"The original Globe Theatre was built by James Burbage in 1576. Later it was rebuilt in a more suitable spot south of the River Thames."
"The Globe was one of the earliest buildings designed solely for the performance of plays, and its general shape was copied from that of an inn-yard (where plays were previously performed.)"
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"Inside, the Theatre was certainly quite cramped, or, to put it politely, intimate."
"The stage itself thrust out into the pit, where the groundlings, the poorest of the audience stood."
6
"Around the inside of the 'wooden O', as Shakespeare called The Globe, were 3 tiers of gallery seating, where the richer patrons could sit."
"Those with money to spare could even pay to sit on stools on the stage itself."
"Plays were acted in daylight, and the actors would have felt the presence of the crowds all around them."
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"Realistic scenery was not used, so Shakespeare relied on the words of his play to create an image of the scene in his audiences' minds."
"Notice how he introduces references to the weather, the surroundings etc. in the opening lines of many scenes."
5
"In The Merchant of Venice, we could expect Shylock to make use of the projecting stage to make his asides to the audience."
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"The inner room could contain the caskets (notice that Portia instructs a servant to draw aside the curtains to reveal them)."
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"The upper room is obviously where Jessica appears in Act II, Scene 6 to throw down the casket to Lorenzo."
