What Role Did The Theater Play In The Elizabethan Era

An actor’s career in the Elizabethan era was not paid well or regarded highly by citizens and went as far as being promoted sinners. Additionally, theaters where expected by citizens and locals to host a new play each day. Despite, an actor’s rough and often unbearable life the many plays and playwrights shown in theaters are still seen and acted out today. On the other hand, the theaters where often criticized for their crude and uncivilized manner. Yet, although Elizabethan Theaters developed many forms of criticism they are regarded as one of the greatest forms of entertainment to grace the Earth. The Elizabethan age is thought to be the “golden age” of England when Queen Elizabeth I had ruled over England. She had eased tensions
Yet, there was usually no flooring and you were not protected from the weather. Up above on balconies resided rich and noble men and woman. Protected from the weather, fights, and outbreaks from the people below, they were required to pay a large amount to use the balconies (Alchin). The actors, unless in a playwright, would perform rain or shine at two in the afternoon for little to no money. Additionally, actors may also be booed at and/or have items or food thrown at them if the audience had disapproved of their performance. Actors working in Elizabethan theatres often had little time to rehearse and were expected to perform perfectly if there were to be a satisfactory audience (Linda). This included an actor performing his own stunts and sword fighting while trying to keep it convincing. Able to keep his composure calm and focused with hundreds of people staring at him was also a requirement (Alchin). Furthermore, an actor’s voice needed to be the appropriate level for the theater and required a robust memory to remember many of the plays he acted in. Unsurprisingly, all actors needed to exaggerate and effectively convey their lines with hand and arm motion
Without his many works and playwrights one may assume that the Elizabethan theatres would not have lasted as long as they did. He had not only created a golden age for England, but influenced many other famous writers, poets, and playwrights. When many scholars had looked down on him, upon only completing grammar school, Shakespeare not only amazed, but astounded the world with his plays on history, tragedy, comedy, and romance. Ben Jonson Elizabethan author of Every Man in His Humor had quoted, “He was not of an age, but for all time,” which effectively portrays Shakespeare’s influence even in the Elizabethan era (Mabilliard). Yet, contrary to popular belief, the Elizabethan Theatre as a whole was met by intense criticism and censorship. The many theaters and playwrights were often exuberant and the actors were looked down upon as wrongdoers and miscreants. Puritan leaders and officers of England criticized these actors for knowingly spreading or disseminating their opinions by way of plays and playwrights in London (Theater). Furthermore, they had feared that the overcrowded theaters and stages would lead to disease and widespread outbreaks. Parliament, at the time, went as far as censoring plays by profanity, politics,