The Globe Theatre was originally built in 1599 in London. It was funded by William Shakespeare's acting troupe called Lord Chamberlain's Men, of which Shakespeare was a shareholder. The theatre was constructed using wood and supports from an older theatre called The Theatre. It was an open-air amphitheatre with standing room for groundlings costing a penny and balcony seating above costing more. In 1613, a fire during a performance destroyed the original Globe Theatre after a cannon fired on stage set the thatched roof alight. It was later rebuilt in the 1990s.

1. THE GLOBE THEATRE
PATRICE BENNETT-MEDIA INTERN

2. •Originally built in
1599.
•The Globe Theatre
was funded by the
acting group Lord
Chamberlain’s Men
•William Shakespeare
claimed a 1/8 of The
Globe.
THE ORIGINAL GLOBE THEATRE

3. THE THEATRE
 The Globe’s wood and main support system
was taken from another theatre, the Theatre.
 The Theatre was owned by James Burbage,
father of Richard Burbage, member of Lord
Chamberlain’s Men.
 The lease of the Theatre ran out, and the land’s
owner refused to sell it, so the timbers and
much of the building were taken away in secret
to keep

4. THE GROUNDLINGS
 For the cost of one penny,
the lower and middle
class could stand on the
theatre floor.
 These people were called
the groundlings.
 Because it was an open
air amphitheatre, the
groundlings were
vulnerable to the
elements such as snow
and rain

5. UPPER CLASS SEATING
 For around 5 pennies,
nobles and the upper-
class could watch from
the balcony seats.
 The highest nobles could
pay to sit in the seats
directly above the stage.

6. STRUCTURING OF THE GLOBE THEATER
•Capacity was between 2000 and 3000 spectators
•No lighting, open air, only the 3-storied amphitheatre was
roofed
•Mainly the actors performed between 2 pm and 5 pm
•Stage:
–width: 43 feet (ca. 13 m)
–depth: 28 feet (ca. 8 m)
–raised 5 feet (ca. 1,50 m) above the ground level
 Adjacent to the stage was the “tiring” house, were costumes
were made
 There was a trap door on the stage for performers to enter

7. THE GLOBE THEATRE FIRE
 On June 29, 1613, a fire
erupted during a
performance of King Henry
VIII.
 A cannon was used as a
special effect to signify a
grand entrance in the play.
 The cannon was loaded
with gunpowder and
wadding of paper like all
cannons are but had no
http://www.dkimages.com/discover
/previews/954/55105651.JPG cannon ball.

8. THE GLOBE THEATRE FIRE
 Sparks from the cannon erupted a fire on the
thatched roof.
 The fire took down the Globe in about 2 hours.
 No deaths were reported.

9. THE GLOBE REBUILT
 In 1949 Sam Wanamaker searches for the
remains of the Globe.
 In 1969 he begins a campaign to rebuild the
Globe.
 On June 7, 1997, the New Globe Theatre is
officially opened after decades of trial.

11. The rebuilt diagram of the Globe Theater

12. WORKS CITED
" Shakespeare's Globe Theater." eNotes - Literature Study Guides, Lesson
Plans, and More.. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 June 2010.
<http://www.enotes.com/william-shakespeare/shakespeares-globe-theater>.
"Shakespeare Resource Center - Shakespeare's Globe." Shakespeare
Resource Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 June 2010.
<http://www.bardweb.net/globe.html>.
"The Globe Theatre: Interesting Thing of the Day." Interesting Thing of the Day.
N.p., n.d. Web. 9 June 2010. <http://itotd.com/articles/312/the-globe-
theatre/>.
"The OLD GLOBE THEATER History." WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. N.p., n.d. Web. 9
June 2010. <http://www.william-shakespeare.info/william-shakespeare-
globe-theatre.htm>.