Globe Theatre Plays
Interesting information about
the Globe Theatre Plays during the life and times of William Shakespeare and the Globe
Theatre of Elizabethan London, England
Globe Theatre Plays
The Globe Theatre Plays
brought massive audiences to the theatre. As soon as a play
had been written it was immediately produced - printing
followed productions. The Globe actors initially used 'foul
papers' or prompts for their plays. There were no copyright
laws in Elizabethan England so rival theatre companies would
send their members to attend plays to produce unauthorised
copies of plays - notes were made and copied as quickly as
possible - quarto texts. This type of plagiarism led to
different versions of some of the plays attributed to
William Shakespeare.
Times of Plays at the Globe
Theatre
The times of plays at the
Globe Theatre generally started at three o'clock. Red, White or Black
flags flying form the Flag mast at the top of the Globe Theatre
indicated whether the play to be performed was a history, comedy or a
tragedy. Prior to the start of a play the crowds were entertained in the
grounds outside the theatre at no cost. A short play which
included song and dance were performed at the 'Green Shows'. The start
of the afternoon plays were announced by a blast of trumpets.
Famous Plays performed at the
Globe Theatre
Plays performed at the
Globe Theatre were divided into three types - Histories, Comedies and
Tragedies. The First Folio was a collection of 36 plays by William
Shakespeare. The First Folio was published in 1623 - 7 years after the
death of William Shakespeare. None of his plays were published during
his lifetime. The financial requirement to produce as many plays as
possible, as quickly as possible, would lead us to believe that all of
the plays written by William Shakespeare would have been performed at
the Globe Theatre. However, written documentation verifying the dates
when famous plays were performed at the Globe Theatre are limited. The
following list details the names of known plays performed at the Globe
with the date they were performed:
-
Julius Caesar
was the first known William Shakespeare play to be performed
at the Globe Theatre. A tourist called Thomas Platter
recorded in his diary that on 21 September " we witnessed an
excellent performance of the tragedy of the first Emperor
Julius Caesar " said to be performed by some 15 actors
-
Hamlet was
performed 1600-1601
-
Twelfth Night
1601
-
Richard II - 7
February 1601
-
Troilus and
Cressida 1601-1602
-
All’s Well That
Ends Well 1602
-
Timon of Athens 1604
-
King
Lear 1605
-
Macbeth 1606
-
Pericles, Prince of Tyre 1607
-
The Tempest 1610
-
The Two Noble Kinsmen
1611
-
Henry VIII in 1613
The lost play by William
Shakespeare called Cardenio was believed to have been performed in 1612.
Click the following links to access the full list of William Shakespeare
plays, divided into Histories, Comedies and Tragedies, together with the
dates they were first performed and the date the plays were printed.
William Shakespeare Comedy
Plays
William Shakespeare Tragedy Plays
William Shakespeare History Plays
Globe Theatre Plays
Interesting Facts and information
about the Globe Theatre Plays.
Additional details, facts and information about the
Globe Theatre can be accessed via the Globe Theatre Sitemap.
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