieces across the Thames to Southwark. It took
them six months to rebuild it, and when they did,
they renamed it the Globe.
Scholars disagree about what the Globe actually
looked like inside because there are no surviving
drawings from the time or detailed written
descriptions. In his play Henry V, Shakespeare refers
to the building as “this wooden O,” so we have a
sense that it was round or octagonal. The building
had to have been small enough for the actors to
be heard, but we know that performances drew
as many as 2,500 to 3,000 people. These truly
packed houses must have been uncomfortable—
especially when you consider that people of the
era didn’t bathe or change their clothes very
often! The so-called “groundlings,” who paid an
admission price250 UNIT 3 • FACING THE FUTURE, CONFRONTING THE PASTLIT17_SE12_U03_A1C_WC.indd 250 20/03/16 1:19 AMTEACHING
LITERATURE AND CULTURE
Literary History
This section provides background and analysis
for the key events of the Focus Period:
Elizabethan England during the Renaissance—the
development of theater, and the emergence of
William Shakespeare as playwright. Have students
connect these key events with the unit topic.Elizabethan Theater
Explain to students that England, with a
population of about three million, was largely
rural during Shakespeare’s time. However, sharp
social and economic divisions separated the
wealthy landowning classes from poor farm
laborers. Ask students to consider what kinds of
conflicts and problems might result from such
class distinctions.
Then explain that during the reign of Queen
Elizabeth I, England underwent significant
political, religious, and social change. Henry
VIII, Elizabeth’s father, had created an unstable
religious situation, separating England from
the Catholic Church. When Elizabeth’s sister
Mary became queen, she returned England to
Catholicism and even had Elizabeth imprisoned
on suspicion of aiding the Protestant cause. Mary
died childless, and Elizabeth became queen. She
ratified her father’s decision, establishing the
Church of England as the official religion with
her as the church’s head, thereby ensuring the
enmity of the Catholic powers of the world,
including Spain.AUTHOR'S PERSPECTIVE Kelly Gallagher, M.Ed.
The Value of Rereading To get the most out of
a text, it is important for students to move beyond
surface-level comprehension into deeper, inferential
meaning that yields insights and understanding.
Give students rereading strategies that allow them
to break free from the habit of complaining “I read
it, but I don’t get it” by having them ask themselves
the following four questions, in order, as they read:- What does it say?
2. What does it mean?
3. How is it said?
4. Why does it matter?
Question 1 taps literal comprehension, which
readers must do before they can move on to
uncovering deeper meaning in a text. Question 2
requires students to return to the text to provide
strong evidence of their interpretation by citing
specific details and passages. Question 3 asks
students to think about the author’s technique.
Question 4 gives students the opportunity to
think deeply about the issues that will affect
their lives, as recognizing the universals in great
literature enables students to consider their
place in society. After all, asking “Why does it
matter?” is the reason why we read and teach
great literature in the first place.250 UNIT 3 • FACING THE FUTURE, CONFRONTING THE PAST
LIT17_TE12_U03_A1C_WC.indd 250 16-04-12 2:31 AM