Why did Shakespeare build the Globe Theatre?



The theatre was located in Southwark, across the River Thames from the City of London. Shakespeare’s company built the Globe only because it could not use the special roofed facility, Blackfriars Theatre, that James Burbage (the father of their leading actor, Richard Burbage) had built in 1596 for it inside the city.

What was the Globe Theatre built for and how was it used?

It had two theatres (the Rose and the Swan), animal baiting arenas, taverns and brothels. Streete and his workmen built a brick base for the theatre. The walls were made from big timber frames, filled with smaller slats of wood covered with plaster that had cow hair in it.

Who built the original Globe Theatre?

The Globe was built by Shakespeare’s acting company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, in 1599 from the timbers of London’s very first permanent theater, Burbage’s Theater, built in 1576.

What was the Globe Theatre inspired by?





The design of the original Theatre responded to a mix of traditions. Its name, which up to then had been used for atlases (such as Mercator’s) rather than for playhouses, drew attention to the Roman theatre tradition.

What did Shakespeare refer to the Globe Theater as?

Shakespeare called his theatre a ‘wooden O‘ and like his historic playhouse our Globe Theatre is a 360° auditorium.

Why is the Globe Theatre so famous?

The Globe is known because of William Shakespeare’s (1564–1616) involvement in it. In the 1590s an outbreak of the plague prompted authorities to close London theaters. At the time Shakespeare was a member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, an acting company.

Why was the Globe Theatre named?

By May 1599, the new theatre was ready to be opened. Burbage named it the Globe after the figure of Hercules carrying the globe on his back – for in like manner the actors carried the Globe’s framework on their backs across the Thames.