Plays performed at the Globe Theater provided a great opportunity for people to come together for socializing during this time period. The wealthy came dressed in their finer clothes, and everyone came expecting great entertainment. It was generally a pretty boisterous crowd inside the theater, and spectators weren't expected to remain quiet during the performance. Audience members yelled during exciting parts, booed villains' actions, and cheered special effects like smoke and fireworks. The general public (or commoners) purchased the cheapest tickets and stood close to the stage for the duration of the play; audience reactions were likely most intense in this area. The audience members enjoyed eating snacks and drinking ale during performances, which likely contributed to a more boisterous atmosphere. There were no public toilets, so people relieved themselves outdoors.
The way an audience interacted with the live action on stage provided encouragement (or discouragement) to the actors...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
as they performed.
Just as there existed a social stratum in Elizabethan society, so, too, did a social arrangement exist within the Globe Theatre. As you know, the theatre had no roof and was arranged as an open courtyard with this end for the entry and exit of audiences. The audience was made up of individuals from every walk of life.
On the ground, the poorer, lower class audience stood as they could not afford seating; they came to be known as the Groundlings or Stinkards. This group, who paid a penny by dropping it into a box (hence, "Box Office"), was rowdy, bawdy, and often known to throw things at the players who did not meet their approval. They thrived on the fight scenes, the sexual innuendos, and the puns and bawdy jokes of minor characters. The well-to-do customers sat in covered galleries around the stage. They enjoyed the music of good language as did even the groundlings, delighting in puns and word games by the players. They, too, were vigorous in their applause and approval, but not as rowdy as the Groundlings. While the upper classes enjoyed all these things, they especially loved and responded to the dignity and grandeur of poetry. In most of his plays, therefore, Shakespeare satisfied all classes as he employed vigorous action, boisterous humor, and splendid poetry.