History Fact Finder | Culture and Recreation - Why Is The Globe Theater So Famous?

Why is the Globe Theater so famous?

The Globe Theater is famous because most of the plays by William Shakespeare (1564–1616) were first performed there. Shakespeare and members of the Lord Chamberlain's Men (an acting company) financed the building of the Globe in 1598 after the London Theater had been shut down due to bubonic plague (1347–50; also known as the Black Death). The theater was built on the banks of the Thames River in London, England, and opened to the public in 1599 as a summer playhouse. The Globe drew huge crowds and popularized Shakespeare's works to the extent that he was asked to perform outside of London and at the king's court. By the turn of the century Shakespeare had become London's most popular playwright and by 1603 the acting group had become known as the King's Men. The Globe burned down in 1613 and was rebuilt the next year. It was destroyed again in 1644 by Puritans, members of a Protestant...

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